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.
The first time I set foot in Hanover, I was already committed to joining the Dartmouth family. It was a very hard decision, to commit before ever seeing the campus: how could I know I would fit into the community? Would I like to live in a small town in New Hampshire? Could I stand the cold and snow, and beyond that, would I thrive in this climate? And yet, by using the right tools, I was able to find the answers to my questions. Now, most of you cannot visit any colleges, and hence you are faced with the same difficult decision I had: to pick without looking.
The first way Dartmouth really caught my eye, and you'll call me biased for it, was the Admissions blog. I do not mean to preach to the choir: you know this is a great source of information on life on campus. Hundreds of posts from passionate students, such as yours truly, all aimed at giving you a full picture of our college. I regret not finding the blog sooner; I only did so one month before the application deadline. So, if you have younger peers and friends, tell them to come read! The sooner you start the process of college search, the more successful you will be.
While we all wish we could have you here, taking a live tour is the next best thing. You'll get to know all about what makes Dartmouth great, and get to see some spots that Google Street View simply cannot show you.
Finally, I have one last KEY recommendation: reach out, reach out, reach out. You can find the e-mail of department chairs online easily by googling "_____ department Dartmouth"; you can get in contact with many clubs through the COSO page; or you can simply ask the Admissions Officeand they will redirect your questions to the pertinent person. While routines do catch up with us students, we always do our best to respond. I personally got a lot from e-mailing professors in the CS department which I thought I could work with, and getting their opinion on the Academics and opportunities Dartmouth has to offer.
I hope all that helps with your search. If you want to know more about anything (anything!), feel free to submit our questions to the People, Places, Pines Q&A!
Dartmouth is a fantastic place that can be nearly impossible to explain to those who haven't stepped foot on its campus. This was the case with my parents, until this week!
Despite the vast ocean that separates me and my dream school, I applied to Dartmouth College as an international student from Bangkok, Thailand in the early decision round. This wasn't just a leap of faith, I assure you.
Being a student-worker at Dartmouth is not an unusual thing. There are many jobs available to students interested in working on campus. Come check one of my favourites!
Congratulations to admitted students! Choosing a school to attend is a difficult choice (if needed), and oftentimes, emotions involved will be much more complex than "I fell in love with the campus." Here's my take on it all!
