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!
What is a day of caring, you ask? Dartmouth decided to cancel all classes and activities between 8 AM to 3 PM on October 21st to allow students to take a day off to remember the importance of caring for themselves and others. Dartmouth organized programming ranging from talks on mental health to barn babies to celebrate the day of caring. Here is how I spent my Day of Caring:
After getting a full night's rest and a chill breakfast, I went to Rauner Special Collections Library for my ENGL 51 assignment. I know it is ironic that I started my day of caring by doing school work, but hear me out: this was one of the most enjoyable assignments I did. Ever. Professor Halasz, who teaches ENGL 51: Plays, Playing, and Publicity, picked rare old books for us to explore at Rauner. I appreciated her attention to detail in choosing the books and her decision to make this assignment credited but not graded. I could also hear the enthusiasm in her words when she introduced the books to us in class beforehand. I am so lucky to have professors who are passionate about what they teach and put so much thought and effort into their classes. So, doing an assignment in the morning of my day of caring did not feel like a chore at all. I felt at peace flipping through old books, exploring the little visual details on yellowing pages, inhaling their unique smell, and imagining what it felt like to hold such books in the old times. Excuse me if I sound like a total nerd, which I am, but this is what little Eda thought college would be like. Also, did I mention that Rauner is drop-dead gorgeous?
After I completed my assignment, I joined my friends at Still North Books. I cannot think of anything better for my mental health than spending time with my friends and being in Still North Books. Still North reminds me of the coffee/bookstores in Istanbul, so it is the perfect remedy for my homesickness. I had a great lunch at Still North, did some chill work with my friends, and browsed through books. Before I left Still North for the day, I used a gift card, a thoughtful gift from Diane, my Dartmouth Friendship Family Program match. I will soon write about this program more, so stay tuned!
After Still North, we joined international members of the alumni council for a discussion on how to improve campus life for international students, which focused mainly on mental health. I am grateful that international alumni are still connected to Dartmouth and are trying to make Dartmouth a better place for students like us. We discussed heavy topics in the meeting and they listened to us intently. It mattered a lot to me that we were being heard; I am hopeful that the alumni will try to enact positive change at Dartmouth.
After we met with the alumni, I met up with Ningning, an environmental sciences major, who interviewed for a project for her anthropology class. The interview was semi-structured around my relationship with nature where I grew up. It was a wonderful experience discussing our different yet somewhat similar backgrounds and connecting over our shared love for nature. The best part of it was seeing how passionate Ningning is about her chosen area of study. I love sharing this campus with remarkable people like Ningning!
I finished the Day of Caring by watching a few episodes of Fleabag in Streeter basement, an Allen House dorm, with my friends. By the end of the day, I truly felt like I took care of myself and others. I hope that Dartmouth will make this day of caring an annual event and that we will keep celebrating a culture of care that extends beyond a single day.
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.
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.
