Cindy Background

Cindy Shen

Class of 2021
Cindy with a plant on her head

About 

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 am an economics teaching assistant, design mobile, web, and VR apps for Dartmouth's DALI Lab, and travel around with the fencing and debate teams for competitions.

Academic Program 

Economics

Favorite Thing Right Now 

Zoom sessions with my closest friends!

Hometown 

Salt Lake City, Utah

Pronouns 

She/Her

You are here

Cindy's D-Plan

What's a D-Plan?

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: The Price System (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 (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 (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 (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 Finance & Public Policy (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 (Prof. Loeb)

      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! I had so much fun studying on a dock by the Connecticut River and having lots of gelato under the sun. :)

    • FallWashington D.C.

      Favorite Class: My Internship!

      I had the opportunity of a lifetime to be an economic policy intern at the White House! I loved my job, met incredible people, and had plenty of time to Facetime my friends on campus.

    • WinterOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Comparative Politics (Prof. Horowitz)

      This was such a fun winter! I went skiing with friends, spent a few weekends eating Chinese food in Boston, and to top it all off, I took my very first government class. I really loved learning about political science from a comparative perspective; specifically, how institutions can affect the way a society can vote or even organize collective action. I wish I'd taken more government classes earlier.

    • SpringOn Campus, Virtually

      Favorite Class: Authoritarianism in CE Europe (Prof. Aha)

      While I was physically camped out at home in Salt Lake City, Utah, I still spent plenty of time with friends (albeit over Zoom), and I got to know professors in office hours! I also had the rare chance to spend quality time with my parents and my dog while also learning a lot in my classes on business strategy (offered by the Tuck School of Business) and authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe.

    • SummerNew York City, Virtually

      I spent the summer as an investment research intern at J.P. Morgan. My internship was completely virtual, but I still got to befriend my coworkers, and I'll be going back full-time after I graduate!

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Adam Smith & Political Economy (Prof. Clark)

      After six long months away, I finally came back just in time for the beautiful New England fall. I began writing my economics thesis in a difficult yet rewarding advanced econometrics class with Professor Staiger, attempted acting in a play, and learned about the nuances behind Adam Smith's "invisible hand" (which has become a caricatured generalization of his work). I even made a few new friends out of '24s from six-feet away!

    • WinterUniversity of Oxford, Magdalen College

      I spent my winter term at Oxford studying economics and politics at the beautiful Magdalen College.

    • SpringOn Campus

      I can't believe it's senior spring already! This spring, I'm finishing my thesis and taking classes on creative writing for fiction, costume design, and the economics of gender and family. Be sure to say hello if you're on campus (or Zoom)!

« All Posts by this Blogger

Dartmouth's Best Major

The reason economics is the most popular major at Dartmouth is simple: it's the best subject!

People study economics because they're interested in learning about (and addressing) the world's most pressing issues. 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. So yes, a lot of economics is the study of money, but it's far more multi-faceted than that.

As an officially-declared economics major (finally!), I thought I'd share a little about econ at Dartmouth with you:

  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.

  4. No. 4

    Fellow Econ Friends!

    Blog Cindy 19w

    I have friends studying a variety of subjects, but several of my closest friends have varying interests in economics (econ majors, modified majors, and minors). There are also a bunch of organizations on campus that cater to an economics skillset/interest: Women in Business, Dartmouth Consulting Group, Dartmouth Investment and Philanthrophy Program, etc. I'm personally involved in Women in Business, and it's a great community and network of people.

  5. No. 5

    Professors

    My econ profs have been wonderful. Dartmouth profs in general are wonderful, but I've taken a pretty good chunk of econ classes, so I can speak best to that department. Dartmouth econ profs are not only super intelligent scholars, but super great people too. I've found that they genuinely care about me and how well I'm learning, so I'm never afraid to pop in during office hours if I'm hopelessly confused. Even after I've finished their classes, I still stop by just to say hi. 

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

Posts You Might Like

Visit the Blog