Cindy Shen

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!

Don't join an organization simply because it's a resume-builder... take that time to get really involved in something you actually love. You might even find that the things you're passionate about can become even better resume-builders.

Failing one exam won't ruin your life. I promise! Take a deep breath and study better (not neccessarily harder) for the next one. In the meantime, take some time to yourself or some close friends to destress and have fun. 

(Pictured) A few of my closest friends at Dartmouth. On my birthday, they blindfolded me and guided me down to Connecticut River for a surprise picnic.

Spending a little amount of time with a lot of people doesn't pay off anywhere close to spending a lot of time with a few people.