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!
Oh. My. Goodness. What a fun class this was! As a certified weather and climate geek, I was totally entrenched in everything we done in this course. From the labs and weather presentations to the "flipped" classroom experience, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Dr. Osterberg's excitement for the course material made it that much more enjoyable! It was truly an extraordinary first-year course to take.
I’ve loved this class from beginning to end. For one, I enjoyed it because of the people in it, but I also loved it because of the content. Through frequent class discussion, I learned about the health of our democracy and the ways it is compromised. Very enlightening class!
Religion 5 was a quintessential liberal arts course that deepened my knowledge in a subject I thought I had all figured out. As a STEM-oriented student, this class offered the perfect balance to my spring term schedule. As a result of this class, I became more introspective of how I was raised, and I'm more grateful in my ability to be a free-thinker.
SummerOff Campus Internship - Princeton, New Jersey
This summer, I explored my future career plans by participating in a research internship with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton University. I learned a lot about what I want (and what I don't want) in a future career, and I made so many awesome lifelong connections!
A course rooted in both philosophical theory and real, practical methods of becoming a better public speaker was the highlight of the term. Our class of 16 students grew to be a sort of "mini-family," and I'm so grateful for the connections I made. I completely changed the way I view public speaking and homed in on my own skills as a public speaker!
Once again, a course outside my major found its way into my favorite class list. This sociology course helped me better understand how children are viewed in society, the way sociologists study youth, and the major differences in norms around childhood around the world. Who knew there was so much to learn about youth culture!
The Dartmouth D-plan consists of four quarters throughout the academic year – fall, winter, spring, and summer. With some exceptions, you can mold your D-plan to fit your individual needs. During my first year, I took the summer off, and I participated in an internship in a scientific laboratory. Although this was an amazing experience for me in terms of career growth and maturity, a part of me wished I had more time to explore my interests and figure more out about who I am. That's what I've tried my best to accomplish this fall term. Instead of focusing on the next checkbox to mark off for my resume, I decided to lay low, do a bit of research, spend time with family, and travel. This turned out to be one of the best decisions I've made at Dartmouth.
Something this off-term has given me has been the time to introspect and think about my personal aspirations as well as my career prospects. I've had time to read some books that I've been wanting to read for a while now. I've had time to take up cooking as a hobby rather than swiping in at Foco (our dining hall) as an afterthought. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing to be able to just swipe a card and eat as much as I want, but there's something relaxing about taking the time to make a meal which gives me a sense of control. That's something I've figured out while on my off-term, and I haven't had the time to explore those hidden interests in a few years.
Taking the time to introspect and think about your career pursuits is more important than padding a resume. I've been trying to think of a way to explain my academic / career mindset since I've gotten to Dartmouth, and I think I've finally figured out a good metaphor. For the past couple of years, my mental energy and drive have been all over the place. I think of my brain beaming out light that sprays in all directions. It's bright and plentiful, but it's not focused; it's scattered and misplaced. Lately, I've been figuring out ways to take a magnifying glass to this light to focus it on a particular point instead of it spilling over everything. These concentrated beams of mental energy have helped me focus, contemplate, and improve my mental health.
This fall term has been a necessary component of my undergraduate career. It takes maturity to take a break from the very thing that has given my life meaning for the past several years. My love for academics and career advancement will always be a part of who I am, but it shouldn't be all of who I am.
At the end of the day, I'm a 21 year old who loves to fish, play golf, coin collect, and generally enjoy time with my closest friends. During this off-term, I've had more time to do those things all while making time to think about my future career and what I want it to entail. Be careful when you assign most of your self-worth to your academics, grades, test scores, etc. This stress doesn't stop in high school, and it can follow you your entire life if you let it. Take a break, breathe, and figure out who you are. I promise it's worth it!
I've had more time to go camping with my little brother this off-term, and I'm incredibly grateful for it!
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!
