Q&As for Prospective and Incoming Students
- What room setup should we expect?
That depends! Dartmouth has a multitude of room setups that all depend on how you answer your housing questionnaire. If you need complete silence (like I do) to sleep, you will likely be placed in a single room or a two room double, which is two connected rooms with one person in each. If you are an outgoing person, you could be placed in a large one room triple with three people in one room. There are also two room triples (three people in two rooms), three room doubles (two people in three rooms), and the traditional one room double (two people in one room).
- Who will my roommate be?
Unlike most schools, Dartmouth does random roommates for all first-year students that are determined by the housing questionnaire. My advice is to be honest on the questionnaire so that you will receive your best match! My freshman roommate and I got along so well that we are rooming together next year!
- How much homework should we expect?
That all depends on your classes. My humanities classes have daily homework that requires reading and writing. My STEM classes are mostly test-based and the workload fluctuates depending on how close I am to the test date. With all that said, I usually finish my classes by noon and spend the majority of the afternoon studying and doing homework.
- How do I get through homesickness?
I am a real homebody and have always been close with my family, especially my younger sister. I'll be honest that at the beginning of freshman year, I was pretty homesick. However, as I got more involved with extracurriculars and made more friends, I began to feel more comfortable being away from my family. A daily call home also helps me stay connected with my family.
- What are some tips to succeed in class?
My number one piece of advice is getting to know the professor. While all the accolades and degrees Dartmouth professors hold can be intimidating, in my experience they have all been down to earth and eager to help students succeed in their classes. Going to office hours helps me better understand the class material and also builds the student-professor relationship.
Relying on upperclassmen has also been tremendously helpful for me. They've been through several Dartmouth classes and are accustomed to the rigor. Studying with them has also helped me get to know students outside of my class year!