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 a once-prospective English major and a Dartmouth student who has taken a fair share of social sciences courses, I usually have a heavy reading load in any given term. I have been lucky that I enjoyed most of my assigned readings. Here are a few of them that I particularly enjoyed!
Spinning by Tillie Walden
In this graphic novel memoir, cartoon artist Tillie Walden recounts her childhood and her complicated relationship with figure skating. Comic books are one of my favorite mediums, ever, and this is probably one of the best comic books I have ever read. And the only comic book that has made me cry. Spinning was assigned as part of my CRWT 10: Writing and Reading Fiction class. Professor Crouch had also invited Tillie Walden to our class, which was possibly the best time I have had in class at Dartmouth. Tillie Walden is incredibly inspiring, down-to-earth, and has a great sense of humor. Fun fact: She also teaches at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, which is the only college-level training program in cartoons in the US. It is also very, very close to campus (a 10-minute car ride!)
Cleverlands by Lucy Crehan
Lucy Crehan, a secondary school teacher, grows frustrated with the American education system, so she decides to travel around the world to learn how other education systems raise better critical thinkers and more fulfilled students. She writes about her journey through Finland, Canada, Singapore, Japan, and China, during which she evaluates both the shortcomings and the promises of each system. I read this book for my EDUC 20: Educational Issues in Contemporary Society class. There were a lot of readings assigned for this class and each was immensely valuable. I look forward to taking more education classes at Dartmouth because they almost never disappoint.
Madness: A Bipolar Life by Marya Hornbacher
Author Marya Hornbacher narrates her lifelong struggles with Type 1 rapid-cycle bipolar disorder. As a psychology major, I have read a lot of memoirs about mental illness, but this was probably the heaviest and most well-written. Since the author is a creative writer by profession, her depictions of her mental illness were particularly impactful. I read this book for my PSYC 50.01: Neuroscience of Mental Illness. There was almost nothing at all on the neural mechanisms of bipolar in the memoir, but Professor Funnel wanted us to read this book to get a glimpse of how mental illness affects someone's real life. This was one of her main goals for the class, as she frequently assigned documentaries and podcasts about real-life patients. It was definitely the best psychology class I have taken at Dartmouth!
Stories from the Shadows: Reflections of a Street Doctorby James J. O'Connell
I am halfway through this book, assigned not for a class but for my Dartmouth Center for Social Impact community health internship. The book is a collection of essays from the director of the Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program, in which he talks about his experiences serving the homeless community in Boston. His attention to detail in talking about his countless patients is astounding. I cannot wait to finish the book to learn about all the different people he has encountered while serving the community and how he found hope in otherwise desperate situations.
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
SIP, or Social Impact Practicum, is a type of course that is offered at Dartmouth that centers around engaging with local community partners. I have taken two of these courses now and have found them to be enriching and interesting.
Coming back to Dartmouth for my senior year, I have been loving pursuing my major. However, what I love about the liberal arts education is that you can take classes for interest far beyond any classes in your major.
For those who want to attend medical school after their undergraduate education, the infrastructure of a "pre-med" track is an important factor when choosing a school to apply to. Here's how the premed experience has been for me at Dartmouth!
This year, I moved to Triangle House, one of Dartmouth's Living Learning Communities (LLCs), a welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ students and allies that fosters learning, community engagement, and personal connections.
