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!
If you've been researching Dartmouth, then chances are that you have heard of a thing called a "D-Plan." What is this? How does it work? How does it affect life here in Hanover, and how do we use it to our advantage? Most importantly: what do Dartmouth students do outside of term-time?
Well, to start, the D-Plan is just a fancy name for the unique term system Dartmouth uses. We run on a quarter system, but instead of all students taking the standard Fall, Winter, Spring cycle of terms, students are encouraged and offered the opportunity to pick and choose which terms they take classes! First and final year students must of course complete a standard term schedule in order to ensure some level of continuity, but for sophomores and juniors, the choice is theirs!
Many students will choose their terms around classes offered, climate, international or internship opportunities, or even just when their friends will be around, but one requirement is in place: all students must complete at least one summer on campus (except international students, due to visa requirements). I, as an international student, however, took my sophomore year summer off and just did research to fund myself staying on campus. Most students choose to take the sophomore summer as their summer term, as there is a tradition of doing so that goes back to the beginnings of the D-Plan.
Studying hard or hardly studying?
So, what do students actually do in their "off-terms?" During my Freshman Summer, I decided to go back to England to spend some time with my family and complete a virtual internship. I was also, however, able to become so deeply involved with a research project that I am now a co-author on it. I also took the time to unwind after my first year of college, as it can be an adjustment! Next summer (in my junior year) I will be interning in Sales and Trading in NYC, which is also super exciting! Students tend to reserve their Junior Summer as the summer which they will do an internship, or some other experiential learning experience.
Other extremely popular options for terms not at Dartmouth are within the extensive study-abroad offerings we have. These terms are "on-terms" as you are getting class credit; however, they occur in different locations than Dartmouth. Last term, for example, a lot of my friends studied abroad in Rome, and my girlfriend is going to Hong Kong in a few weeks on an engineering program! The best part? These programs are all covered by financial aid so you won't pay more than you would if you were on-campus.
It's easy to forget how easy it is to access walking trails during the hustle of a Dartmouth term. As graduation nears, I am reminded of how special it is to step off campus and enjoy quiet moments in nature.
With a solar eclipse sweeping across North America for the first time in nearly seven years on April 8th came a road-trip with hundreds of other Dartmouth students to a zone of totality near campus: St. Johnsbury, Vermont!
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.
