Hi everyone! My name's Daniel, and I'm a 25! I'm from Orange County, California and Seoul, South Korea. I'm hoping to major in Biomedical Engineering and Anthropology Modified with Global Health. If I'm not under my sheets watching a new Netflix series, you'll find me spending time at Still North Café or at the engineering building. I hope you learn something new about Dartmouth today!
Academic Program
Biomedical Engineering and Anthropology Modified with Global Health
This class had an emphasis on really learning the material, rather than mindless regurgitation. Every class lecture truly excited and interested me, and readings were thought-provoking, The final was also a project instead of an exam, which was very fun to complete. I could tell Prof. DeSilva was also very passionate about the class materials as well!
As a "seminar" course, we focused on enjoyable discussion-based lectures. Each and every one of Prof. Kangas' lecture topics were engaging and intriguing, constantly pushing me to think. While we had reading assignments, they weren't necessarily linked to graded discussions/quizzes, which allowed me to feel more relaxed and stress-free (I didn't need to go crazy and write notes in-class). All in all, I loved learning about Pompeii!
A classic pre-med requirement course. This class has a basic structure of problem sets, two midterms, labs, and a final. I thought the points were well-distributed and the exams were fair. I personally enjoy problem-solving, which allowed this class to be more exciting personally. I'd suggest you pick the right professor for you as each professor has a different way of teaching!
This class is taught by Prof. Shipley, a professor who teaches mainly during summer terms. It was very different from the previous anthropology courses I've taken –– we had a filmmaking component as well as a collaborative project. I enjoyed this class because the assignments had a very broad, overarching outline and allowed you to explore your interests very freely. For example, for my final project, I created a podcast that delved into the educational inequity in South Korea.
My first sociology course at Dartmouth. It goes very in-depth about the macro immigration policies in-place in America and how it relates to different immigrants' experiences. I found it intriguing because I'm an immigrant myself, and I also was able to analyze and develop a different outlook on my family's experiences as well. We had interesting projects such as immigrant interview assignment, immigration policy brief, and in-class discussions.
Another first - my first Asian Societies, Culture, and Language (ASCL) course here at Dartmouth. Essentially, through a 3-hour class block each week, you watch a Korean film that provide insights into the different aspects of South Korean culture –– from Korean independence of Japan to modern economic disparities. Very interesting discussions and minimal work: the course focuses a lot more on student learning than testing!
I know what you're thinking: no way this guy liked MATH 13 the best out of his classes. I was thinking the same going into the class, but I enjoyed the problem-solving aspects. Math was one of my favorite subjects in high school, but I didn't get a chance to take any courses here at Dartmouth until I changed to an engineering major which made MATH 13 a prerequisite. All you do is solve problems, practice, grasp concepts, and take exams. But, after a bit, you get the hang of it.
One of my favorite, favorite courses throughout my whole time at Dartmouth. If you thought you know medicine and health, think again –– evolutionary perspectives open up a completely new spectrum of thinking. Have you thought about institutionalized racism in BMI indexes? How about adolescent growth differences between women who give birth in birth centers versus hospitals? Conversations you've never thought of within the medical realm happens in this class. Highly recommend it!
In my last blog post, I shared the three courses I'm taking for this term: BIOL 13, ANTH 50.21, and ENVS 2. There was a course that had my attention for a few weeks, ANTH 50.22: Sovereignty, Race, and Rights, that I could not enroll in on-time for the add/drop period. Because the class was taught by my ANTH 50.21 class professor, it was easy to communicate my circumstances. Fortunately, I was able to join the class during the sixth week of the term, which meant that I'm now on a four-course term! Keep in mind that there is a petition process with the Registrar, where you can still manage to get into the classes you want after the add/drop period—you need a good reason to do so, however!
So, I wanted to share with everyone how I manage my time with a four-course load.
Attend all class lectures
Currently, I have a 10 (10:10 AM - 11:15 AM), 11 (11:30 - 12:35), 10A (10:10 AM - 12:00 PM), and 2A (2:25 PM - 4:15 PM). It might seem tempting to skip lectures and rewatch them in your free time, but the lectures will quickly pile up and lead to even more stress and tiredness. The best way to keep up with the content of all your classes is to attend all lectures.
Balance of class difficulty
At Dartmouth, we have coined the term "layup," which describes classes that comparatively require little work. It is vital to find a balance in your schedule between the non-layups and layups. For example, let's classify my course load. BIOL 13 is a definite non-layup—we have a flipped classroom system where we have to watch 30-minute videos and take notes prior to coming to each class, weekly four-hour lab session, three individual and one group midterms, and a final. It is very intensive. On the other hand, ANTH 50.21 and ANTH 50.22 put an emphasis on projects and essays, without strict deadlines; while the classes are reading-intensive, the discussions are very interesting, which make them manageable. Lastly, there is ENVS 2 in between: bi-weekly quizzes, readings, and online midterm and final exams. There is a clear hierarchy in difficulty in my schedule, but there are more classes at the bottom!
Other responsibilities
We as students don't only take classes—we have extracurricular activities like clubs, internships, research, and more. It's important to consider these factors prior to making a decision to take four courses. For the summer term, most clubs and organizations are shut down, which meant that the only activity outside of class was research for me. This freed up significant amounts of time, allowing me to take four courses. However, if it was the fall term, when I have these extracurriculars to worry about, I wouldn't have been able to take four.
At Dartmouth, there is an undergraduate requirement for language; after all, it is the liberal arts! Fulfilling this requirement looks different for various people and I will focus on my experience.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, a phenomenal total solar eclipse occurred — and we happened to be within the path of totality. As a result, Dartmouth hosted a variety of eclipse-related events on- and off-campus. Find out how I spent the eclipse!
Traditionally, Dartmouth students take three courses during a term, but I decided to take four courses this term! Learn about course load and the academic system at Dartmouth.
