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.
People ask me, Gui, how can you get involved in Dartmouth? I mean, it’s a small college, surely it doesn’t have a technology center focused on students where the thought leaders of tomorrow get to work with the best, most creative ideas? Why, I’m glad you asked such a specific question, yes, we do have such a center! It’s the DALI Lab, where any student can apply to become a collaborator and work with non-profits, startups, or even students and professors who won the Pitch event and got their ideas into the lab!
This week, I got to attend the Technigala, an event where DALI projects got some time to shine. It happened in First Floor Berry library (FFB), and each idea currently being worked on at the DALI Lab had a table to show everyone what they’re made of – literally. The creative process, demos, business plans, it was all there (students usually work on their projects for one or two terms). At the end, most asked you to answer a survey, so you too could become part of the creation process!
I'll leave it to the creators to explain what the D-Planner is ;)
I attended the Technigala especially because a group of friends of mine (Adam, Zirui, and Gillian) worked on a project called D-Planner. Their revolutionary platform will allow students, initially from Dartmouth, to more easily discover new courses they might like and choose the courses they wish to take. They will also be able to plan out their D-Plan, which here at Dartmouth is the plan you must submit on how you’ll spend each term (abroad, on campus, off campus…). According to the group, their focus has been on user experience and on information communication. In less techy words, they want you to choose your courses comfortably and for you to know all about them. The demo they presented got me psyched. It looks amazing, and I could barely believe it’s the product of just one term of work.
Look at this, they even had stickers!
Besides seeing my friends’ project, I also got to see a wide variety of ideas. An augmented reality game about making S’mores. A platform to facilitate book sale and purchase on campus. A facilitator for deliveries of food from markets in the city of Lebanon to Dartmouth. A tablet game to help children with speech impediments. The range was incredible, and so was the work put into each idea. Each is sure to be successful and improve many lives!
If you ever wonder if Dartmouth has something to get your coding hands dirty in, DALI has you covered. The unique opportunity to learn from other students while working with real projects provides learning experiences way beyond those that can be offered inside a classroom, and that’s why seeing an event like the Technigala makes me so happy.
Adam took this picture and I just felt like it had to be posted - so nice!
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.
Ever have a super cool professor and wish you could get to know them outside the classroom? Look no further because the Undergraduate Deans Office offers a Take a Faculty Member to Lunch program at Pine Restaurant.
Most faculty of this College can blow you out of orbit with how awesome they are. Professor Ryan Hickox, however, feels out of this world. The fact he's an astronomer definitely helps.
Have you ever thought your academic interests are a bit too niche? I truly have. Dartmouth enables you to not only explore that niche area of study, but to also explore disciplines you may never have thought of pursuing. Let's explore my journey:
I'll leave it to the creators to explain what the D-Planner is ;)
Look at this, they even had stickers!
Adam took this picture and I just felt like it had to be posted - so nice!
