Welcome to the blog of an Englishman studying at Dartmouth—do take a look around! Hopefully, my blogs will provide you with an insight on life at Dartmouth, and specifically through the eyes of an international student. Dartmouth has a ton to offer from the staggering natural beauty of its surroundings and stellar academic programs to the wonderful people you meet along the way. So stay a while, I'll make us cups of tea, and take a moment to discover life at the College on the Hill.
This class was SO interesting... We dug into the history of racial inequality in Brazil, stretching from the advent of slavery to persisting modern societal issues.
A course that I took completely impulsively turned into one of the most formative experiences I have had at Dartmouth. Through physical mediums and theatre, I rediscovered what it meant to be 'creative.'
Having always had a hatred for learning languages, I was wary of the requirement to do so here at Dartmouth. In reality, though, I needn't have worried! I absolutely loved every minute of this class, and now I can speak pretty good Italian!
This class was extremely enlightening, and it was especially interesting to study as a British person. I felt as though I brought a unique perspective to the class, but also that I was learning a side of history which was brushed past in my GCSEs!
I spent this term completing research with Professor Cascio of the Economics Department. Our work was concerned with educational investment, and it was one of my best experiences of Dartmouth so far!
This course teaches all about the economics of the development of economies, focusing on many case studies concerning education, housing, healthcare, and more!
Here at Dartmouth we have a unique term system called the D-Plan. This basically means not only are our years divided into quarters, but students are able to build a completely customised term plan of 'on' or 'off' terms, and decide the seasons that they want to be on-campus! This has many benefits regarding taking classes, and keeping up with friends, of course, but also allows for students to take advantage of off-cycle internships, which are often less competitive, and to structure their studies around their lives beyond college.
One of the most exciting things that has arisen out of this system, though, is a tradition we call Sophomore Summer. Every student at Dartmouth (minus international students due to visa implications) is required to take at least one summer term of classes. Students generally do this at the end of their sophomore year, meaning that each class is together for the entire summer, with very few other Dartmouth students present. This is an incredible opportunity to bond with your classmates and explore the Upper Valley while the population is a quarter of its normal size.
The views from Gile...
People who are affiliated with Greek Life, or other student organizations, tend to have their first leadership experiences this summer, and all round, it is an awesome chance to have a fun term in the sun at Dartmouth. I am currently in week 2 of my summer term, and I can say that it has been the most exciting for me for sure!
As an international student we may not be required to take classes in the summer, but there are certainly plenty of ways to still get that quintessential summer experience! I, for example, got involved in Economics research through the Dartmouth Economic Research Scholars Program, allowing me to get the funding I need to remain on campus for the Summer. In many ways, this is the best possible experience for me, as I don't have set times for my work, and can structure it around enjoying the Summer in Hanover NH
Over half of Dartmouth students study abroad at least once during their undergraduate journeys—quite a high percentage, right? Do you want to know how to best prepare for your own abroad experience? Come check what it was like for me.
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.
