Cindy Background

Cindy Shen

Class of 2021
Cindy with a plant on her head

Bio 

Hello there! I am an avid doodler and caffeine addict who can be spotted 24/7 at KAF (the coffee shop in Baker-Berry Library). I've grown up skiing in the Rockies, so I'm a hype man for low temp activities like throwing snow at friends and carving ice sculptures (yes, I actually did that!). Aside from blogging, I conduct research at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, do UI/UX design for DALI (Dartmouth Applied Learning & Innovation Lab), and travel a ton with the fencing and debate teams.

Academic Program 

Economics; Studio Art Minor

Favorite Thing Right Now 

Skiing Back at my Hometown

Hometown 

Salt Lake City, Utah

Pronouns 

She/Her

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Cindy's D-Plan

What's a D-Plan?

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: The Price System - Econ 01 (Prof. Zarnowski)

      Freshman fall flew by! While I unwittingly took some of Dartmouth's more difficult classes, I met so many amazing people and got to explore campus with a fresh set of eyes (I'd never visited before). I also got inspired (after taking my prof to lunch) to pursue a major in economics!

    • WinterOn Campus

      Favorite Class: The Supreme Court (Prof. Kalish)

      Winter was my favorite term freshman year, largely because I felt more settled into the campus rhythm and took awesome classes. Prof. Kalish (my Writing 5 -- a required class for all freshmen -- professor) was not only fun and insightful, but also made an active effort to connect with every student. It's one of the best classes I've ever taken.

    • SpringOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Macroeconomics - Econ 22 (Prof. Comin)

      In my opinion, Hanover is most beautiful in the spring: you see everything from fluffy snowflakes to vibrant blossoms. The weather kept me cheerful, even if spring was my most rigorous term. My favorite class was Econ 22 with Prof. Comin, who led a case-based course that helped us understand the real-world applications of what we were learning. He's also a super cool guy to chat with, and he's done fascinating research.

    • SummerOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Drawing I - SART 15 (Prof. Reisman)

      Most freshmen don't stay "on" their first summer, but I scheduled my D-Plan around my winter internship. Summer didn't disappoint: I love the new friends I made and the classes I took (and I also got super fit from attending two PE classes). Taking Drawing I was also one of the highlights of my summer. It's a lot of work, but I'd rather spend 10 hours on a drawing than 10 hours on a problem set.

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Games & Economic Behavior - Econ 35 (Prof. Snyder)

      I finally met the '22s!! (Seriously, you all are so cool.) This term, I took a class on game theory, which is basically a subject where we literally learn about games. While it was by far my most challenging class this term, I thought that what we learned was super rewarding.

    • WinterSalt Lake City, UT

      This was my first "off" term since I arrived on campus! I interned for Cross Creek, a venture capital firm in Salt Lake City, Utah (my hometown!).

    • SpringOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Public Economics - Econ 28 (Prof. Skinner)

      I could RAVE about public economics and Prof. Skinner for hours. While public econ wasn't easy, it challenged me to think critically about my political philosophies and about the economic theories I'd previously considered fact. Prof. Skinner was one of the most engaged professors I've ever had; he even recommended a few running routes to me!

    • SummerOn Campus

      Favorite Class: DALI Independent Study

      The famous "Sophomore Summer" and my second summer on campus! I took an unconventional four-course term complete with Econometrics, Gender & Philosophy, DALI Lab Independent Research, and Independent Studies in Engineering!

    • FallWashington D.C.

    • WinterOn Campus

D-Plan “Off” Terms: How “Off” Are We Really?

 The reality is that “off” terms, despite the name, aren’t actually like hitting the snooze button on your college days.
  1. No. 1

    The 9 to 5

    Blog Cindy 19w

    (Photo: At a work event + photographic evidence I'm employed!)

    It’s pretty standard to use your off term as a chance to gain some real-world experience. The bulk of my off term has been my 9 to 5 job as an analyst at Cross Creek, a venture capital firm in Salt Lake City, Utah. I love my job because it's in a super exciting world that plays a pivotal part in building great companies. I also get to apply my econ classes to something that has a real impact! 

  2. No. 2

    Pick Up A New Hobby

    10-week terms can feel like a sprint, so off terms are a great time to recharge for the next one. One of my favorite ways to recharge is to find something new to do in my free time, so I've taken up boxing and running this winter. I've boxed an average of three times a week and run twice a week just to let those endorphins loose. I'm even (feebly) starting to train for a half marathon!

  3. No. 3

    Travel

    Blog Cindy 19w

    (Photo: That VIEW from my airplane window)

    Many of my friends took their first off term as a chance to explore. I've been told many envy-inducing stories about Scotland's castles and Japan's squeaky-clean subways. While it was never my intention to travel much on my off term, I've found myself in an airplane more than I would have anticipated a few months ago. This winter, I ended up spending two weeks in Cape Town, South Africa, judging at the Collegiate Debate World Championships (I wrote a blog post all about it). I also took a short flight to Denver to fence at the 2019 USA Junior Olympics in Denver, Colorado!

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Posted 03/25/2019 at 12:30 PMAll List Posts

Dartmouth's Best Major

 Economics isn't limited to finance and business: economics is the study of how people use resources and respond to incentives, and it's also the study of decision-making.
  1. No. 1

    Introductory Econ (Econ 1):

    Blog Cindy 19w

    Most freshmen start out by taking Econ 1 (unless you took AP Micro in high school) to see if they're interested. You'll hear a mixed bag of reviews about Econ 1: people either love it, or they absolutely hate it. That's the point of Econ 1! As an introductory class, it's meant to help you figure out whether or not econ is the right fit for you. Your freshman year is all about exploring your options and learning about what you like, and what you don't. I first arrived on campus thinking I'd be a math major, but Econ 1 changed my mind. It's not an easy class, but I recommend taking it if you're even remotely interested!

  2. No. 2

    Core Major Classes

    All econ majors are required to take Econ 20, 21, and 22. I have yet to take Econ 20 (which is essentially a course on statistical analysis of economic data), but I've taken 21 and 22 and loved both of them! Econ 21 and 22 are in-depth classes on the two main divisions of economics -- microeconomics and macroeconomics, respectively. Generally, people who've taken both classes will passionately recommend one over the other. Personally, I liked Econ 21 (Microeconomics) a bit more, but it's all dependent on what your personal preferences! 

  3. No. 3

    Major Concentrations

    In addition to the core classes, econ majors also need to choose two specific tracks that interest them. These tracks include: industrial organization, money and finance, labor, public, development, and international economics. I haven't figured out my second track yet, but I know that one of my concentrations will be in industrial organization (dubbed the '5s track, because all classes in this field end in the number 5). Industrial organization includes classes on game theory, and competition and strategy.

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Posted 03/14/2019 at 12:30 PMAll List Posts

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