Hello, and welcome to my corner of the woods! I'm Lauren, a '27 from Munger, Michigan. On campus, I enjoy writing sports for The Dartmouth, going on as many DOC trips as I can, and hanging out with my friends. I also love Woccoming, doing the daily NYT mini crossword, and paddling!
I took this class as part of Dartmouth's first year writing requirement. We read a pro cyclist's life narrative, discussed research papers on controversial topics in sports, and wrote our own papers on a contentious sports technology of our choice. I really enjoyed this course's emphasis on discussion, and the small class size!
This was my first class in the classics department, which was super exciting as a classical studies major! We learned about the ancient Olympics and the connections between athletics and other aspects of ancient Greek society. I loved the final project in this class, which involved creating an argument about how the ancient pentathlon was scored!
To conclude my language requirement, I took Latin 3! This class was super exciting because we began to read ancient texts and poetry. We also took a class trip to the Rauner Special Collections library so we could physically handle and read some manuscripts. And as an added bonus, Latin counts as a prerequisite for my classical studies major!
As a part of my language study abroad in Italy, I also took a class on Italian history and culture! We went on field trips to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, participated in walking tours of Rome, and watched a lot of great cinema in this class! I loved it so much that I decided to minor in Italian.
This class, in addition to being a pre-requisite for both my major and my spring study abroad, was super interesting! I loved learning about archaeology in a chronological sequence, and I feel so much more prepared for my trip to Greece after completing this class.
As someone who was only able to visit campus once before moving here, I remember feeling incredibly nervous about where I would do…everything. What building was I supposed to go to pick up my packages? Where would my classes be? And where could I buy more toothpaste once I ran out?
I figured it all out—and I am confident that you will too. I hope that this blog post can answer some of your questions, and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about Dartmouth, Hanover, or the Upper Valley!
Dartmouth Resources
Did you know that Dartmouth has its very ownsearchable online map? Neither did I as a first-year student, but I sure could have used it! The map not only shows every building on campus, but includes a search function and customizable layers so you can find exactlywhere you need to go!
Check out the map for yourself!
Another online Dartmouth resource which I frequently take advantage of is simply the landing page of the college's website for students. This page contains helpful links to everything from Hinman Mail to the academic calendar to mental health resources. Although all of this information may seem overwhelming at first, I recommend bookmarking the page and coming back to explore it link-by-link during your first few weeks on campus!
Hanover Resources
My fellow blogger Cal already wrote about "practical places" in Hanover, so I'll try not to repeat too much information from that post! I will add a few recommendations, though:
Shopping
My favorite place to shop while on campus is at the Norwich Farmers Market, which is open from 9 AM-1 PM every Saturday. Walking to the market is always a fun experience, and it's nice to get some fresh air and a change of scenery. You can find more information about the market hereor read all about it in fellow blogger Brendilou's post here.
Studying
If you know me, you know I've tried just about every study spot on campus. That led me to think this past spring—maybe I needed to walk into town a bit to find a new place to "lock in." And I didn't have to walk far before I found the perfect place: Dirt Cowboy.
The atmosphere at Dirt always makes me want to curl up with a book!
Just one crosswalk away from the Green, Dirt Cowboy has become one of my favorite places to plop down with a book and some highlighters or a smoothie and some friends. Fellow blogger Batuhan wrote a more comprehensive review of Dirt Cowboy (often referred to as just "Dirt") here, which I recommend checking out!
Sightseeing
Dartmouth's campus is full of beautiful places to unwind and enjoy nature—but sometimes, you want a little bit of time and space for yourself. When I get that urge, I often find myself headed to Nathan's Garden in Hanover. Just a few minutes away from campus by foot, this garden is always peaceful and beautiful (especially once the leaves start changing).
I also encourage you to spend some time exploring the nooks and crannies of Dartmouth and Hanover yourself—you never know what you might find!
This weekend my girlfriend came to visit and we spent the weekend exploring what Hanover has to offer! We went to Tuk Tuk Thai Cuisine, Molly's Restaurant, the Hanover Poster and Records store, the Dartmouth Co-op Store, and Hanover Scoops!
Dartmouth College is known for its small, tight-knit community and town, which takes some adjustment for some who didn't grow up in rural areas. So, what is Dartmouth like for those of us who grew up in small communities? Let me share my experience!
My time at Dartmouth has been filled with a lot of change, yet I'm struck by how similar Dartmouth is to my life back home, or rather, how Dartmouth is quickly becoming a place I call home.
As summer winds down and the crispness of fall starts to make its presence felt, I've been taking some time to reminisce about my favorite aspects of life at Dartmouth.
