Welcome to the woods! Dartmouth is hands-down my favorite place, and I look forward to coming back every term. I'm not even kidding. After a day and a half of traveling, I step off the Dartmouth Coach and breathe in the crisp Hanover air. Dragging my two humongous suitcases, I trudge across campus, climb three flights of stairs, fumble for the key in my pocket, and finally open the door to my new corner dorm. I let out a sigh of relief at the sight of my bare twin XL mattress.
I finally completed the Lou's Challenge on the first day of spring break! Lou's, a literal minute's walk from the Green, is a popular Main Street restaurant well-known for its incredible brunch dishes. The challenge named after this place requires Dartmouth students to pull an all-nighter and show up at its doorsteps at precisely 6:30 in the morning, which is when the restaurant opens.
As someone who values sleep over anything else, I was terrified when I realized the opportunity to complete this challenge had arrived. I had a 12-page literary research paper due on the first day of spring break, and there was literally no time for sleep. There was no option. I'd like to add that it was my own time management issues that led me to this point (cries). All the due dates are posted on the syllabus by the first day of classes, and Dartmouth professors are also quite generous with extensions–so fret not prospective students!
As I mentioned, I made a terrible judgment and did not start my paper earlier. Fortunately, both of my best friends shared the same fate! So obviously, as good friends do, we coped by convincing ourselves that this tragedy can be turned into an enjoyable all-nighter-followed-by-a-scrumptious-breakfast-at-Lou's experience.
The night started strong. We typed away for 4 hours and managed to generate a fourth of the paper. My friends and I knew that we were not going to last through the night without some boosters, so we made our way to the McLaughlin snack bar. We used our midnight swipe, which is included in the Ivy Unlimited meal plan for all first-year students, to grab a hold of some 5-hour Energy shot drinks. It was quite necessary. Before I realized it, the birds started chirping outside but I was nowhere near my conclusion. On top of that, one friend sadly gave out and decided that this challenge was impossible (this makes a lot of sense considering this was going to be his 2nd day of Lou's challenge in a row).
I pushed through and found myself making the trek to Lou's. The sky was cloudy but at least cute squirrels were scurrying from tree to tree. My stomach was growling because I was converting limited amounts of glucose to ATP all night. Once we arrived at the restaurant, I was surprised to see three other familiar faces also doing the Lou's. After groggy I-had-no-sleep-last-night conversations, I ordered a Cowboy Bowl (must try) and a cup of orange juice. It was amazing. My friend and I were so exhausted that we started laughing at everything the other person said, and that's when I realized that this challenge was the best way to officially end our freshman winter.
Sorry for the gibberish. I was so excited to eat.
Although I continued working an additional day and ended up submitting my paper late, my lovely professor did not penalize me. I got detailed feedback on my paper and a satisfying grade as well! In conclusion, start your 12-page paper a few days before the deadline and do the Lou's even if you don't have to. It's totally worth it.
P.S. Congratulations to all the 27's! We are so excited to have you here and welcome to the Dartmouth family :)
Read about the Sophomore Summer Soiree and how I got to witness the beginning of something that hopefully grows into a long-standing Dartmouth tradition!
Here is my list of the restaurants in Hanover within walking distance of Dartmouth. Whether you're touring campus for the first time or are a Dartmouth student in need of a new place to eat, feel free to reference this list!
As I approach the end of my first year at Dartmouth, I would like to reflect on some of the experiences and lessons I've learned throughout this school year.
This interim, I'm staying on campus for the entire interim period between spring and summer. Why? Because I'm working! I have a job with Dartmouth Conferences and Events to support Dartmouth Reunions!
