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.
March is coming up soon, and it coincidentally marks a whole year since I've been home because of COVID-19. It's been so long but I still remember the circumstances surrounding the whole thing as if it were yesterday: it was finals week, and I was writing my last paper when all the students got an email about canceled spring break trips and study abroads, and even the possibility of spring term being online for all students. Everything after that was a blur as students struggled to balance finals, shifting plans, dealing with airlines and pre-purchased tickets, and hard goodbyes.
The journey back home to Michigan this time last year was the quietest that I've ever seen any airport! As I left, I felt a mixture of sadness, anxiety, and fear for the future. Look how far we've come!
Now, it's 2021 and it has almost been a full year since then. As a nation, we've quarantined together, experienced nationwide grief, saw the trauma of various events, and welcomed in a new year. As a school, Dartmouth has also been chugging along. Even during the pandemic, students have continued studying, reaching out to each other for support, and carrying on the only way we know how.
I'd be lying if I said that I wouldn't have preferred to be on-campus. I miss seeing Dartmouth people daily, walking around campus, stowing away in Sanborn Library for an afternoon. I miss going for walks around Occom Pond, eating deliciously unhealthy fried macaroni-and-cheese bites, and stopping to talk with friends whom you'll see out-of-the-blue.
However, I also have been able to take advantage of certain things while at home. In some ways, I am actually really grateful to have been able to make the best of this situation and grow in ways that I didn't expect. This past year, I've been able to:
1. Spend more time for myself. Dartmouth is a busy place and for a busybody like me, it is everything you need to stay consistently distracted and never take the time to be still. At home, I've been able to remove myself from the chaotic, busy lifestyle and re-evaluate how I spend my time and whether it is sustainable in the long run or not. When I get back to Dartmouth (which is hopefully soon!) I'll be better able to manage my time and prioritize myself.
2. Spend more time with family and friends. Ironically, I feel like this year is the year that I've spent the most quality time with people. At school, students love doing things when they are together: going to watch performances, going out to frats, going out to eat together. But during the pandemic, we've all had to lean on simply calling each other and spending time together without being distracted by activities. I personally really value this sort of quality time and I am grateful to have been able to do that with both my friends and my family members.
This is my baby! His name is Aiko and he is 9 years old. I always felt terrible leaving him when I had to go back to Dartmouth so these past few months I've been sure to shower him with treats, walks, and affection!
3. Handle more course work. Dartmouth students usually do three courses a term, but in the spring and fall of 2020, I took four classes each because I was now at home with fewer distractions and more time on my hands. Dartmouth is amazingly flexible with how we structure our terms and D-Plan, which is why I felt comfortable shifting my plans around and tacking on extra classes. Though the terms were difficult, I was able to learn a lot more and create more space in my academic schedule moving forward, which is always great!
4. Try new things. One additional bonus of having extra time was that I was able to try new things! For example, I went to a ton of talks held by different Dartmouth departments this term, talks which I normally didn't have time for. Furthermore, I worked with Dartmouth Humanitarian Engineering in the summer, I joined a sorority this winter, and I even met with a counselor from Dick's House to talk about my mental health! These were all things that were in the back of my mind but often didn't take priority above academics and more formal student organizations, so they never got done. While at home, the continual support and engagement from Dartmouth gave me the ability to accomplish these things and check more things off my bucket list. Every morning, I check my email and see which events are happening that day and I've been able to grow a lot from that!
5. Be a little lazy sometimes. This is very similar to Point #1, but I guess that just really emphasizes how much I needed to learn this lesson!
At some point in our adult lives, we all have to learn how to take care of ourselves and our physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Being at home and dealing with so many things at once, I was finally confronted with how I was living my life and I knew that I had to change things to make sure that I was living a sustainable and healthy lifestyle. For me, that meant letting go of some things, being a little lazy at times, and learning how to balance everything. Over break, for example, I watched the entirety of Schitt's Creek while also working on an essay for a contest. Also, this term is the first time since March I am only taking three classes, and I have to say that all the extra time I have is actually astounding.
So anyway, that's me! What have you learned about yourself, the world, or those around you since last March? Are there things that you're proud of yourself for accomplishing? Other things you'd like to change, or habits you know you've reverted back to?
Whatever your answers to my questions, I hope this new year brings you great joy, love, and peace. May you also bring the same to those around you, perhaps even to new peers at Dartmouth for you prospective '25s! I have no idea how I would have handled this past year without my Dartmouth community by my side and I am so grateful for everything that being a Dartmouth student has enabled me to do, so I hope that you all find equally wonderful places that give you the opportunity to grow and feel supported while doing so.
