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!
As an international student on financial aid, one of my biggest concerns when starting college was whether I would earn enough money to support myself without relying on my parents. I was rightfully anxious because I had never worked to earn money before my freshman year because student jobs are not as available in Turkey. I was worried that I lacked the necessary experience and background to find a job on campus, but it turns out I worried excessively for no reason, as I usually do. I applied for People Places Pines, the very blog you are reading right now before I ever set foot on campus. And I was lucky enough to be offered a position as a blogger. The workload of a blogger has always been very manageable on top of classes, which provided me with the financial security and the time flexibility I needed for my first term on campus to explore opportunities without economic worries.
My second job on campus was working in the Reading Brains Lab through Women In Science Program (WISP) research internships for first-years. I was unbelievably excited yet nervous at the beginning because working in a psychology lab has been a dream of mine since high school, but I was afraid that I lacked the necessary skills to succeed in this position. Again, the first few days in the lab alleviated my worries. Professor Coch, the education professor I worked with in the lab, treated each part of the research as a learning experience for us. I enjoyed my time so much in the lab as a WISP intern that the next year I applied for Undergraduate Research Assistantships at Dartmouth (URAD) funding to work in the same lab. URAD provides termly stipends for undergrads who want to assist a professor in research. At the end of the winter term, I learned I qualified for Presidential Scholarships, which matches juniors with faculty advisors to conduct research. Though I loved my time in the Reading Brains Lab, I decided to take a risk and apply for a different lab that conducts clinical psychology research. I was fortunate to be offered a position once again, and I look forward to starting to work in the lab next winter and writing about my experiences. Long story short, there are a lot of ways to get paid for doing things you want to do on campus. If you are interested in doing research as an undergraduate, feel free to peruse the website of Undergraduate Advising and Research (UGAR) to get a glimpse of the many opportunities for research funding.
There are also short-term opportunities to make money on campus. During the past break between spring and summer terms, I worked for commencement and reunions housing for a couple of days before my internship started for the summer. As the housing staff, we helped prepare rooms for commencement guests and the Dartmouth alumni returning for reunions. It was a super fair and manageable workload. Not to mention that the supervisors were understanding and created a comfortable working environment.
In short, there are a lot of ways to earn money on campus and support yourself. I do not know what kind of jobs I will work on campus in the future, but I no longer worry about being able to provide for myself.
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.
I have written about being a student worker plenty of times in the past, but I have yet to talk about one of my favorite jobs ever: ticket selling at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
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!
