Jul Thomson

My day usually begins around 7:30 AM when I get up and ready for class. Because I live off-campus, I usually eat breakfast at home. Most recently, I've enjoyed making over-night oatmeal and brewing a quick cup of coffee before walking to my first class. I am usually out the door by 8:30. 

My first class starts at 8:50AM. This is geography class called "Geovisualization", where we learn how to create maps on a computer software. I am taking this class to satisfy one of my liberal arts degree requirements. I really enjoy this class as we have a lot of time to create and explore computer software independently. I think that one of the most special things about Dartmouth is the ability to take classes outside of your major. If it wasn't for Dartmouth's liberal arts program, I never would have thought to take a geography class!

After geography ends at 10 AM, I have a little break before my next class at 11:30. I usually try to grab lunch at the Courtyard Cafe, one of Dartmouth's three main dining halls. Here, I am able to catch up on some homework and start my readings for future classes. Sometimes, I'll meet up with some friends and spend some time socializing. 

Then I head to my music class. In this class, we learn about the different sounds that dominate musical culture today. This is my largest class and is structured as a lecture. I enjoy taking this music class because it is a nice balance to the science classes I am taking this term. 

When my music class ends at 12:30, I walk with some of my friends to our next class, an earth science class called "Earth's Resources". We will spend the next 65 minutes learning about the incredible resources available to us on Earth, and how we use them. I am also taking this science class to fulfill one of my distributive requirements! This class ends at 2:00PM. 

After class is over for the day, it's off to practice! As a varsity athlete on the track and field team here at Dartmouth, I spend most afternoons at Leverone Field House. The next three hours will be spent practicing my throwing and lifting in the weight room. I love going to practice because it acts as a break from my academics and allows me to stay healthy and active. 

When practice is over, my team will usually head to the Class of 1953 Commons (better known as "Foco"), Dartmouth's main dining hall, for dinner. I love going to Foco for dinner because it allows me to see many of my friends that I don't see around campus during the day. Foco offers not only numerous dining options but a great opportunity to connect and socialize with other Dartmouth students. 

After dinner, I head back to Floren Varsity House, a building on campus for varsity athletes to train and study, to finish my homework for the night. I usually do my homework on my own, but I will often meet up with my tutor if I have any questions or difficulties. Tutoring is available for all Dartmouth students through the Tutor Clearinghouse. 

Around 11PM I'll head home and get ready for bed. I usually average around eight hours of sleep a night. While it's a busy, jam-packed day of classes, practice, homework and a little socializing, I always go to bed incredibly thankful for my time here at Dartmouth.