My name is Gabriela Jimenez! I grew up in Queens, NYC (the best borough), and I went to high school in the Bronx. I spent about 3 hours a day commuting to and from school! So I am excited about only being a "long" 15-minute walk from the Green. As much as I love NYC, I needed a change of scenery, and Dartmouth is a perfect escape. I will definitely be joining the Dartmouth Outing Club! I hope my excessive use of exclamation points hasn't scared you off yet!
Every first year student is required to take a writing and a seminar class. But, you get to choose which of the offered classes you are most interested in taking. Your first year should be about exploring different classes and seeing what you might be interested in pursuing. Don't only focus on taking classes that will fulfill distributive requirements. The classes you choose to take will probably fulfill some of them anyways. Make sure to ask upperclassmen for advice when choosing classes. They are most likely to give you honest advice and raw reviews. You can even ask one of them for their lay up list login to see reviews of the classes you are interested in taking. Lay up list gives you an idea of if the class is challenging and reviews the professor. I personally opted to take Writing 2-3 because I wanted to sharpen my writing skills. This specific class is two terms. I am really enjoying it and I believe it has helped me improve my writing tremendously.
Tips for studying:
I think everyone at Dartmouth has an insane work ethic; it's why we are here ;). But, transitioning to a new space might be a little overwhelming at first. I feel like finding a place to study in the library or on campus is essential. Use the first weeks to find spots that you enjoy. Finding different spots is great for doing different work. For example, I like writing essays in Sanborn library but, I do STEM related work on 3FB (Third floor berry). Get to know the vibes for different spaces and make sure to know what volume you should be at in them. Don't be intimidated to try new spaces and find what works for you.
Tips for social life(ing):
Dartmouth does an amazing job of bringing your class together. So it's not surprising that our campus is very lively and social. This is great for meeting new people and finding fun things to do but can be challenging to balance with academics. My advice would be to space out your work so you are able to do fewer assignments everyday and to do work earlier in the day so that you are not rushing to finish. There will be times where you choose to put off work, it's inevitable, but make sure you are able to get back on track. One of the worst feelings is to have work piling up. In terms of navigating the social scene at Dartmouth, my advice is to introduce yourself to everyone you can, always be kind to people, and be outgoing. The only way you are going to connect with your peers is to reach out to them and say yes to invitations! Keep an open mind and don't close yourself off.
In August, I participated in the First Year Summer Enrichment Program, a pre-orientation program designed to help FGLI students adjust to life at Dartmouth!
I'll argue why my dorm, French Hall, is not only the best in the River Cluster and West House but also the best dorm you can get as a first-year at Dartmouth.
Now that I am more than a half into my Dartmouth experience, I have grown and learned about the world in ways that I would never have anticipated. How do I feel about it? Where do I hope to go next?
What a wonderful summer! From joining a summer dance ensemble to regularly canoeing along the Connecticut River, I reflect on the aspects that made Sophomore Summer one of the most memorable Dartmouth traditions I've taken part in.
