
Hobbies at Dartmouth vs. at Home
It's natural for a person's hobbies to change as they grow older, but I can imagine that a pandemic can be another reason for that. Besides just taking on new hobbies like embroidery and digital art, I've witnessed a transition in my hobbies at Dartmouth, as I've been living at home for almost eight months now.
- No. 1
Dartmouth PE Classes vs. Youtube Workouts
Deciding to take a PE class with my roommate in my freshman fall was one of the best choices! We got to bond a lot and held each other accountable to spend at least part of the week in an active way. Freshman year can be overwhelming so it’s important to take time to destress, in our case through a spin class. Now, I’ve resorted to finding YouTube videos to do the same.
- No. 2
Movie Nights vs. Zoom Convos
I loved to do movie nights with my friends, whether that was in someone’s dorm, common room, or the Hopkins Center for the Arts (tickets are only $5 for students!) Nowadays, we like to plan Zoom calls instead, to update each other on what’s going on in our lives and play virtual games like Code Names and Scribbio.
- No. 3
Concerts vs. Spotify Playlists
There are so many chances to listen to new music at Dartmouth, as they will invite artists for large concerts such as Green Key (the annual music concert weekend in the spring) and smaller weekly band playings. I’ve gotten to see MILCK, hippocampus, and Noah Kahan at Dartmouth, all for free. Obviously that’s not an option now, so it’s best to stick to making Spotify playlists instead.
- No. 4
Podcasts vs. Books
At school, I started to listen to podcasts, especially news ones, when I got ready in the morning. But at home, I tend to have more time to actually watch the news at night, so I also read a lot more! I’ve actually read 16 books so far this year, which is more than I have since middle school. Some of my favorites have been Recursion, Outlander, and Crazy Rich Asians.
- No. 5
The New Hampshire Outdoors vs. My Neighborhood
Dartmouth in all seasons is a beautiful place, and taking a step off-campus into that beauty is one of the best ways to spend time there. Hiking Mt. Cardigan, skiing at the Dartmouth Ski Lodge, and swimming in the Connecticut River are just some examples. Since I’m in Maryland instead of New Hampshire, my options are limited, but I’ve started to go on hours-long walks with my sister to stray down streets we’ve never gone into before.