Melissa Barales-Lopez

One of the many benefits of living on a small campus is being able to walk everywhere. This term especially, I’m determined to get my 10,000 steps in every single day. By simply walking to class or the dining hall, I will be burning calories. I don’t have to worry about slipping either because the roads are always cleared after a snowfall. It can’t get any easier than that!

From past experiences, I’ve found that a standard exercise routine can become really boring quickly. Doing cardio and working out your core day after day will undoubtedly become repetitive. But repetition is not an issue at Dartmouth. The school offers every sport under the moon to its students. Additionally, there’s also a wide selection of physical education courses. From ice skating to kickboxing, workouts are endless here. 

This term I will be taking a spinning class. For one-hour sessions, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I will be receiving free lessons from a spinning instructor. In addition to spinning, I will be making full use of the indoor track at the gym. Running around the indoor track becomes even more optimal during the winter when the snow makes it nearly impossible to run outside. Beyond the track, the gym has top-notch machines and the entrance is completely free for all Dartmouth students! 

Dartmouth also has an abundance of meal options to fit everyone’s dietary needs. Whether you’re vegetarian or on a paleo diet, you will have no issue finding what’s right for you. Now that I’m on this fitness journey, my go-to meals have been the Asian Chicken Salad and the veggie wrap. 

Furthermore, with four dining areas on campus and numerous snack bars, I have found it so easy to build and stick to a nutrient-rich and well-balanced diet. It goes without saying, Dartmouth is facilitating my nutritious diet. This time around, I will be sticking to my New Year's Resolution. 

It’s indisputable that breakfast is crucial to a successful start of anyone’s day. I make sure to grab a bite every day before my morning class as it allows me to be more present on the conversation at hand (and not the endless grumbling of my stomach) and retain material more effectively. My go-to breakfast dish is the create-your-own omelette at FoCo. I usually go for an egg-white omelette packed with spinach, green peppers, and cheddar. The hot and cheesy goodness always hits the spot!

During the fall, Dartmouth has weekly farmer’s markets on the Green, where a myriad of local food providers - from nearby farms to town favorite restaurants - will sell their food to Dartmouth students. A couple of weeks ago, I spotted one of the most magnificent sights ever witnessed by mankind - a fresh pretzel smothered in strawberry pink frosting! Unable to resist, I marched straight to the vender and promptly bought the beautiful dessert. You best believe I ate it all. My only regret is that I don’t have some right now!

Hanover is constantly stocked with the freshest of produce. Indeed, access to nutritious fruits and vegetables is never an issue on campus. I always make sure to grab an apple before the start of class to fuel my brain, and there’s always an endless supply thanks to nearby farms. After all, an apple a day keeps the doctors away and this girl isn’t trying to get sick. 

For my college experience, all I wanted were engaged professors and small class sizes. Dartmouth, in particular, stood out to me because of its commitment to undergraduate teaching. The only college in the Ivy League, Dartmouth always places its undergraduate students first! You won’t have to be competing with graduate students for research opportunities or receiving lectures from a teaching assistant. An endless amount of academic opportunities are available for Dartmouth students at any time of the year and students regularly interact with professors, who also happen to be some of the world’s leading experts in their fields. 

This certainly has held true for my first fall quarter. I’ve gotten to know my professors incredibly well in small classes with no more than 15 students. My professors have been super accessible and have greatly facilitated my academic transition from high school to college! It goes without saying, if you’re looking for top-notch academics and easy-to-talk-to, knowledgeable professors, then Dartmouth is the place to be. 

If you’re worried about financial aid (like I was), worry no longer. As a student from a low-income family, money posed a salient barrier to obtaining a college education but Dartmouth College is greatly committed to making school affordable for all. I applied to Dartmouth knowing that the cost of college wouldn’t be an issue. Whether you’re looking to start a new organization on campus or studying in a foreign country like Switzerland, Dartmouth will always provide its students with the necessary resources to make their academic endeavors a reality. No matter what your economic background is, Dartmouth will enable you to learn and grown in any way you want to!

Yet another reason I applied to Dartmouth was for its location. The Big Green is nicely nestled between the Connecticut River and the White Mountains. The nature surrounding the school is nothing short of breathtaking. Yet students aren’t only able to admire the gorgeous landscape, they can interact with it too. Programs like First-Year Trips and the Dartmouth Outing Club were yet another attraction of Dartmouth. The idea of spending time as one with nature was enticing. As a city girl from Los Angeles, I’ve done things I never thought I’d do - like daily tick-bites during my hike of the Appalachian Trail and sleeping under a tarp during a steady downpour in the middle of the White Mountains!

I was looking to immerse myself in the wilderness of New Hampshire and I certainly have accomplished that. If you’re looking to do the same, then consider Dartmouth!