Hi everyone! I'm Madison. I'm originally from Pasadena, California, but I also spent eight years living in Manila, Philippines, and one year in Gibraltar. At Dartmouth, I plan to double major in Film & Media Studies and ASCL (Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages). Dartmouth has already opened up so many doors for me and truly changed my life for the better, so I'm really excited to share my college journey and experiences with you all!
Academic Program
Majors in Film and Media Studies and Asian Societies, Languages, and Cultures
An introductory Chinese class for beginners that provides a foundational understanding of the language, including pinyin, proper tones, pronunciation, character writing, basic vocabulary, and sentence structures.
A dynamic, hands-on course that emphasizes empathy-driven problem solving, rapid prototyping, and collaborative innovation through team projects, energizing activities, and practical skill-building sessions.
A course that builds on the foundations of Chinese 001 and 002 by introducing more sentence structures and vocabulary, with regular weekly drills to strengthen speaking and tonal pronunciation, and a shift from traditional to simplified characters in the final three weeks.
A course that builds on introductory Chinese 1 2, and 3, following Chinese 22, and deepens previously learned material through more complex grammar, sentence structures, and expanded vocabulary.
A film theory course that builds on some prior intro experience, where you watch, analyze, discuss, and write about films across different genres while learning how to apply various theories.
A class designed to teach the fundamentals of camera operation while giving students the opportunity to experiment with different techniques and styles, culminating in the production of three original films throughout the semester.
Throughout the term, students watch and discuss a range of example documentaries while completing hands-on exercises to build their editing and production skills. In small groups, they also develop and produce an original 10-minute documentary, gaining experience with filming, storytelling, and editing from concept through completion. The course culminates in an official screening of the completed films.
If you've been told that living in an off-campus house is a "must" during sophomore summer, you're not alone. But is it actually worth it?
Personally, I think the answer is yes. This summer, I am living with six other girls off campus. We're living on Maple Street, just a two-minute walk from CVS. Even though it's a little farther from campus, I actually like that it's tucked away in its own corner of town. It feels much more homey, and every time I go back, it genuinely feels like I'm coming home to a real house (which, to be fair, I am).
Welcome to our Sophomore Summer home!
The layout of our house includes three connected rooms on the top floor, two singles on the main floor, and one room in the basement. Everyone gets their own single and a full-size bed, which is a major plus. I live in the basement, and I honestly love it. Besides having a full-size bed, I basically have the whole floor to myself, along with a spacious closet, a couch, and a TV.
Living in a house, in my opinion, is a completely different experience from living in a residence hall. It is way more wholesome. For one, I like that it feels like I'm actually living in the town of Hanover rather than just attending Dartmouth. Going for runs around the neighborhood or hanging out on the front porch makes the whole summer feel a little more relaxed.
My friend's summer house!
One of the highlights of living in a house is being able to live with my close friends. Because students are assigned to separate housing communities, you typically don't have the opportunity to live with friends outside your own community. Since I'm in West House but have many close friends in other housing communities, Sophomore Summer gave me the chance to finally live with them, and it's been a lot of fun so far. Living together has made it so much easier to spend time together, whether it's hanging out in the living room between classes, cooking in the kitchen, or ending the day talking in each other's rooms.
Catching some Zzzs in the middle of the day.
At the same time, living in the house has given me a little taste of adult life. It has taught me how to split up responsibilities, keep shared spaces clean, and that toilet paper doesn't magically replenish itself.
Last September, a friend and I crafted a ten-item bucket list for our final year as undergraduates. It's the end of our senior spring now. These are some of the boxes I've checked.
