Cal Shin

If you had asked me three years ago what word I would have used to describe Dartmouth, I would have said, “Outdoorsy.” I imagined that everyone enjoyed camping, hiking, skiing, or pursuing some other adventurous activity outdoors. It’s true that the outdoors is a big part of campus. Most incoming students engage in First-Year Trips as part of their orientation program. While First-Year Trips can consist of more “traditional” outdoor experiences such as cabin camping, canoeing, and hiking, there is a wide variety of trips designed for all experience levels (including no experience at all). There are trips that sleep on campus, trips that sleep in cabins, and trips that sleep completely outside! First-Year Trips can be a fun experience, but it’s totally okay if your involvement with the outdoors mostly ends there. 

For the longest time, I thought that Dartmouth was completely surrounded by the woods, and that’s a bit of an exaggeration. What’s much closer in proximity is a quaint downtown Hanover filled with amazing restaurants, small businesses, and other useful locations—all within walking distance. 

Coming from an area where we might be lucky to get an inch of snow once a year, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about New England winters. While winters here can feel cold, especially if you’re from a warmer place, Dartmouth has plenty of resources so you can be warm while also having fun. We also have some really awesome traditions and activities, such as PE classes on skiing and a campus-wide snowball fight to celebrate the first big snowfall of the term. And the snow can be quite beautiful, as pictured above in the photo my friend, Faith, took. 

When I first came to Dartmouth, I never would have thought I would be affiliated—that is, be a member of a Greek house. Coming from the South, I was familiar with Greek life at southern schools, and I mistakenly assumed Greek life at Dartmouth would be no different. While Dartmouth has national fraternities and sororities that exist in other universities in the country (including NPHC and multicultural organizations), we also have a healthy mix of local fraternities, sororities, and gender-inclusive houses that only exist at Dartmouth. While I ultimately decided to go through the recruitment process and join a sorority, I have just as many friends who are not involved with Greek life as those who are, and their social lives are no less robust! Most social events are open to anyone with a Dartmouth ID, so you do not need to be affiliated to engage with the social scene! 

Dartmouth has gone above and beyond my expectations in the best possible way. If there’s one piece of advice I could give you, it’s to rid yourself of any assumptions and stereotypes before you see and experience Dartmouth for yourself. Keep an open mind, and you might find yourself delighted by all we have to offer!