Hi there! I'm May and I'm sooo excited to share my Dartmouth experience with you! I love basically all types of food, binge watching Asian shows, and cozy movie nights! Find me in gym playing badminton, with my friends in the common rooms, getting coffee at Collis (my favorite), or volunteering at local service projects!
Academic Program
Quantitative Social Science
Favorite Thing Right Now
Finally having Stir-fry from Collis after a looong year...
This class was my introduction to quantitative social sciences but it definitely won't be my last QSS class at Dartmouth! We worked with datasets, from global wealth distribution to most popular ramen chains in Japan, and learned how to make graphs/visuals through the programming software R.
Do we really live in the best of all possible worlds? This course explores pessimism and the values of human existence from Greek literature. I've never had much interest in the classics but Prof. Lurie's passion and enthusiasm in his lectures had me up reading Plato at 2am. This is a class which will surely stimulate your intellectual curiosity and push you to ask questions about even the most mundane of things.
As the name suggests, BIO12 explores the nature and function of cells and the class covers a lot of material through lectures and assignments. Through Zoom break-out groups, we discussed and solved practice problems together, an approach I wasn't very familiar with, especially virtually. We also used online databases and findings to compile our own data to analyze for labs, which I found extremely insightful!
My first geography class at Dartmouth and first introduction to GIS technology, something that I've always been intrigued by. Prof. Xun Shi takes the time to go over each conceptl to make sure his students have a solid understanding of the fundamentals. We also had lab sessions where we used ArcGIS to work with spatial data, geographic information, and maps in group projects.
Arguably one of the best classes at Dartmouth! Whether you are a computer science major or not, this class is a "must-take". Beyond coding, I felt as though I gained a whole new outlook on problem solving and creative thinking. Some of the problem sets Professor Vasanta gives the class are really fun and interesting and she herself is a phenomenal teacher. You won't regret taking this class!
4 creative ways to stay connected with friends in a pandemic
As the novel coronavirus continues, self-isolation and social distancing has become part of our lives more and more each day. Being away from family or friends, especially for college students like us, can be difficult because we want to feel the love, presence, and support from our loved ones.
While away from campus and out of the US, I've found it extremely rewarding—necessary even—to stay connected with my friends, no matter how spread out we are across the world. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat—you already know these. Looking for something more creative? Check out some of my unique ways to stay connected during COVID!
1. Emoji Check-Ins
A little snapshot of what an emoji check-in looks like! You can be creative with your stickers, memes, or gifts! :)
As the name suggests, emoji check-ins are when we send a emoji, gif, or a meme that represents how we're feeling. Quick and simple, it's a great way to keep your friends in the loop especially when you're juggling a busy class schedule. Sharing how the day/week has been and hearing about how your friends are doing through emoji check-ins also sends an encouraging message: "Hey, I've been busy but I'm still thinking of you!"
2. Fritz
A cute fritz from one of my friends! A quick, simple, and effective way to stay in touch with your friends and show them your support!
Dartmouth students love our lingo! A fritz is an email packed with gifs, rhymes, or poetic sentences we send to our friends. I love creating big, colorful emails, playing around with gifs, and making up silly poems for my friends. Whether it's a simple good luck wish for upcoming midterms or a morning message, I guarantee fritzs are a fun way to make your friends smile or laugh even if they're miles away!
3. Virtual Game Night
Free for the night and up to spend more quality time with your friends? Host a virtual game night! It might sound like there's too much to plan but speaking from experience, all you really need is a good internet connection and one or two games, based on how much time you have. Some suggestions: a Netflix watch party, Kahoot, Name that Tune (virtual song-guessing game with karaoke), 21 Questions, and Charades!
4. Virtual socials
Now that fall term is well underway, clubs and organizations have transitioned into hosting virtual events and social events. From virtual trivia competitions and meet and greets to study break sessions and open socials, I've found these events an opportunity to get a couple of friends together to participate. It will certainly be different compared to in-person hangouts but you have got to experience how fun it is to scream at your screen and celebrate with your friends!
These are some of the ways I have stayed in touch with my friends despite the distance and the time difference. Now more than ever, I've found it incredibly uplifting to build each other up and have people you can trust and depend on, no matter how far apart you are. At the end of the day, all you really need is just a bit of time, even if it's simply a minute for an emoji check-in. It's the thought that counts!
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.
