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.
At a time of year when temperatures plummet, it gets dark at 4 pm, and you want to sleep all day: there's nothing better than having snowboarding and skiing to look forward to at the weekend! One of the things I love about Dartmouth (and still can't quite believe) is our skiway. The fact that at Dartmouth we have access to some of the best skiways in the country is amazing enough, but the fact that Dartmouth OWNS one?! I remember vividly when I was looking at Dartmouth during my application period, and seeing those words on the website "at our Skiway." At OUR Skiway, I thought?? It was completely incomprehensible back then, and to a degree it still is!
Now, I know what you're thinking—if you're anything like me then you're definitely not accustomed to being somewhere that has knowing how to ski as a normality. I for one didn't grow up somewhere where most people had access to the resources to go ski—but the great thing about Dartmouth is just how accessible they make it! I was lucky enough as a youngster to get to do a subsidized ski trip through school and learn how to ski, which I continued last year at Dartmouth, but this year I tried something entirely different—snowboarding!
Back when I used to ski!
Dartmouth offers beginner and intermediate classes every winter in skiing and snowboarding, meaning anyone can join the fun! There are buses that go from campus to the Skiway every 30 minutes—making transport a breeze—and the best part? You can get a P.E. credit from taking classes! This is probably fuel for another blog all in itself, but during your time at Dartmouth, you have to take P.E. credit classes. Don't worry though, you can fulfill this in a tonne of different ways! From yoga to dance, and from soccer to snowboarding, there is a P.E. class for everyone. P.S. Dartmouth's financial aid will cover the cost of classes, so there is really no excuse not to try!
As far as the snowboarding classes are going, they're awesome! Have I fallen down a few times? Maybe! Have I had a tonne of fun? Hell yeah! And best of all: I'm getting not so terrible at standing up on a big metal board on a mountain! Woop woop!
Here are the iconic American school buses we take to get to the skiway!
One thing I love about this place is the constant shifting of the available activities with the seasons. Spring, fall, and summer are amazing times of year, but here in Hanover NH, even winter is filled with awesome unique opportunities! Whether you want to jump in a freezing cold pond (polar plunge), build ice sculptures, go ski a mountain, or even just drink cocoa at Robinson Hall with the outdoors club—there really is something for everyone!
Winter is a term that most people spend cozy and indoors. My winter quarter, however, was full of amazing outdoor experiences, mostly through one of my classes! Here's the scoop on BIOL 061: Winter Ecology.
The rumors are true, guys: engineering is hard. It took some adapting for me to find my pace and excel in the major. But, that was only possible due to the kind words of a Dartmouth professor.
