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Chelsea Mills

Class of 2026
me!
About 

Hi! I'm Chelsea Mills, a '26 from North Potomac, Maryland. I'm a pre-med student pursuing a Psychology major and a Biology minor. I'm a tour guide, co-president of the Student Mental Health Union, and an outreach coordinator for Camp Kesem (a college-run camp for kids with a parent who has cancer). On weekends, you might find me grabbing a bite at The Works Cafe, spending time with friends in my sorority house, or taking a stroll around Occom Pond. I hope you enjoy my blog- thanks for reading :)

Academic Program 

Psychology with a Biology minor, Pre-Med!

Favorite Thing Right Now 

Seeing cute dogs on campus

Hometown 

North Potomac, Maryland

Pronouns 

she/her

You are here

Chelsea's D-Plan

What's a D-Plan?

    • FallHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: LAT 003: Latin 3

      I studied Latin throughout high school, and I intended to continue the language at Dartmouth. Latin 3 was a good introduction to the Classics department. I was really surprised with how immersive my class was! We even visited the Rauner Special Collections Library on campus, where we had access to the original manuscripts (made of animal skin!) of Ovid's poems. I'm excited for similar experiences in the near future; I plan on majoring in Classics!

    • WinterHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: ENGS 12: Design Thinking

      I'm not an Engineering major, but I LOVED ENGS 12. It's the kind of class that you take just because you've heard so many great things about it. A friend recommended this class and professor (Rafe Steinhauer) to me- and I'm so glad they did. Not to be dramatic, but this Design Thinking class literally changed the way I understand the world around me. I learned about creativity, problem solving, and collaboration in an immersive way. The group projects helped my apply this knowledge on a daily basis. I constantly find myself transferring what I learned to my current academic and personal life. I can't recommend this class enough!

    • SpringHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: CHEM 07.05: Sci Communication & Context

      "Science Communication & Context" was my chosen topic to fulfill Dartmouth's first year Writing Seminar requirement. My seminar was taught by a notable professor in the Chemistry department. As a pre-med student, I have a lot of interest in STEM. I think the phenomenon of miscommunication in science is one that is both interesting and socially relevant. I also love the discussions in this class because many of my peers come from different backgrounds.

    • SummerRome, Italy

      Favorite Class: ITAL 004: Reading Rome

      I took Italian 1,2, and 4 during my study abroad in Rome. While the other two were introductory language classes, Italian 4 focused on the cultural aspects of the city. It gave us a well-rounded experience beyond the language itself. Our classroom's location in Rome also allowed us to engage in the culture ourselves. I was shocked at how much we covered in just ten weeks! We went on several guided tours of museums and monuments (Colosseum, Roman Forum, St. Peters and Vatican Museums, Borghese Gallery), went to an opera house, participated in a cooking class, etc. I loved my time in Italy!

    • FallHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: PYSC 24: Abnormal Psychology

      Both the Neuroscience and Psychology majors fall within the Psychological and Brain Sciences department. While most pre-health students tend to gravitate towards Neuroscience, I’ve always known that Psychology was my genuine interest. I have a family member with a mental illness, which has inspired my commitment to learning how mental illnesses affect behavior and cognition. Abnormal Psychology affirmed my passion for this topic. This class explores the etiology, symptoms, diagnostic process, and treatments for several mental illnesses.

    • WinterHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: BIO 13: Genetics

      Biology 12, Cell Structure and Function, and Biology 13, Genetics, are the two most popular introductory courses in the Biology department for pre-med students. Each professor who teaches these courses utilizes a slightly different approach. My professor, Patrick Dolph, used a flipped-classroom method that I found incredibly beneficial. I liked how I could learn the material on my own before completing practice problems in class with my group. I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I ended up being assigned to a great group! We had a great social dynamic, which made collaborating on practice problems a bit less intimidating.

    • SpringNorth Potomac, MD

      Favorite Class: Off-term!

    • SummerHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: HUM 4.02: The Sixties

      This class didn’t fulfill any of my distributives or count toward my major, but I certainly don’t regret taking it. As a STEM/pre-health student, this class was truly a breath of fresh air. I’ve always found that certain topics in History interest me more than others. Social change and activism, for example, were particularly fascinating to learn about. Professor Randall Balmer brought these 1960s themes to life in this class. We also listened to many popular songs from each year in the decade. This helped me relate to the history in a more personal and engaging way.

    • FallHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: THEA 26: Movement Fundamentals

      Anybody who knows me knows that I can’t dance… at all. But I love doing it! This class was perfect for me. It’s a beginner-friendly class that fulfills the art distributive requirement. You didn’t even need to know how to count music to follow along. The professor did a great job of creating a comfortable atmosphere. He taught us all the dance moves we needed to know and supported our efforts in executing them. I learned about how a character can be expressed through movement in a very immersive way. The final for this class allowed me to choreograph a one-minute dance to one of my favorite songs, “The Greatest” by Billie Eilish.

Your Orientation to Orientation Week

Welcome to the woods! Dartmouth prides itself on how early community is established. But how well does it translate during orientation Week?

  1. No. 1

    Tip #1: Mentally prepare your social battery

    My dorm (French 4!) in front of McNutt Hall for Matriculation

    I couldn’t wait to meet new people on campus. I remember smiling and introducing myself to virtually everyone. But the honeymoon phase of move-in day quickly came to an end as my parents left campus and I was left with 1,000 other freshmen. I quickly realized that every day for the next couple of weeks would consist of much more smiling and many more introductions. Orientation week truly put my social battery to the test. 

    I was as social and outgoing as I could have been. And I’m sure you will be too. It’s important to be friendly as you meet new people. Just don’t forget to take some time for yourself. Even finding a couple of minutes to chill before leaving your dorm can really help.
     

  2. No. 2

    Tip #1: Get some (or at least a little) sleep

    You may not believe me now, but trust me when I say that orientation week is busy. The schedule is pretty much back-to-back for 12 days straight. But seriously, take breaks if you need them. My orientation seemed to start the moment I stepped on campus. And there was no turning back. Don’t get me wrong; I had a great time. It was just a bit overwhelming at times. And if you don’t recharge at night, you’ll find yourself feeling miserable the next day. The stress of moving in and getting acclimated to a new environment will catch up to you at some point. We all know that you don’t perform at your best when you’re tired. Can you imagine meeting your new classmates when you’re running on just 4 hours of sleep?

  3. No. 3

    Tip #3: Have fun :)

    My friends and I at the Twilight Ceremony

    Orientation is the perfect opportunity to get to know people before the chaos of classes starts. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. I promise you that everybody else just wants to make friends too. (Bonus tip: remember people’s names!) I said “Hi my name is Chelsea and I’m from Maryland” more times than I could count. It might feel a bit superficial, but the friendship usually grows from there. You’ll have some familiar faces to say “Hi” to in passing. Even if you don’t think the Language Requirement lecture is going to be much fun, you might make a new friend with the person sitting next to you. If nothing else, embrace the activities for the sake of expanding your new social circle.

    Orientation week is a great time on campus. There are a ton of cool traditions that you’ll be glad you took part in. My class (‘26) can say that we were the last to shake President Hanlon’s hand at Matriculation. You may be tired and overwhelmed at times, but you’ll make some great memories along the way.

Posted 09/27/2022 at 9:00 AMAll List Posts

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