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.
Below are some questions that I've personally had for other people this term or questions that I've been asked, along with their answers! These questions range a broad array of topics and besides giving some great advice, also show you what sorts of questions come up in a normal Dartmouth term.
How do I study for a cumulative final?
Friends and upperclassmen advise that one reviews all the previous content in the course. If you have the time and energy, feel free to go over your notes and/or slides carefully. If you don't have that kind of time, review old exams and do more practice problems, since most Dartmouth exams I've come across are application-based instead of "regurgitation"-based. While you're doing this review, try to connect concepts across the term so that you can create a mind map in your head of how units fit together and why the professor structured them in a certain way. Like it or not, tests are about seeing how you mastered the material and how well you can answer to the professor's liking so understanding where your professor is coming for is extremely important as well.
Do you feel like Dartmouth Greek life is exclusive?
I recently joined the Greek system at Dartmouth after an intense rush process. I can only speak for sororities, but I think that any female-identifying student who absolutely wants to join a sorority can do so since we have at least two sororities that do some sort of continuous-open bidding. If that isn't a given person's main goal and they instead want to join a more "exclusive" house, then of course Dartmouth Greek life is necessarily more exclusive at that stage. However, that it isn't the only way that one can enter the system so I personally don't see sororities as prohibitively exclusive (although there is a problem with the more "Asian" or POC houses being viewed as "less desirable", and that is another problem altogether).
Where do I turn in xyz?
If the syllabus does not say where to turn something and you can't find it in "Assignments" on Canvas, feel free to email it to the professor! Dartmouth professors are relatively understanding, so if you miss something and email it to them anyways, they will usually accept it no problem and/or steer you in the right direction so that everything ends up in the right place.
How do I get research? What is WISP?
Research at Dartmouth usually involves emailing a professor about their work and setting up an interview. Depending on your interest, certain labs require more experience than others. I find that psychology or biology labs will be able to use most students whereas computer science or chemistry labs, for instance, really want to see some sort of coursework or demonstrable experience before taking you on. WISP in particular is a program set up for first-year female first years to be "matched" with a faculty member willing to take on a student with little-to-no experience. Dartmouth Engineering also has a similar program for all students regardless of gender called FYREE.
I studied so hard and still feel like I'm failing. What should I do?
Dartmouth academics are really difficult, and nothing feels worse than putting the time and energy into a class only to still do badly during an exam—I know because I've been there. During these times, though, it is still important to remember that you got in on your own merit and that you deserve to be here. Spend some time to figure out what tripped you up during the last exam/assignment/presentation and dedicate some energy to ironing out problems in your study habits before the next hurdle. In addition, school resources such as tutors, the Academic Skills Center, and even a talk with your professor can help you get some valuable input and back on the right track.
Is it normal to feel out-of-place at school?
I certainly think so, especially in your first year! It is a time when you've left behind all your friends and family to start on a new journey entirely alone. Every other student has also just done the same thing, and no one is 100% capable of handling school, relationships, and self-care perfectly all the time. Therefore, sometimes you will feel out-of-place and lonely. If you do have these emotions, I recommend calling family back home, booking a session with a therapist at Dick's House, or reaching out to upperclassmen through shared interests or clubs to have someone to talk to whom you can trust and who is in a somewhat different life stage than you.
If you've been feeling like this for awhile, I really empathize with you and am sorry that college isn't everything that you've been expecting. I hope that you can find some peace with selective friends that you've made across campus and with whom you can vent to. I think that MHU has some really great people if you need someone to talk to, as well as students in religious / spiritual student groups (Agape, Al-Nur, Hillel, etc.) or people who frequent spaces on campus such as the Tucker Center or the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact.
How do you pick a major?
Through experience! Try out a lot of classes your first year and build up your prerequisites so that you are able to jump into a multitude of majors relatively easily by your sophomore spring. I've written a lot about this previously, but my biggest advice would be to take a holistic approach to choosing a major: find one that suits your interests, your career goals, and your lifestyle goals post-college. See what kind of balance suits you the best and don't worry about what other people are saying or doing, because what works for them might not work for you.
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
