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.
Hi guys! My name is Love and I am a rising junior at Dartmouth currently doing sophomore summer on-campus. Read on for a tiny look into my week!
Monday:
I started my day off by going to the gym with a friend at 7:15AM and then getting breakfast at FoCo.
Monday-Wednesday-Friday, I usually have two classes: Organic Chemistry 2 and Topics in Abstract Algebra. Both classes are flipped-classroom style, so I prepare ahead of time to make sure that I am able to contribute during the meeting. In-between classes, I study some more, grab food, or go on walks. In the evening, I have council meetings for my sorority as I am serving as the Vice President of Community Service this summer!
Tuesday:
On Tuesday, my first class of the day wasn't until late afternoon so I woke up early to finish my other work, such as my Organic Chemistry lab.
Since I live far away from the center of campus, I try to block out my time so that I spend a large chunk of my day in one place and then a large chunk of time in another place. I left my sorority house to go to my dance/ African-American studies class, and then studied outside for a bit and got dinner before attending a master dance class offered by the Dance Theatre of Harlem. After this, I had another dance practice to get to! Around 10:30PM, I finally made my way back to my dorm to shower before I hit the hay.
Wednesday
The two cycles (MWF, TuThur) are pretty repetitious during the week.
The Collis Farmer's Market sets up shop every Friday for students to buy things like fresh produce, cheese, cured meats, and other local goods. I got some carrots and lettuce here to use in my noodles!
Today, instead of having council meetings in the evening like on Monday, the entire sorority had mandatory rush training in preparation for the fall, as well as our weekly meetings. Also, I cooked my own dinner today using vegetables from Dartmouth's Organic Farm! It took way longer than I expected, but I was able to call my family back home and unwind for a bit in the middle of the week, which I really appreciated.
Thursday:
Thursday looked a lot like Tuesday. There was no master ballet class today, so I just went to my third academic class and practice for my dance troupe! Of course, the rest of the time was filled with studying.
Friday:
Friday was a busy, busy day! I had my two courses, as usual.
Today in particular, I also had a community service event that I helped plan in collaboration with another student organization on-campus (Hanover Community Kitchen). We cooked dinner for those in the UV community who may not be able to get a home-cooked meal very often and for those who simply wanted to gather and enjoy some food together.
After this event, I attended a "Vulnerability is Not a Weakness" event that some of my friends had put together. In such a fast-paced world like Dartmouth, it is really important for students to have the space to process their emotions, connect with their peers on a deeper level, and listen to each other's stories outside the context of school or quick lunch dates. When this event ended, I went on a walk with some friends.
Saturday:
In the morning, I did a bunch of chores that I needed to get done this week: doing laundry, cleaning my room, vacuuming, washing my dishes, etc.
In the afternoon, I went to Quechee Gorge with some church friends. We waded in the water for a bit and then got dinner at Worthy's Kitchen. Highly recommend for those who love burgers and the like! I got back to campus around 9PM and did some work before going out with some other friends from my sorority.
Sunday
Sunday, the last day of the week (or the start of the week, depending on what calendar you use). On this day, I had church, a separate dance practice for the same dance troupe, and also a dinner with some friends. The specific day that I really try to churn out work on the weekend varies each week, but this time around, it was Sunday: I got a table in Collis after practice and stayed there for the majority of the afternoon.
After dinner, I went to see a joint acapella and improv comedy show before heading back to my dorm to do some more studying before welcoming the new week.
So that's it, a week in my life during sophomore summer! My term these past few weeks has been much more relaxed than normal since I am still getting settled into life on-campus and have put things like research and volunteering on hold until the fall. But this arrangement has also been great because I am able to do a lot of things that I normally wouldn't have time for, such as going to Quechee Gorge or attending this acapella/improv show on a Sunday night.
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!
