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.
One of the main reasons I applied to Dartmouth was its vast range of study abroad programs in various departments and in different countries across the globe. I remember seeing a copy of Dartmouth's 3D Magazine during application season that said that 55% of Dartmouth study abroad. So, when study abroad applications opened in October of my freshman year, I knew that I would be going on one sometime in freshman year. I decided to apply for the African and African American Studies foreign study program in Accra, Ghana. I had always wanted to visit Accra, another major West African city that's about an hour's flight from my hometown of Lagos. Additionally, I wanted to use the opportunity to explore the idea of taking on an African and African American Studies minor.
I think one reason study abroad programs are so popular at Dartmouth is that the college makes them really accessible to all students. Nearly every department at Dartmouth has a study abroad program. Apart from several study abroad programs with Dartmouth's language departments, many other disciplines like biology, engineering, economics, government, art history and so many more also host study abroad programs. Applications for study abroad programs for the following academic year open annually in October and are open until the end of January, which gives you ample time to decide which ones you want to apply to.
Upon acceptance into the program, the Guarini Institute for International Education (the department in charge of study abroad programs) goes above and beyond to prepare you for your program. After confirming my acceptance to my Accra study abroad program, I attended several incredibly helpful orientation sessions to prepare me for my study abroad program. These sessions included advice on how to manage culture shock, how to stay safe in new spaces and cities and how to stay mentally and physically healthy. They also provided so much help with visa applications and arrangements.
Dartmouth's support did not end with orientation sessions. They worked closely with the host universities, host families and the Dartmouth faculty member who led the program to make sure we were safe and having an awesome study abroad experience. Our host university gave us a robust and helpful orientation session upon our arrival and gave us a tour of the city as well as the university campus. Dartmouth also set up great health insurance packages for us so that we could always have access to healthcare if we were sick. Dartmouth also works with kind, compassionate and welcoming host families that they paired each of us with.
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.
Traditionally, Dartmouth students take three courses during a term, but I decided to take four courses this term! Learn about course load and the academic system at Dartmouth.
As I approach the halfway mark of my Dartmouth journey this spring, I find myself reflecting on the significance of distributive and world culture requirements in shaping my academic experience.
This is my final term before senior year, which is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. One thing I am excited about is the classes I am taking this term, so let me tell you more!
This is part two of me "nerding out" about my honors thesis! If you want to learn more about independent projects, theses, or the humanities at Dartmouth, check it out!
