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!
Spring is possibly my favorite season/term at Dartmouth. And yes, it is mostly because of the warm weather, the pretty flowers, and the promise of summer, but there is also a lot to look forward to in spring. Keep reading if you want to learn more about them!
Moosilauke
With the coming of spring, Moosilauke Ravine Lodge re-opens its season. It is one of my favorite places to get away from campus for a bit. Moosilauke is incredibly cozy and offers, quite possibly, the best food I've had in the US so far because it is closest to home-cooked meals. Not to mention the wonderfully cheerful, hardworking, and kind staff who work there. I always look forward to going to Moosilauke, as I know I can always trust it to provide shelter from the craziness of the term.
Arts @ Dartmouth
Even though Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth is currently under construction, there are still a lot of arts-related and performance events at Dartmouth. I have already bought tickets for two shows I am excited about. The first is Trick of Light: The Bookbinder, which is a multi-modality show involving pop-up books, storytelling, live-action, and puppetry. Plus, it is a dark fairytale and I am a big fan of such narratives. The second is Figli d'arte Cuticchio: Storia, which is an adaptation of Faust in the tradition of the great marionette of Sicily. Hopkins Center also partnered with Dartmouth Asian American Studies Collective for Asian Diaspora on Screen, meaning that they will be screening stories written by and about Asian peoples' lives around the globe. Needless to say, I am beyond excited about all of the art events of spring!
Clubs, clubs, clubs
Extracurriculars are possibly my favorite part of being on campus because that's how I have found a sense of community. I am particularly looking forward to continuing my work as a community development lead for Spare Rib, organizing socials and creating systems for nurturing a radical feminist community on campus. I also look forward to continuing my involvement with Displaced Theatre Company, the only student-run contemporary theater company at Dartmouth. I will write more about my involvement in Displaced, so stay tuned!
Academics
Yes, I am a miserable nerd if you have not realized it yet, but I cannot help it because I am finally taking classes that allow me to specialize in my fields of interest. For instance, I am taking Dystopian Visions this term, a creative writing seminar exploring (yep, you guessed it) dystopian fiction. I am a sucker for all types of speculative fiction in fantasy/sci-fi, and I am incredibly grateful and lucky that I finally get to nerd out about my geeky interests in a formal academic setting.
As I approach the halfway mark of my Dartmouth journey this spring, I find myself reflecting on the significance of distributive and world culture requirements in shaping my academic experience.
Coming back from Spring break usually means coming back to an entirely different campus than the one you left in the Winter – but that was not the case this year! Read on to hear more...
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!
This is part two of me "nerding out" about my honors thesis! If you want to learn more about independent projects, theses, or the humanities at Dartmouth, check it out!
