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.
Student a cappella and dance groups are a staple of Dartmouth culture. They perform at frat shows, the Hopkins Center, various school-sponsored events, and even travel to other cities together to perform or go to conventions and take classes. I personally dance quite a lot on campus and can tell you almost everything you need to know!
Many dance groups perform at frats during the term; here is what a typical dance show looks like.
There are a couple of dance groups on campus, some which hold auditions and others which are open to campus. The four dance groups (two more contemporary and two urban/hip hop) which require auditions hold them together the first Sunday of fall term; this year, there were forty students auditioning. With the day starting early in the morning, everyone is broken up into smaller sections and rotates through all four dance groups. During this first round, you learn choreo taught by dancers of that particular dance group; yes, if you are a freshman, you are required to audition for every single one. Though it is a big time commitment and can seem like a waste of time, this rule makes it so that all students are pushed to audition for groups they would have passed up.
After the first round, there is a small break for deliberations. Dance groups can choose to call you back for the second round, which consists of 2 solos. Some people did improv, others repeated the same dance twice, and still others did two dances to show versatility. Round 2 is really important in showing your personality and potential! After some more deliberation, dancers are called back for Round 3, which is some more choreography. The first round is the only one in which you have to dance four times: after that, it depends on how many groups call you back. Round 3 is limited to two groups, after which you "pref" your top choice and wait for the decisions.
Me and my dance group after our Valentine's show this term!
Our auditions ended around 9PM or so, and I was introduced to my dance group around midnight that very day. In all cases, you will learn of the results 24 hours after the audition. Most dance (and a cappella) groups rehearse three times a week for two hours each time, with more time during show weeks. There are a lot of opportunities to perform and it is really fun to dance for a rambunctious Dartmouth crowd and the support of your friends. Outside of student performance groups, you can also dance for musicals put on by the theater department, with Dartmouth Dance Ensemble, and for things such as Trips (you'll know once you get here).
One caveat is that while there are hip hop and contemporary/jazz groups, there currently isn't any ballet presence on campus, which is something I personally really miss. Nonetheless, I highly encourage every student to try dancing sometime while they're here, simply because it's a fun way to meet other people, get your body moving, and forget about your academic stress for awhile. If you ever have any other questions about dancing at Dartmouth, don't hesitate to ask!
I also dance a little bit with Street Soul, Dartmouth's open urban dance group. The energy here is always infectiously fun and people with all levels are welcome to join. Highly recommend!!
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.
