Hi guys! I'm Chidera and I'm a '25 from Lagos, Nigeria. I've lived in a big city for nearly half of my life, so it's great to experience the scenic outdoor spaces surrounding Dartmouth. Outside of the classroom, I conduct research with the economics department, I'm a peer tutor for the Academic Skills Center and I'm also involved with the Dartmouth Energy Alliance.
Taking this class was a random and unexpected decision that I am so happy I made. This class was about the intersection between human and primate evolution and our social behaviors. It really opened my eyes to how unique and beautifully diverse different societies are, and how this uniqueness influences our biology in interesting ways.
Taught by Professor Doyle, this has been my favorite class at Dartmouth so far. It was a calculus integrated with economic applications of the concepts we learned. It was the first time this class was offered at Dartmouth, and Professor Doyle made sure we all had a thorough understanding of the material. The fact that we were also able to see the real-world applications of the calculus concepts also made the class uniquely interesting.
I took this class to fulfill Dartmouth's first-year seminar requirement. In selecting a first-year seminar class, I sought out a department that I would not have taken a class in otherwise. It was an incredibly fulfilling experience and I learnt so much about Parisian Impressionist painters in the late 19th century like Monet, Manet, Degas, Morisot and Renoir. It also taught me about the political, social and economic conditions that typically inspire pivotal art movements.
SummerWashington D.C.
This summer, I interned at the International Finance Corporation in DC, through the Rockefeller Center's First-Year Fellows program which gives first-year students the opportunity to engage in public policy early in their Dartmouth careers. I lived with about twenty other members of Dartmouth's Class of 2025 and got to experience life in a vibrant city while gaining professional work experience.
I spent this term in Accra, Ghana for the African and African American Studies department's Foreign Study Program (FSP). I'm so glad I was able to take advantage of one of Dartmouth's study-abroad programs. During this FSP, I got to explore a new country and city while taking classes taught by the amazing professors at the University of Ghana.
After being away from campus for six months, I decided to start working towards fulfilling my distributive requirements. To fulfill my ART distrib, I took a Russian film class with a friend. It was an amazing experience and a testament to the ways a liberal arts education encourages you to approach each class through an interdisciplinary lens. For my final essay in this class, I explored the ways that government and political culture affect the nature of the film industry in different countries.
This class is one of the prerequisites for the international economics track's culminating experience. Dartmouth's economics major allows you to focus on a specific field that you're interested in, while also having the opportunity to take a couple of classes in other fields. Before taking this class, I had always been interested in international economics and this class definitely cemented my interests in the field.
I used my sophomore summer off term to conduct research with the economics department through the Dartmouth Economics Research Scholars and with the funding of the James O. Freedman Presidential Scholarship. My research project, which was mentored and advised by a faculty member, focused on the effects of European Union climate policy on the economy of my home country, Nigeria. It gave me the opportunity to apply and better understand several concepts I learnt in economics classes at Dartmouth.
This was the most enjoyable and impactful class I have ever taken at Dartmouth! Each assigned reading and class discussion was more enthralling and thought-provoking than the last. This class taught me how to think outside the box, write academic articles in the field of the humanities and how to intellectualise and synthesise my own lived experiences in a way that contributes meaningfully to existing literature in African Studies. Lastly, it taught me to think critically about pressing social issues within the African continent.
Fall term is a truly special time at Dartmouth. For first-year students, it's your first time at Dartmouth, and for sophomores and seniors, it's equally exciting returning to campus after being away for three months. Fall is also a beautiful season in New England, with tourists from all over coming to see the breathtaking fall foliage and festivals hosted across the region. I won't be on-campus this fall (I'll be doing an African and African American Studies foreign study program in Accra, Ghana), so I've put together a small bucket list of events and activities that I think really made my first fall at Dartmouth so memorable.
1. Homecoming
You really can't talk about fall term without talking about Homecoming Weekend at Dartmouth. This highly anticipated weekend celebrates reconnecting with campus and the Dartmouth community and officially welcomes the first-year class. This weekend features several fun events and activities such as the Homecoming Bonfire on the Green, alumni parades, and a football game at Memorial Field. I remember feeling a deep and profound sense of belonging and connection to the Dartmouth community during this unforgettable weekend.
Homecoming Bonfire on the Dartmouth Green
Dartmouth Homecoming Bonfire
2. Fall Sports
A lot of sports teams at Dartmouth are in-season during fall term, and there are several games going on each weekend. Entry is free for all Dartmouth students and it's a great way to have fun on the weekends and connect with the Dartmouth community. Having never watched American football before coming to Dartmouth, by the end of fall term I had attended three live matches! A lot of Dartmouth students go down to Boston to watch the Dartmouth vs Harvard football game in late October.
Milly and me at a football game
3. Riverview
One of the most out of my comfort zone activities I did in the fall was going to Riverview Farm. I've lived in a city all my life and had never been to a farm before but going to Riverview was one of my fondest memories from fall term. Riverview is a farm located in Plainfield, NH, a short drive from campus, with an apple orchard, a pumpkin patch, a corn maize, fresh-pressed cider, and a variety of berries. I visited Riverview with other Great Issues Scholars, a program for first-years hosted by the Dickey Center for International Understanding, but a lot of my friends went with their housing communities and extracurricular groups.
Dartmouth students at Riverview Farm
Pumpkins at Riverview Farm
4. Sunrike
A sunrise hike, or a "sunrike" as Dartmouth students call it, is an unbeatable way to see New England's spectacular fall foliage. The rising sun and the changing leaves of the dense New England forest bathe the horizon in the most breathtaking orange and yellow hues that make the 5 a.m. wake-up more than worth it.
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
