Hi everyone! I'm Kabir, an international member of the class of '26, from New Delhi, India. I'm thinking of majoring in Psychology and Film & Media Studies. Outside the classroom, I enjoy watching movies, going on hikes, hanging out with my friends, and going on runs (if you see me on the streets of Hanover, say hi!) In the short while I've been here, I've come to love Dartmouth, so if you're interested in what I have to say, stick around! This should (hopefully) be fun :)
My Writing 5 class was definitely my favorite class this term — it opened my eyes to the realities of the food industry, strengthened my skills as a writer, and helped me make a ton of new friends.
My seminar was possibly the best class I've taken so far at Dartmouth. I learned about the importance of free speech and journalists in a democratic society, and how those rights to freedom are being stripped everywhere, all the time.
I've loved Cognitive Psychology as a class so far, especially because of the cool demos that the professor uses to illustrate every type of phenomena we learn about. From illusions to memory tests, it's so cool to see how the human psyche can be tricked so very easily.
Welcome to a brand new term of blogging! This term's going to be a little bit different because it's sophomore summer. For those of you who don't know, sophomore summer is a Dartmouth tradition where (you guessed it) sophomores stay on and take classes during the summer term. So far, it's been great having just '26s around!
Since I'm an international student, there's a lot of questions about how sophomore summer works with VISA regulations. If you'd like, I can do a separate blog post about that, but there are a lot of international students who are on campus but not taking classes. All of this to say—even if you're international, there's still ways to enjoy the sophomore summer experience.
For this term, I'm going to be taking only two classes. Here's what they are!
Forensic Psychology (PSYC 54.04) : I'm super excited for this class. One of my majors is psychology, so I was naturally drawn to the subject. But, so far, the classes have been absolutely fascinating! I've been learning so much about really niche but interesting things. In our recent class sessions, we spoke about psychological intervention activities focused on stress management, PTSD and post-shooting traumatic reactions. Additionally, we've discussed police suicide, its underlying causes, and mitigation efforts. Given the state of the world, this is a super timely class. I think it's a perfect sophomore summer class.
Decolonizing Translation (COLT 19.06): Decolonizing Translation is a key example of why I love the Dartmouth education. The liberal arts format allows you to explore so many things outside your key interest areas and build upon them. This class examines the role of translation as both a tool of colonization and as a form of resistance. It spans from the 18th to the early 2st century, focusing its impact on post colonial struggles. I'll have to admit, I know little else about translation studies but I feel like this is a great place to start!
Additional sophomore summer activities include being out in nature (I've been dipping in the river, been going on sunrise hikes with my friends) and just having an overall good time. The sun is an uncharacteristic feature of everyday Hanover life, so this is a nice change. I'll keep you all updated through the term!
How do Dartmouth students balance their classes and social life in a reasonable way? Somehow, we manage to get good grades and prioritize our academics while also making life-long friendships and memories.
What to bring to Dartmouth and what to buy when you are here? A stress inducing decision making process for most incoming students, here is my perspective on some truly important things to bring to Dartmouth and what to leave behind!
