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.
My name is Love and I am a senior at Dartmouth trying to make the most of my last year on-campus, which includes trying (and documenting) as many Dartmouth yearly traditions as possible before I leave. First up this year is a Gile sunrike!
Look at all these colors! Photos can't do justice how beautiful New England is in the fall.
Gile Mountain is a relatively easy 1.4 mile hike just 20 minutes from campus. With only around 400 feet in elevation, the stunning views you'll see from photos come from a watchtower that you can climb at the end of the hike. Since the hike is not strenuous and the elevation is distributed quite evenly across the entire length, you can wear normal gym shoes or sneakers. The path is also well-trodden and has a mix of flat ground, steps, and elevated land. In general, most students should be able to complete it, although times may differ. Because of its proximity to campus and the fact that we are surrounded by so many hiking trails, you won't see as many other non-Dartmouth hikers here as you would closer to the Appalachian Trail (AT), but you will find plenty of Dartmouth friends along the way! In fact, it has now become tradition for students to visit Gile in the fall when the leaves change color; additionally, many people attempt either a "sunrike" or "sunsike" where you do the hike at sunrise or sunset, respectively. One barrier to accessibility is the fact that you need to drive the 7.4 miles and not all students have cars. However, if you are able to go with student organizations such as sports teams, performing arts groups, or other clubs, transportation is usually taken care of.
My dance team decided to do a Gile sunrike as a team bonding event. We left campus around 5:50AM and arrived at the watchtower by 7AM. Since we did the hike in early October, it was a little chilly / windy, but not so much that people had to wear winter jackets. Peak foliage season was a little later in the year this time around, so everything was so extremely beautiful when the sun rose. Even though I am not from a city, I hadn't seen this level of forestry and foliage until I came to Dartmouth—a good chunk of trees near my home are actually evergreens, which are very pretty during Christmas-time but also never change throughout the seasons. If you are planning to do a Gile hike, I highly recommend planning it out so you can see the best of what the Upper Valley has to offer.
Afterwards, the team headed to Four Aces Diner, which is in West Lebanon, New Hampshire. The place is the epitome of New England cozy breakfast diners, with nice servers and huge portions. A huge part of Dartmouth culture is influenced by rural New England and vice versa, which was a big draw for me when picking colleges. After all, when else would I have the chance to experience this? The diner draws a diverse array of guests since it is further away from campus, so it is quite a nice getaway if you ever find yourself trapped in a "Dartmouth bubble." Since we went as a dance group, all expenses were paid for through club funds, which was also very key in making the event accessible for low-income students.
After breakfast, we all headed back to campus to enjoy another sunny Sunday before classes started again on Monday. What a wonderful way to spend a morning!
Some of my rising senior friends from New York have been in contact with me since graduation, and I've compiled a list of FAQs that might help you better understand life at Dartmouth!
