Hello, Eda here: full-time learner, part-time writer, and pretty much a happy amateur at everything else. My hobbies include reading, discovering new movies, and looking at the pictures of my cat. On campus, you can find me peer supporting for the Mental Health Union and SAPA, writing for Spare Rib, doing research in psychology, or listening to Turkish & English alt-rock. Feel free to ask me about taking a gap year, transitioning to a new cultural space, or college in general!
This class discusses the concepts of sex and gender in the broader context of issues related to race, class, national identity, and more. I loved this class because it helped me better understand how systemic inequality affects individual lives and made me think about ways to change it. Professor A'Ness is such an inspiring prof!
In this first-year writing seminar, we discussed how avant-garde movements from futurism to punk rock have constituted a rebellion against the status quo. I loved all the readings for this class and Professor McCann inspired me to take more courses in the English department!
In this course, we learned all the basics of fiction: character, plot, setting, etc. My favorite parts of the course were receiving feedback from other students, reading my peers' work, and having fiction readings as assigned course work! I also appreciated all the guest speakers we had, who were experienced writers in their respective genres.
As an aspiring clinical psychologist, this course has been one of the best classes I have taken at Dartmouth so far. The class focused on the etiology, diagnosis, characteristics and treatment of various mental disorders. Professor Hudenko has been one of the greatest lectures I had the pleasure of meeting. As a clinical psychologist himself, he had extensive knowledge in not only the theory, but also the practice of clinical psychology. He also succeeded in making a lecture-based class feel interactive and dynamic.
We covered the complex neural and biological mechanisms of multiple mental health disorders ranging from common conditions like anxiety to more complicated illnesses such as schizophrenia. In addition to reading about the cutting-edge research in this area, we also read memoirs and watched documentaries about the mental illnesses to focus on how these conditions are affecting people in real life. Professor Funnell is one of the best profs I had!
As an aspiring clinical psychologist, this has been one of my favorite classes at Dartmouth. We learned about different therapy methods, how and when to use them, their advantages, and shortcomings. The class was incredibly engaging with Professor Hudenko's frequent demonstrations of methods, therapy videos, and guest speakers. I would recommend this class to every psychology major.
I worked at Dimock Health Center as part of my community health internship. I was part of a team of summer interns who were college students like myself. We worked as patient advocates that helped people reach out to resources regarding housing, food, utilities, etc. Most of our work involved calling patients, helping them fill out forms, and researching resources. I learned so much about community health resources and how to communicate with a diverse set of patients. It was an invaluable experience!
I took classes in the School of English and Drama at Queen Mary University of London. My favorite class of the term was called London Performance Now, which involved going to different performance events in London and discussing them in class. It was the perfect opportunity to explore the cultural landscape of London.
As the title of the course suggests, this class was about food: its history, economics, and cultural practices. I learned a lot through this course thanks to guest speakers, thought-provoking readings, and engaging assignments. My favorite assignment in this course was writing about a family recipe; I learned so much about my family's history as well as the cultural conflicts in my home country. Overall, it was among the best classes I have taken at Dartmouth. Plus, we even got to eat delicious food cooked by our classmates!
Here is my last blog post for this term, so I wanted to end it on a positive note. Here are the best moments from 22F, my favorite term at Dartmouth so far!
Moosilauke Raine Lodge
The Moosilauke Ravine Lodge is one of my comfort places in the Upper Valley. The lodge is by far the coziest place I have been since I started college here; it has an actually tuned gorgeous old piano, board games, old books, comfy armchairs, a wooden swing, free tea/coffee… Plus, the view is stunning. Not to mention the delicious food! I have had the best food in Hanover at Moosilauke. My favorite thing about the place is the people who work there; they are warm, funny, and enthusiastic. Beginning of this term, I went to the lodge for the second time since stepping foot on this campus. Unfortunately, this time around, I was feeling a little under the weather. However, I am not exaggerating when I say Moosilauke speeded my recovery. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I look forward to finding myself at Moosilauke to destress and recharge.
Lab
This term, I have been working as an URAD assistant at Reading Brains Lab. I started working at Reading Brains Lab in my freshman winter through the Women in Science Project (you can read more about that here), and it has been one of my defining experiences on this campus. As I have said many times before (and will never get tired of repeating), I am super lucky to work with Professor Coch in her lab. Her enthusiasm for her research is contagious, and she treats every part of the lab work as a learning experience. I am grateful for the kind of lab environment that she worked to create, one that is collaborative, democratic, and fun. That's why spending 4 hours learning how to cap EEG electrodes at the lab after a full day of classes was unironically one of my favorite moments.
Do you ever spend a Wednesday night capping electrodes on your friend's head?
Plays, plays, plays…
This term, I have had a chance to see three plays. The first play I watched was Dry Land, produced by the entirely student-run theater company Displaced. I have been dying to see more contemporary theater productions on this campus; I am ecstatic to share this campus with people as talented and passionate as members of Displaced. I thought my high school theater days were over because I would not get a chance to find the kind of theater I wanted to be involved in at Dartmouth. Turns out I was very wrong. I am grateful that members of the Displaced accepted new members this term, so I will get to be more involved with theater and the theater community at Dartmouth. I have also seen Pippin, the first musical I have ever watched. Needless to say, the performances were stunning. One of my favorite parts of the show was the light design. I cannot imagine the amount of work that goes into this kind of production. The last play I have seen this term was Fool For Love, which was a theater department student production, meaning it was directed, run, and performed entirely by students. Student productions are my favorite performances here at Dartmouth. And this performance was no exception. I hope to see more student productions in the following term. Stay tuned!
Random movie bonus
I normally try to keep up with the events calendar of the Hopkins Center for the Arts, but apparently, one movie completely escaped my radar. On a random Thursday morning, I saw an email from Dartmouth's Film Society, inviting the Dartmouth community to see Spielberg's new, unreleased movie The Fabelmans, for free. I was confused. Could this have been a trap to lure film nerds in and eliminate them? How can such an opportunity pop up from nowhere and be completely free? It was not a trap. And I loved the movie. Funny how Dartmouth finds new ways to surprise you.
This is my final term before senior year, which is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. One thing I am excited about is the classes I am taking this term, so let me tell you more!
It's not every day that my Intro to Chinese Culture and Understanding the Universe classes were both canceled, but the cosmos had other plans. Welcome to a rare weekday in my life with no classes!
