Hi! My name is Jack and I am a Sophomore at Dartmouth. I currently plan to major in sociology modified with anthropology, all with a human-centered design minor. Outside of class, I enjoy performing and I'm currently involved in both a student dance group and acapella. I love hiking and running outdoors and have already explored a lot of Dartmouth's surrounding trails. I am also involved in Greek Life, the Student and Presidential Committee for Sexual Assault, and the Inter Fraternity Council.
This class was an overview on demographic trends across the world, and it's the course that got me interested in my current academic focus! I enjoyed the fact that this class was discussion based, so I was able to engage in conversations about different social factors and relationships that affect population changes in global societies.
I never thought I'd enjoy doing theater online but this class fully exceeded all expectations I had in mind. I was able to learn new techniques and was forced to think about aspects of performance that I never had to worry about when on stage. The technological stage was definitely an interesting hurdle, but it strengthened my abilities as a performer overall.
Beside it being my first in-person class at Dartmouth, I have enjoyed the case-based structure of this course. Professor Roebuck delivers the content in small units of environmental health problems, which are all applicable to specific cases and situations. This makes the material extremely interesting and thought-provoking, leading to an incredible class.
SummerNew York, NY
I spent my summer interning for a theater education company that offered technical skill sessions to teenagers, all taught by industry professionals. I learned a lot more about the ins and outs of the theater industry, due to the immersive setting of the position.
I originally took this class to fulfill my lab distributive requirement, but it ended up proving to be a super interesting course! I have always been fascinated by storms and weather, so learning the processes behind these phenomena and patterns was deeply interesting for me. While I am not planning on studying Earth sciences any further, this specific course was memorable for all the good reasons!
This class was a constant reminder of my love for sociology. Professor Kim was a genuine, kind, excellent professor and lecturer, and all of the material was deeply interesting. Some past classes that are reading-heavy have fallen short in finding invigorating readings that I was actively excited to explore, and I enjoyed every single article and discussion for this course. Exploring contemporary theorists' works, this class was a 10/10.
Hello all, I'm currently writing from my bedroom in our rental Boston apartment, realizing that this is the last time I'll be writing to you all from here. My last weekend in Boston is coming to a close, and I return to Virginia in three days before heading to Hanover for the spring (which I'm super excited for).
Looking back on the past ten weeks here in Boston, I mostly feel grateful. I am lucky that in a pandemic, when campus accessibility is restricted, I'm able to still have an enjoyable term and have some semblance of a college experience. I have made some great memories with incredible people over the last few months, and I wouldn't have wanted this winter to unfold any differently.
This winter was the first time I have lived fully independently. On campus, I was in a dorm building with a meal plan, resources at my fingertips, and halls full of other students around me. Here, in Boston, my two roommates and I were isolated in an apartment building of strangers. We cooked for ourselves, maintained a clean living space, and were fully on our own. This shift was slightly intimidating, but ended up working smoothly. I'm proud of the independence I've gained over this term, realizing that I can be self-sufficient when needed.
Before coming to Boston, I was most apprehensive about taking remote classes, especially because I was taking four instead of three. In the fall, my classes were online, but I was still on campus with access to the library and other academic in-person resources. Being miles away from campus definitely took a slight toll on classes. Because I had no other resources or study spaces besides my own bedroom, the separation of in-class and at-home work ceased to exist. I sat at this same desk in my room for entire days, just working away. Some days were pretty bleak, but I know that this experience isn't unique. Students everywhere are suffering from this same issue, and I'm lucky that when I'm at Dartmouth, I have access to resources that definitely increase academic engagement. Online school is hard, regardless of institution.
Overall, this experience has been incredibly rewarding. I've grown as a person and scholar in multiple ways, and I'm incredibly thankful that I was able to have this opportunity. I'm also excited to get out of the cold for a few weeks and take a break before things ramp up again in the spring. Talk to you all soon!
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!
Unlike some other universities, many of the STEM lecture classes at Dartmouth require concurrent enrollment in a laboratory section. What is it like navigating that time as a student?
