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.
Winter is something that a lot of people (either applying to or already at Dartmouth) think about. It's a big part of the New Hampshire/New England experience: freezing temperatures, brutal winds, and hurting fingers because of the cold.
I navigated my first winter at Dartmouth last year, and coming from a tropical country like India, I was obviously terrified of everything that was in store for me.
Here are five things to look forward to/keep in mind during the winter.
Closer bonding with your friends: This one seems like a huge shock (trust me — to me it did too). But I believe the experience of freezing like there's no tomorrow bonds people in ways that few other things can. An added bonus is the fact that people like staying indoors a lot, so you'll probably be spending time getting closer to people who live next to you. It's great!
Invest in some good winter jackets: If there's one thing I strongly recommend, it's investing in winter jackets for Dartmouth. Do invest in a more expensive one that'll keep you warm when you're walking to classes or just around campus. (Keep in mind that everybody's definition of expensive is different—if there is one thing you're willing to spend extra on, I'd recommend your winter gear!)
Invest in a cheap winter jacket. You're going to need this for a myriad of reasons: there will be the much nicer, more expensive jacket that you use for daily activities. But you're going to need one for those weekends that you may be going to fraternities, or even if you need to run a quick errand and don't want to lose your nice jacket. Make sure that this one keeps you warm, though!
Try and find as much light as possible. Literally. The one thing that the East Coast isn't great on is the amount of light you'll find during an average winter day. It gets dark quickly. To offset that, the library allows you to rent sunset lamps. Take them up on it and make good use of them! My friends also enjoy buying scented candles or LED lights—I can vouch for the second method.
Enjoy it. Yes, the winter is brutal. Yes, there will be days that are so cold you won't believe it. But, I believe that it's part of the quintessential Dartmouth experience. And as an added bonus: it's always really pretty whenever you look out of your door.
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!
