Cindy Shen

Okay, this one's obvious. But as the lovely home of Dartmouth, Hanover is definitely a destination that should be listed here!

For Trips, I spent three days sailing on Mascoma Lake with a few other incoming freshmen (trippees). I've never really sailed before, or been around a lake for an extended period of time for that matter, so this was a new experience (and location) for me.

Boston is only two hours from Hanover, and some terms I've visited every other week (usually for debate or fencing competitions). I always try and stop at a museum if I have the time (or scout out some seafood)!

Every freshman is required to take both a Writing 5 and a First-Year Seminar; that, or take Humanities I and II. I chose to go the Writing 5 route because there's a wide variety of course options (you can take a Writing 5 about anything from food to sports medicine). I took The Supreme Court (taught by Professor Kalish) because it seemed like an interesting subject, and I was (obviously) not disappointed. 

I cannot express how phenomenal this course was (it is definitively the best class I've ever taken), but I'll try my best: Professor Kalish somehow guided discussions in a productive direction without dominating them (in fact, she usually just asked really insightful questions and let us take the wheel from there). Professor Kalish also held weekly office hours with everyone. Through these individual office sessions, she not only helped me become a better writer (and change the way I approached essay-writing), she also connected with me on a personal level. (One of my good friends and I also took her out for lunch.) I always looked forward to going to class, and I felt proud of all the work I submitted in this class.

Who knew that you could love a required course so much?

Call me a #snek, but I've loved every single economics course I've taken here. I've taken two of my three profs out to lunch because I loved their classes so much. I find the subject really interesting and just the right amount of challenging. If you're at all interested, I'd suggest at least taking one econ course to see if you like it!

Photo: Celebrating the snowfall after our econ final!

As a dedicated doodler, taking my first formal art class was definitely something I wanted to do in college. So I had high expectations going in. While the class required many late nights in the studio (sometimes just drawing still objects), they paid off! I think many people expect to improve in technical skill from an art class (and yes, Drawing 1 delivers in that department), but I found the most interesting part of the class to be the section on composition (i.e. what to leave out, what to emphasize, etc.). I'd never really thought of every line in a drawing as a deliberate part of it, so learning about composition helped me generate my own style. I went into this class thinking that it would be the only art class I'd ever take, but I'm now actually considering a studio art minor because I loved it so much!

Photo: Taken in the process of completing one of my final drawings.

Photos are super easy and light to pack. They're also the best way to transport yourself back home without paying for a flight ticket.

I like to save letters, cards, and envelopes from friends and hang them up. It's always nice to be surrounded by your friends, even if they're not physically there.

A friend gave me this pencil case before I left. I use it everyday!

Joining the Dartmouth College Fencing Club has been a highlight of my college experience. I've already listed why in this previous post. My training has kept me on a fixed schedule to anchor my life around, and it's kept me with a set fitness goal to do well at competitions.

Club sports are a great way to not only get fit on campus, but also get more involved in campus community.

(Pictured) Post workout facemasking with my roommate!

Since fencing is less consistent and demanding in the summer, I signed up for two fitness classes to fill the gap (and finish my PE credits!) — zumba toning and spinning. I've been attending these classes for an hour Monday-Friday for four weeks now, and I feel so energetic that I've actually reduced my coffee intake. I've found them to be pretty challenging workouts (in a good way), and they've also been a great way to meet new people. 

These are also just a couple of the classes offered by Dartmouth, you can also sign up for sailing, kayaking, hiking, yoga, rock climbing, etc., and also go on DOC hikes and other adventures with friends on free weekends.

I love taking aesthetic food photos so much that I have a food Instagram entirely dedicated to the art. But this hobby actually began because I took photos of all of my meals as a way to prevent myself from overeating. Over time, I thought that if I was gonna take so many photos of my food, I might as well make them look good. Taking food pics has been one of the most effective ways for me to control my food consumption and avoid the freshman fifteen. It's also allowed me to contribute photos of beautiful food to the world!