Welcome to the (virtual) woods! My name is Natalie and I'm a '25 from Oakland, California (3035 miles away from Dartmouth)! I'm a political science and crossword puzzle nerd who's excited to dive into the millions of activities we have on campus. I love to cook and read, I make a mean Spikeball partner, and I love to ski. I'm hoping to pursue a Government major here at Dartmouth and am equally excited for all the academic exploration between now and when I declare my major. Go Big Green!
My name is Natalie Keim, and I'm a '25. At Dartmouth, we don't use class words (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) to introduce ourselves. We just use our graduation year! I'll graduate in the year 2025, so I call myself a '25.
I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area, over 3000 miles away from Dartmouth! I've been shocked by how many California kids walk the streets of our Hanover campus—there are more Californians than kids from New Hampshire!
Over the past few weeks of orientation, first-year trips, and classes, I've gotten really good at introducing myself. Although lots in my life is rapidly changing, it seems like icebreaker questions stay the same, no matter which coast you're on.
So I figured I would introduce myself to you all, the blog readers, the same way I introduce myself to people here on campus.
Dartmouth's Top 5 Most Common Icebreaker Questions
What's your major?
Right now, as a freshman, I'm undecided! I'm choosing between government, creative writing, and math. I also am really fascinated by the idea of adding a Human-Centered Design minor—it's one of Dartmouth's most unique academic programs.
Favorite ice-cream flavor?
If we're at Foco (the dining hall on campus), I love the chocolate soft serve. If we're at Ice Cream Fore-U (just 10 minutes away from campus!) I love the Maine Black Bear flavor.
What do you like to do for fun?
The list is long and varied, but I'll fill you in on a couple of my favorite activities. I love staying active through playing Spikeball, skiing, running to EDM music, yoga, and hiking. Long story short, I love to be outside. To relax, I like to cook, do the New York Times crossword puzzle, read, watch cringy romance movies, write poetry, and make elaborate friendship bracelets.
What's a fun fact about yourself?
I went to elementary school with Zendaya and am a twin!
What's your dream job?
Besides Dartmouth admission blogger (kidding, not kidding), my dream job is Secretary of State. How cool would it be to travel the world, learning from international leaders, and pursuing global collaboration? I'm hoping to apply for Dartmouth's First-Year Fellows program later this year, which is a summer-long public policy internship experience in Washington, D.C. through the College.
Hopefully, these questions taught you a little about me, but I'm so excited to get to share my Dartmouth experience with all you readers: students, parents, and guidance counselors alike. Please reach out if you have any questions!
My first blog post is about why I chose to come to Dartmouth! My older brother was a student here and forced me to apply, and I can never thank him enough for that!
A kid from Southern California packs his bags and heads east. He arrives at Dartmouth College and begins a new life. I wonder what he will do? It is Fall, the leaves begin to change, what else will change with time?
Hi! My name is Paulina and I am a 25' from Nicaragua! I am so excited to finally be on campus where I get to experience first hand everything I could previously only imagine.
Introducing myself has started to feel almost like a scripted line I repeat every now and then when I bump into an unknown face. It's like a cake recipe. For my blog, however, I wanted to be sure it feels genuine. So here it goes!
