Hey y'all! I'm Caroline York, and I'm a '25 from Georgia! My hope is to share my Dartmouth experience with potential '28s, '29s, '30s and beyond! On campus, I write sports for The Dartmouth, am a Center for Social Impact SIBS mentor, am in Christian life, a Tour Guide, a Dartmouth Emergency Medical Services (EMS) member, and am a Hood Museum Intern! Otherwise, you'll find me in the Connecticut River, studying in the Tower Room, and running along the Appalachian Trail. Welcome to my world!
I initially took this class because I wanted to know more about Dartmouth’s history with Native Americans. It ended up being my favorite class because Professor Duthu was so enthusiastic about Native American affairs. He related the lectures to his own experiences growing up on a reservation, which made the class come to life.
As a potential Classics major on the pre-health track, this class was perfect for me! We learned about different medical practices from Rome and Greece and how medicine had changed in the past 2,000 years. We had a class in the Geisel School of Medicine and got to hold human organs!
I took this class because I wanted to learn more about the economy. Econ 2 focuses on the current economic climate in the US, so we would follow the DOW Jones on a daily basis to establish trends. In an economy impacted by a pandemic, inflation, and a war, this class was so helpful in my understanding of the financial climate of the country.
Physics with Professor Blencowe was delightful. His enthusiasm for the subject matter created excitement for students. The labs were hands-on and interactive to learn about the mechanics of the world.
This class fulfilled the Interdisciplinary Approach to my Global Health minor, and I enjoyed every minute of it. With Professor McCabe, we discussed gender and how its structure impacts our daily lives. My final research project studied gender within "Grey's Anatomy," which was created by Shonda Rhimes '91.
I used my "off-term" to travel to Hanoi, Vietnam for a Dartmouth Dickey Center Global Health Internship. I worked for the Institute of Population, Health, and Development, and studied health disparities in Vietnam.
This class was taught by a visiting professor, and she did an excellent job of engaging the class and making the material exciting. We learned about the historical Jesus figure in a Jewish context, and we connected the class content to modern day movies about Jesus.
I did a transfer term at Trinity College, Dublin, which means I took three courses at Trinity. My favorite was "Roman Archaeology" because I had never taken an archaeology course yet for my Classical Studies major.
How I've Stayed Connected to Dartmouth While Abroad
This past fall, I had the opportunity to do a transfer term in Ireland. Because I was so far away from Dartmouth, I was worried how I would stay connected to the community, but I found that it is so easy to remain involved at school!
In the digital age, it's easier than ever to stay linked to Dartmouth. I wrote for this blog every week, which was a really nice way to reflect on my time at Dartmouth while away and to record my life abroad. I also remained involved with my roles at the Student Wellness Center and participated in Zoom meetings to stay up to date on ongoing events at the center.
Thankfully, Dartmouth supports you wherever you are. Thus, I was able to have a couple meetings with the Health Professions Office to stay on track with my pre-medical studies.
I was also able to stay connected with Dartmouth friends through FaceTime, and one friend even visited me in Ireland! Dartmouth students study all over the world, so chances are there is a Dartmouth student studying in at least one country you would want to visit!
Obviously, I couldn't do everything I normally do at Dartmouth while abroad. I wasn't doing shifts for Dartmouth Emergency Medical Services; nor was I giving my beloved campus tours. However, sometimes it's nice to take a break from a busy schedule, and I was really able to immerse myself in Irish culture!
Overall, this term showed me that Dartmouth is a place that encourages students to stay engaged in wherever they are!
It's easy to forget how easy it is to access walking trails during the hustle of a Dartmouth term. As graduation nears, I am reminded of how special it is to step off campus and enjoy quiet moments in nature.
With a solar eclipse sweeping across North America for the first time in nearly seven years on April 8th came a road-trip with hundreds of other Dartmouth students to a zone of totality near campus: St. Johnsbury, Vermont!
Over half of Dartmouth students study abroad at least once during their undergraduate journeys—quite a high percentage, right? Do you want to know how to best prepare for your own abroad experience? Come check what it was like for me.
