Hello there, friend! My name is Love and I am a '23. Aside from being on the pre-med track, I'm currently interested in studying math and public policy. I have a penchant for old things, learning languages, and the arts. I also love personality tests, irrespective of their actual validity—in case you're curious, I'm an INFJ, Scorpio, dragon, and type 2w1.
BIOL 11.07 (Major Events in the History of Life and the Human Genome) is a very unique class. We learn topics such as oxidative phosphorylation in conjunction with evolution and paleontology. In other words, where and when did ETC come from, and how can we support our hypothesis? Though not an easy class by far, every day the material I learn amazes me with the wonder of life, which is how biology should be!
MES 7.03 (Jerusalem: Vision and Reality) was my First-Year Seminar and such an interesting class to take! We explored Jerusalem through three main viewpoints (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). The class had a bit of religion, literature, anthropology, sociology, and even geography—all things I love to study but don't necessarily have the space for with our three-class quarters. I often found myself going to office hours just to talk with my professor about questions I had outside of the reading!
COSC 10 (Problem Solving with Object-Oriented Programming) is a data structures course and the last pre-requisite for the computer science major. Though I added it as a fourth class on a whim because of COVID-19 and remote learning, it quickly became my favorite class this term because I loved the problem solving that CS has to offer. It is a difficult class but the emotional and academic rewards make it all worth it!
This was one of four classes I took during fall term and it was super interesting! We learned about healthcare systems and innovations from around 4 guest lecturers per week, and were able to do research on our own and propose a new system at the end of the term. Students came from all over campus and the course was very enlightening for me in terms of understanding how care is dispensed in the U.S. and how we can improve it.
Though this was my first "foundation" course in the Biology department and I still found it challenging, I really enjoyed learning the material and found it all super exciting! We learned about DNA replication, mRNA transcription and protein translation, genetics, and had the opportunity to do a literature review at the end of the term.
The dreaded Organic Chemistry sequence of my pre-med track came upon me faster than I thought it would, but it surprised me by being one of my favorite classes to date! I found it intellectually interesting (even though it was time-consuming), probably because I treated it like a STEM-and-logic puzzle instead of pure STEM or pure memorization. Am I great at it? Not necessarily. Do I remember everything I've learned? I'm not too sure! Am I mentally ready for Organic Chemistry 2 next term? Not at all! But I had a lot of fun doing this class and surprised even myself with how I tackled it.
I love dancing, story-telling, and learning about different cultures so I knew going into this course that I would enjoy it. Cross-listed in the theater and AAAS departments, this course let students have the privilege of working with Dance Theatre of Harlem members who were in Hanover for a summer residency. As a group, we analyzed a play ("The Purple Flower" by Marita Bonner) and transformed the text into a physical movement piece. Each student also had complete ownership of a personal final project, and I opted to do a self-choreographed dance. Overall, I loved getting the chance to work creatively in my academics this term and I also was able to broaden my perspective and knowledge of the African-American story in the process!
As a pre-med, I am constantly trying to learn more about the U.S medical system. This course was extremely engaging in all aspects, taking students through all of American history through the lens of healthcare within the span of 10 weeks. I particularly liked having a discussion session that replaced a lecture, since we were able to talk about the issues with the professor and think out loud about our readings. The course was definitely challenging and required a lot of synthesis across different time periods and topics, but I feel like I came out of it with a deeper and more profound understanding of our healthcare system and why it functions the way it does today.
WinterDetroit, MI
For my junior winter, I did an internship in clinical research! With COVID affecting so much of my college experience, this practical, in-person work internship was very important for me to not only hone my employable skills but also see what having a 8am - 5pm job looks like and how it could fit into my future.
Much like my other pre-med courses here at Dartmouth, Biochemistry was quite rigorous and fast-paced. It was certainly challenging, but I found the work extremely rewarding and I enjoyed learning about all the different mechanisms that happen inside of our bodies. Additionally, many of my friends were also in this class as well, rounding out final prerequisites for graduate school, and this fact made it all the more fun.
SummerDresden, Germany
For my junior summer, I had a research internship in Eastern Germany, working at the intersection between math, computer science, and biology! The learning curve was very steep since my project focus changed once I arrived in Europe, but I had a lot of fun and learned a lot about the content and myself. I am extremely thankful for all the support that Dartmouth has given me throughout my time here, without which I wouldn't have been able to do a 12-week European adventure!
As a pre-med student interested in health disparities, SOCY 75 was an amazing class to take! We covered numerous topics concerning how where one lives can impact their health outcomes. At the end of the course, students were also able to complete a final project of their choosing and I loved being able to tie my personal experiences into an academic course.
Throughout college, most of my science courses have been at the introductory level: one term of genetics, one term of cell structure, etc. Rarely have I had the chance to engage with something on a deeper level or connect the pre-med courses to human biology. This course was super interesting because I could finally connect everything I've learned throughout college into one cohesive course that connects to something I want to do post-Dartmouth.
The four seasons are lovely anywhere, but the four seasons at Dartmouth are the cause for some of the best memories for many students! Because of the quarter plan, most students will get to experience every single season at least once, which is great because every time of the year has something special in store. Though people's experiences will look a little different for the next year because of COVID-19, the spirit of each season will still carry us through! Here is my take on the quintessential aspects of every single season.
Fall: I think that fall holds a lot of excitement for all college campuses because it is the start of a new school year. Dartmouth is no exception! All student clubs love to see the new class come in and welcome them to their groups. During typical years, our big celebration weekend happens during Homecoming. Our freshmen walk around the legendary bonfire and the entire school celebrates with parties, alumni gatherings, and special events.
Another event that happens in the fall? Lobster Day! FoCo hosts this event. Students can get lobster, potatoes, and corn (amongst other things) and eat to their heart's content.
Fall in the Upper Valley is truly something that doesn't exist anywhere else. In fact, it may be one of my favorite seasons in general! During this time, the trees turn golden and the mountains look like they are polka-dotted with orange, yellow, and green. Time is marked by the changing of the leaves and all around you is inspiration for art. You can take trips to neighboring towns to get some last-minute summer treats like ice cream at Ice Cream Fore-U (a popular mini-golf and ice cream destination in Lebanon), hike Gile Fire Tower, and spend long afternoons on the Green with the farmer's market that comes to campus every week. For me, fall is cozy, homey, and really the epitome of the college lifestyle.
Winter: Unless you come from Minnesota or some other similarly cold state, take everything that you know about the cold and forget it! Your winters at Dartmouth are going to redefine "surviving winter" for the rest of your life as you trudge across campus at 7AM in the morning for drill or shuffle your way back home after a late party. While the winter this past year was really mild, most winters are said to be chilling and lacking sunshine, so much so that I even had to take supplements in order to not be too affected by seasonal depression.
However, a little bit of cold never stops campus life! Though the outdoor weather can be pretty brutal, our student body pulls through together. Our big party weekend in the fall is Winter Carnival, which revolves around a bunch of winter events such as ice sculptures, human dog-sled races, and a full-scale acapella show indoors (because even we need to be inside for some of the time). If I had to describe winter in a few sentences, I would say that it is cold (obviously) and actually very nostalgic. The activities that we have in the winter—such as drinking hot chocolate with friends, staying in for movie nights when it is just too cold to go out, or even the annual snowball fight—are reminiscent of a simpler time and I have a special place in my heart for this term.
Don't you love to see a good ice sculpture on your way to class?
Spring: As a '23, my very first spring on campus was cut due to the coronavirus. This didn't stop me from learning about it in my first two terms! If you are trying to picture spring, just imagine sunlight streaming into your dorm room every morning, everyone putting away their winter coats for good and strapping on fun sandals, meeting friends to study outside Collis, and taking photos outside Baker-Berry when you aren't freezing.
Spring is the most popular term for Dartmouth students and from the talks that I had gotten from upperclassmen, it is legendary. The big college weekend that happens during spring is Green Key, a weekend of concerts, parties, and free food. Since it is the most popular term, campus also bustles with life as students flock back to campus. While the first few weeks of the term may be slightly muddy as the weather adjusts from winter to spring, I have never heard a single Dartmouth student disparage spring (that prize would go to winter). I think I would describe the spring as lively and busy! Many students come back from study abroads or terms off during this time, affiliated sophomores are now fully integrated into their Greek houses, and everyone spends time celebrating the seniors during their last term.
Summer: Sophomore summer is an alluring aspect of the D-Plan for many people. Because of the way that the quarter system works, students can end up not seeing their friends for an entire year so the summer is a giant reunion for the sophomore class! Students only need 35 credits to graduate, so if one takes three classes a term for every term, one would have one extra class. Since there is a little bit of leeway in terms of course load, people can also opt to do a 2-course term during sophomore summer. All of these factors combine to make the summer a time of leisure during your fast-paced four years at Dartmouth.
The days are long, the dorm rooms are air-conditioned, and you feel like you have everything you could possibly ever want: all of your sophomore friends back on campus, an easier course load, and the ability to lounge around on the Green in the afternoon without 2000 people from other classes hurriedly walking past. From everyone I've talked to, sophomore summer was one of the most memorable times of their college experience, a time when they cemented friendships, found time to drift along the Connecticut River, and went stargazing when they took ASTRO 1.
Do you have a favorite season? Is there one you're dreading to experience in Hanover (looking at you, Californians). Whatever the case, I'm sure that you will be surprised, just as I was, to find that there will be something to cherish from all four seasons.
I have written about being a student worker plenty of times in the past, but I have yet to talk about one of my favorite jobs ever: ticket selling at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, a phenomenal total solar eclipse occurred — and we happened to be within the path of totality. As a result, Dartmouth hosted a variety of eclipse-related events on- and off-campus. Find out how I spent the eclipse!
