Lauren Groulx

Dartmouth students love a good nickname or acronym. Don’t worry about not knowing these terms just yet–no one expects you to. One of the great things about being a first year student at Dartmouth is that the community is extremely supportive and welcoming. We’ll help you get accustomed to your new surroundings and teach you all the vocabulary you need once you get here.

But if you still want to engage in some quick pre-arrival studying, here’s a short list of common Dartmouth words: 

Yes, absolutely. I came into Dartmouth thinking that I would major in Quantitiative Social Science, and I’ve since pivoted to Classics! Here at Dartmouth, you can’t declare your major until sophomore year, and that’s by design.

Take this opportunity to explore your academic interests, try something new, and keep yourself open to all possibilities. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover!

Unfortunately, I can’t provide a comprehensive answer to this question. Dartmouth students are ambitious and engage in a wide variety of academic pursuits, extracurriculars, and other activities. Some common threads do unite us, though. Most days at Dartmouth will involve trips to Foco for food (although there are a multitude of other food options, both on- and off-campus), a commute that takes you across the Green, and some time in a study space.

Another characteristic of a typical Dartmouth day is running into people you know, nearly everywhere you go. It was jarring at first to be waving at people left and right as I made my way to class, but now I treasure these little moments. I love having the opportunity to quickly catch-up with my friends as we go about our busy days.

After my classes were done for the day, I met up with my friend Will and members of the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) to travel to Riverview Farm. There, we chatted with Upper Valley farmers and helped glean the raspberry crop. Gleaning is the process of collecting leftover crops from farmer’s fields after they have been commercially harvested. This gleaning was done in collaboration with Willing Hands, a non-profit organization that recovers fresh food for neighbors in need. After returning to campus, I attended my weekly Dartmouth Democrats meeting.
 

Tuesday was Halloween! To celebrate, the DOC organized vans to take students to the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge for dinner and dancing. We enjoyed dinner before walking through the ~spooky~ haunted house! Some students returned to Hanover on Tuesday night, but others (including me!) opted to spend the night at one of the lodge’s cabins.

I woke up bright and early on Wednesday morning to make it back to campus in a DOC van before my first class. In the afternoon, I met with the Dartmouth Democrats and Raymond Buckley, the chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, for a quick chat. I spent Wednesday evening studying with my friends Samay and Bea in the Stacks (an area in Berry library).