Greetings from the woods! My name is Gavin Fry, and I'm a student blogger with the People, Places, and Pines team. I'm a proud first-generation college student, carrying with me the full support of my crazy family. I plan to be involved with undergraduate research, outdoor activities, and club golf here at Dartmouth! You can find me geeking out about the weather, reading novels, and always drinking coffee (at any time of the day). So nice to meet you!
Academic Program
Prospective Environmental Earth Science Major with a Minor in Public Policy
Favorite Thing Right Now
My idea of starting a chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) here at Dartmouth!
Anything, Not Everything - Opportunities and Experiences
When it comes to choosing the right college for your interests, there are several factors that come into play aside from academics. Now, one of the most common questions that I see posed on different media outlets, campus tours, and even from current students is "Dartmouth is in a small, rural town in woods of New Hampshire, what is there to do? Will I get bored?" This question, and countless variations of it are going to become obsolete and perhaps comical if you keep up with my whereabouts in the next few weeks, but let's just tackle it now!
The notion that Dartmouth is in the forest is not an entirely false statement. Of course, it is situated on the northern end of the quaint town of Hanover, New Hampshire, but, nevertheless, it is in the wilderness of the Upper Valley. Just sit back and take that in. One could judge just how noteworthy and prestigious Dartmouth is, but I'm not here to waste your time doing that; rather, become introspective to the fact that such a college can exist within the enchanted land of the Upper Valley and the mythical nature that the forest and students exude. It truly is a one-of-a-kind feeling that you objectively can't get anywhere else.
Now, along with being so in-tune with nature, how does that coincide with activities and opportunities given it is such a rural campus? Oh boy are you in for a treat….
When you first arrive on Dartmouth's campus, the college's "First-Year Trips Tradition" will expose you to more activities and experiences than you could even think possible. I'm talking hikes, museum exploration, cabin camping, sailing, and so much more that I will leave to your imagination. This is an experience in of itself, so I feel compelled to bottle my excitement here before I let you know too much!
I've been on campus for the fall term for about three weeks and I've done so many extracurricular activities and found campus organizations that truly feel like individual families to me. Trust me when I say, there is absolutely NO WAY you will feel bored or isolated here at Dartmouth.
Let's look at a few of the activities that I've done at this beautiful place to far:
Spending time at the iconic (and quite beautiful) Moosilauke Ravine Lodge on First Year Trips!
Playing my favorite sport with the club golf team here at Dartmouth! Such a fun time!
Had the time to go fishing and kayaking at my favorite little outdoor location: Mink Brook!
Got involved in WDCR - Dartmouth College's Radio Station! Such a Dartmouth thing to do!
Hiked up to some of the most beautiful views in all of the Upper Valley!
Now, it may be seen that most of my activities have a heavy "outdoorsy" feel to them. That's okay! I know several good friends of mine from the FYSEP program who aren't into the outdoors at all and they have had an equal amount of success finding their niches here at Dartmouth as well. The art scene here is absolutely stunning (and I'm not even a humanities person)! From just my perspective, you can see how much there is to do and there are many other perspectives (on this blog especially) to encounter… go explore! As you will quickly find, and as many Dartmouth faculty accurately say, "You can do anything you want at Dartmouth, but you can't do everything."
Despite Dartmouth being on the periphery of the broader Northeast region, its access to major transportation hubs makes travel stress-free. But, how can students without a car see the rest of New England?
The big-little process in my sorority has strengthened my bond with my big, fostered new friendships across class years, and deepened my sense of community and belonging on campus.
After a long winter term where everything was overlaid in snow and serenity, the weekly Norwich farmer's market is finally back—and I could not be more excited.
This term, I competed in the annual Speech at Dartmouth competition, but would never have had this opportunity without the support of Dartmouth faculty. Read on as I share how I got here!
