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.
No matter what combination of classes, extracurricular activities, and other commitments you have, each term at Dartmouth moves incredibly fast! In a matter of weeks, you settle into a new class schedule, do various projects and assignments, and submit those final exams and papers, and another term has quickly gone by. Breaks in between terms offer a welcome opportunity to relax, unwind, have fun, and catch up on those projects you have yet to have time for during the term. Throughout my nine terms at Dartmouth, I've spent my breaks between terms visiting friends, reuniting with my family, and spending time back home in Nigeria. I'm spending my spring break in Hanover this term for various reasons!
Many Dartmouth students opt to remain on campus during breaks for various personal or financial reasons, and Dartmouth accommodates students' needs. Many student-athletes also stay on campus during some parts or the entirety of the break in line with their team's schedules and training. A lot of international students also remain on campus, especially during the shorter breaks, as high flight ticket prices can make a brief time at home difficult to justify. Importantly, Dartmouth offers free housing for the entire duration of the break so that housing requirements are not a financial burden to anyone who needs to stay on campus.
Another way that Dartmouth makes staying on campus over breaks a viable option is by providing meal swipes for the main dining hall, the Class of 1953 Commons (known as 'FoCo'). Although eating out at one of Hanover's restaurants is a fun way to socialize and celebrate special events with friends, it is not very affordable for most college students to eat out for all meals each day. Therefore, Dartmouth gives students meal swipes during breaks to help overcome the financial burden of having to buy meals every day. At Dartmouth, a meal swipe basically gives you access to a buffet-style selection of food at FoCo; it can also be exchanged for a certain amount of 'dining dollars' (which is basically money used to buy food from dining halls and cafes on campus). FoCo is the only dining hall open on campus during breaks, but it has an incredibly wide selection of foods, including cereal, salads, sandwiches, desserts, fruits and vegetables, and so much more. It also caters to a wide variety of allergies and special dietary needs.
I was honestly curious about my first "break" at Dartmouth, but it has been a fun and relaxing experience so far. There's always a great group of people to meet and hang out with and fun activities to do with them each day.
At Dartmouth, there is an undergraduate requirement for language; after all, it is the liberal arts! Fulfilling this requirement looks different for various people and I will focus on my experience.
I have written about being a student worker plenty of times in the past, but I have yet to talk about one of my favorite jobs ever: ticket selling at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, a phenomenal total solar eclipse occurred — and we happened to be within the path of totality. As a result, Dartmouth hosted a variety of eclipse-related events on- and off-campus. Find out how I spent the eclipse!
