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.
As a prospective student touring the Dartmouth College campus, it is easy to wonder how you can have a fun and entertaining college experience in a small town like Hanover. Compared to colleges located in big cities, it seems like there is not much going on at surface glance, but by learning more about Dartmouth students' experiences, it quickly becomes clear that you never run out of things to do in Hanover!
One of the greatest parts of being in Hanover and the Upper Valley has been the unparalleled access to so many outdoor spaces and activities. Coming from a large city like Lagos, I rarely had access to outdoor spaces that weren't monetized and/or had controlled access. More so, one misconception I had before coming to Dartmouth was that engaging with these outdoor spaces would require a lot of resources. Indeed, some outdoor activities like mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, mountain climbing, kayaking etc do require a considerable amount of skill, time and interest. These work out great for some people, but I personally wasn't the biggest fan of some of them. However, there are many outdoor activities and spaces that don't require that much of a time/resource commitment. Hanover and the Upper Valley area provide a lot of opportunities for surprisingly non-strenuous outdoor pursuits. On walks around the area, I've stumbled on gorgeous docks, gardens, picnic areas and easy hiking and biking trails. You can go on leisurely walks with friends, watch the sunset at the top of a hill, relax on a river bank, all while feeling incredibly connected to nature and the environment and not have to exert so much energy!
Through its countless student groups and organizations, the Dartmouth student community also offers so many opportunities to have fun, decompress and take a break from schoolwork. Each campus organization hosts both meetings and fun activities for members and those interested in joining several times throughout the term. These are great opportunities to make new friends from across campus, usually while enjoying some free food provided by the organization! Affinity groups such as the International Students Association, the Dartmouth African Students Association etc will host events like game nights, karaoke and barbecues for members. The Collis Student Center also hosts weekly trivia nights, bingo nights, concerts and other performances that are open to all students. Additionally, all these activities are made accessible and known to the student community through campus-wide emails, so you'll never be left out!
The town of Hanover itself, albeit small, is also worth exploring. Its lovely and diverse restaurants provide spaces for Dartmouth students and the broader Hanover area to get together for nice meals that fit whatever vibe a group may be looking for, from a coffee chat with a new friend, to a more formal lunch with a professor. The movie theater, poster store and ice cream shop are also more casual spaces to hang out and take a break from work.
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!
