Welcome to the transition diary from a big, cold Brazilian city to a small, very cold American town! I fell in love with Dartmouth soon as I got to know the College, and the last three years have expanded my love, as there is a lot to enjoy here in the woods: majors and minors, extracurriculars and clubs, many new open doors to a curious mind like mine! Hope you all like the content!
Introduction to the amazing language of Chinese, taken with Mao Lao Shi. Really got my mornings going! I think all Dartmouth students should make the most out of their language classes, as they offer unique cultural opportunities and stick with you for life. I'm grateful for all who shared that classroom with me, and I am very happy to realize how much I have progressed in a subject so new to me.
My writing seminar, themed on Asian Conflict and Cooperation. I got to discuss a topic beyond my comfort zone, and had a blast! My classmates were really giving their best, and professor Rezvani gave us an incredible learning experience and an organized debate environment. This class opened my horizons , and I am really happy I took it, having looked forward for each class! My writing style improved greatly due to this class, which makes it all the better!
The class that first got me into CS, and eventually led to me choosing my major! I believe this class should be a requirement to graduate. Most students at Dartmouth take it already, and it figures. Great class, provides you tools you can use in whatever field you choose!
I took three Chinese classes this term, so I chose the last one to show off. This was the term I had my LSA+ experience in China! Got to travel all over, and improved my Chinese a ton. I encourage every Dartmouth student to take a language, even if you start at intermediate level, so you can go on an LSA+ or FSP experience!
A blast of a class! Discussion, great readings and a lot of amazing topics to learn. Also, Professor Joe Vignone was a bright spot on my term. A perfectly quirky man, I loved being one of two people to laugh at his jokes and his novelty t-shirts. He is also superbly smart and got me interested on a class I thought I was just taking to fulfill a graduation requirement!
Great Professor, great TAs, great class. I didn't think I'd like this class: it is infamous for being a lot of work. Don't get me wrong, it is, but it is work you do with a smile on your face. The teaching team is great, there is a lot of awesome material to cover and it's great to have some smartphone programming ability. Greatly recommend to CS majors!
Professor XD Yang is one of the faculty teaching this incredible course. Generally, CS classes focus on programming and Math; it was great to spend some time just designing, and thinking about the why, not the how. I recommend this class to all curious minds who are willing to come up with some creative ideas!
Full disclosure: I picked this course for the distributive requirement, SCI. And yet, I fell in love with it! Professor Osterberg gave us not only an incredible overview of the world we inhabit and of the life upon it, but also perspectives on the future of humanity.
I will just go and say it: Professor Tine is my favorite. She is so nice, and has such a strong didactic structure, that I would trust her to teach me anything, and so should you if you ever come across one of her courses. I know a lot more about humanity, development, and even about myself now.
How's living in a small College town for you? I remember I used to take daily strolls with my dad to the supermarket back home, to shop for daily needs (we don't have CVS in Brazil!). Now, I go on regular snack runs to CVS, and it is just as amazing. Oh, the variety!
There are many reasons why I might stroll down to the pharmacy/minimarket CVS. It might be restocking my dorm's snacks, it might for some over the counter medication, it might be for office supplies. It could even be a special date, such as a birthday or secret Santa, that I need a present for. Whatever the reason is, I know the Hanover mainstay has got my back, even in situations I wouldn't have thought of. I once needed eggs for my special end of term dish (homemade bread). I couldn't find them anywhere, but low and behold, CVS had my back once again, with a special promotion on eggs -- just $1.49 for a dozen! Moreover, Dick's House staff can direct your prescriptions directly to CVS, facilitating pickup and preventing longer trips when you are ill. Can you think of a place more convenient?
Why can't I just buy ALL the oreos?
Open all day, every day, CVS is also very accessible. I've stopped in at 1 a.m. on the weekends because I needed chips for my late-night viewings of The Bachelor. CVS is just present in all my important moments! And the staff makes it even more memorable. They are always happy to help and point out the numerous coupons I would not have spotted by myself. The smiles and the interactions in the aisles are something I look forward to anytime I go on a CVS run.
Coming to a college town, you might be concerned about your convenience options. However, if you need things faster than Amazon can bring them, your options are plenty: apart from the already discussed CVS, you can visit the COOP for fresh produce, the gas station's convenience store for snacks or even take a short (free) bus ride to West Lebanon, where you can find a Walmart, Kohls, a comic book shop, a Home Depot, Best Buy, TJ Maxx, and many other stores to cater to your needs. There's no lack of options up in New Hampshire!
While touring schools the summer before my senior year, the freshmen I talked to gushed all about Dartmouth's collaborative atmosphere. Now as a current sophomore, I thought I'd share how students here genuinely want to help lift each other up!
One thing that many people contemplate before coming to college is whether they will perform to their expected standards, and in this blog post, I am going to share with you what helped me navigate my classes.
I can't tell you how to avoid feeling overwhelmed, as I'm still working on that myself, but I can tell you a piece of advice that's helped me along the way: Saturday Mornings Are Sacred (SMAS).
Have you wondered what Dartmouth being a small school means? How about extra circulars and a sense of the social dynamic at Dartmouth? Come along, and I'll give you my take!
How's a hedgehog plushie for a gift?
Why can't I just buy ALL the oreos?
I love you all, Prospies <3
