Howdy! My name is Crystal and I'm a '28 from 1899.2 miles away in Fulshear, Texas hoping to study Biology on the pre-health track. Outside of being on the grind in my classes at Dartmouth, I enjoy dancing (poorly and with dance groups on campus), cooking (microwave oatmeal), and taking Buzzfeed quizzes to find out what breakfast food I am. While I'll miss Bucc-ee's and brisket from my native state, I'm beyond excited to explore all that the woods have to offer! Hopefully I'll see y'all around!
Chem 11 is my first pre-health course (and consequently my favorite course thus far); I came into Chem 11 with a bit of apprehension over what to expect since the course takes the place of the two-course alternative Chem 5 and 6 sequence. I’ll admit, there was a bit of a learning curve, especially since I hadn’t taken chemistry since junior year of high school, but Prof. Wenlin Zhang’s office hours have become an excellent way for me to gain a better grasp of the course content and work with other students through new concepts. I’m super glad that I chose this course for my first fall!
My First-Year Seminar, a Dartmouth requirement for all first-year students, concerns poetry that has a unique focus on the visual nature of the work. From pieces that cover an actual description of a work of art, to pieces that form a unique shape, we discuss how form can have a meaningful impact on the interpretation of the poem itself. I originally wasn’t too sure if I would enjoy this class since my experience with poetry is pretty sparse, but I found myself really enjoying the analytical discussions that we have. Features of the class include trips to the Hood Museum of Art and the Book Arts Workshop!
After taking BIOL 13: Gene Expression and Inheritance, last term with Professor Dolph, I knew that I wanted to continue exploring the foundational biology courses offered at Dartmouth, and BIOL 12 was no exception! Even though it’s my earliest class of the day, Professor Schaller makes the class super interesting and integrates real-world applications of what we learn in class through literature reviews. The lab component of this class is super interesting, as we apply techniques we’ve learned about conceptually in class to the lab! Even though the class can certainly be a bit daunting, it poses a fun challenge for anyone interested in learning more about biology! From microtubules to myc-sensitive antibodies, the fun never ends!
Going into my first year at Dartmouth, I knew I wanted to pursue some kind of research, yet I was truthfully pretty apprehensive about what that could entail. I had pretty limited experience working in a lab before college, save for my AP Biology and Chemistry classes, so I'll admit that it was daunting to even begin thinking about how I could get involved in research on campus. However, now that I'm on the other side, here are a few insights on what research opportunities look like at Dartmouth, even for first year students!
Dartmouth is a predominantly undergraduate-focused campus with a relatively small student population, making it so that students tend to have more direct access to faculty conducting research. Each lab, depending on the size and resources, will have a handful of undergraduates at most, allowing for a one-on-one relationship with a graduate student mentor and the faculty Principal Investigator. My lab currently has three undergraduate researchers, and I have had the opportunity to regularly meet with my mentors for guidance on my work. With a small undergraduate population, traditional barriers to research accessibility such as developing faculty connections and lab space are alleviated.
While the size of Dartmouth is a factor that certainly helps with increasing student accessibility to research, Dartmouth seeks to open up the opportunities students have to engage with research through targeted programs that allow students of all backgrounds to explore a wide range of research areas. Starting in the fall of students' first year, programs such as WISP, the Women in Science Project, or FYREE, the First Year Research Experience in Engineering program, open, allowing students to engage with partnering faculty members in a streamlined process. While the process itself varies between programs, students may expect to submit an application and prepare to interview with interested faculty and mentors. Afterwards, pairing is done prior to the winter term so that students can begin training in the winter. For students who may have limited experience in STEM research, this is a great way to explore the work that is being done at Dartmouth while also getting introduced to working in research as a whole. While I personally did not participate in these programs, many of my friends have told me that the programs have allowed them to explore research in a diverse manner that is still helpful in identifying their best fit!
What if you don't want to participate in STEM research or don't know if research is right for you yet? Research at Dartmouth is very flexible and since it's so easy to build student-faculty relationships, many students looking to do research in fields not otherwise represented in a formal program can simply email a faculty member doing research in their interested field. For instance, I have a friend who is interested in starting research in art history this term. Through her classes, she has learned a lot about the research her professor does and will email them asking to learn more about and work alongside them. Similarly, another friend of mine is doing economics research that she started during the winter, with a professor she simply cold emailed. From cognitive science, to music theory, to linguistics, the diversity of faculty interests is represented in the research opportunities offered to students.
Lastly, Dartmouth offers funding for student research through a variety of funding sources! While I have worked most extensively with Undergraduate Research Assistantships at Dartmouth (URAD) as a subset of UGAR, the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Research, various academic departments around campus offer grants for students to use for research purposes. Students simply have to apply and demonstrate that their grant will be used to fund a research project with a Dartmouth faculty member. Through programs and departments such as the Computer Science Lovelace Research Program, the Dickey Center, and more, students from all research backgrounds are encouraged to obtain funding for their research. Even if students are interested in pursuing full-time research during their off-term, Dartmouth grants the opportunity to have a leave-term grant that funds research by helping with living expenses. For more information on the breadth of research funding available at Dartmouth, check out the UGAR website here!
Research can be an enriching experience for undergraduates, and Dartmouth makes it more than accessible for all students to be a part of it. Coming into my first year knowing that I wanted to pursue research was certainly bolstered by Dartmouth's resources, but my experience isn't the only one! Check out Kalina '27's post, Olivia '26's post, and Batu '26's post!
In my freshman year, I wrote a blog revisiting my decision of attending Dartmouth College. Now that more than a year has passed, I would love to revisit my decision again, with a more realistic lens.
While first-year students don't have to worry about customizing their D-Plan right away, upperclassmen may encounter some constraints when trying to modify theirs. Here's how I petitioned my D-Plan to accommodate my double-major!
