Hey y'all! My name is Natasha, and I am a junior at Dartmouth College. I'm majoring in history and minoring in public policy and Chinese. In my free time, I love to watch New Girl, hang out with my friends, and explore the Upper Valley. Dartmouth is a pretty neat place— I hope you enjoy reading my posts about life here!
Academic Program
History Major and Minors in Public Policy and Chinese
Chinese 004 was my first language class at Dartmouth. Although the class was fast-paced and a lot of work, my professor, Alan Li, was really engaging and I became close with my classmates.
I really enjoyed this class! My professor, Charles Wheelan, was so hilarious and an amazing lecturer. I still find myself applying concepts I learned in that class to my real life.
As part of Dartmouth's liberal arts mission, all students have to take a technology or applied science course with a lab component in order to graduate. I decided to take computer science 1 to fulfill this requirement. As someone with no prior coding experience, I definitely was challenged in this class. However, by the end of the term, I gained a valuable skill and was really proud of how far I came!
This class inspired me to be a history major! In this class, I learned about the major economic developments that occurred from the 1800s till now. I found this topic to be very fascinating, and I really enjoyed the way my professor, Stefan Link, taught the material.
In this class, I was taught the basics of conducting quantitative analysis. We primarily worked in STATA and utilized statistical concepts to analyze social science data. My professor, Kristin Smith, was so incredibly kind and made sure that everyone in the class understood the material.
I gained a comprehensive understanding of Chinese history from this class. As an asynchronous class, I had to be incredibly organized and diligent to ensure I was on top of the material. My professor, Pamela Crossley, was incredibly knowledgeable and was always available to talk to if I had any questions.
This was my first European history course at Dartmouth, and I loved it so much! My professor, David Petruccelli, was an engaging lecturer and was always willing to talk with me whenever I had a question. I learned so much about World War I and its implications on European and international politics.
I have really enjoyed Public Policy 45 with Professor Ronald Shaiko. As a public policy minor, I have found the material in the course to be both interesting and useful. In this course, we learn about different research methods and apply what we learn to conduct non-partisan policy research.
As part of Dartmouth's D-Plan, students have the opportunity to take one leave term during the fall, winter, or spring of their sophomore or junior year. Many of my friends are taking their leave term this winter, so I thought it would be fun to interview them about their experiences so far.
What are you doing during your leave term?
M: I'm working as a development intern at Reach the World.
N: I am working as a clinical research intern at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
S: I'm a consulting intern at Arthur D. Little
T: Working as a leadership consulting intern at Spencer Stuart
Did Dartmouth help you get this internship?
M: Yes, I applied through the DCSI.
N: It was sent to me through the Health Profession Program listserv, which is specifically for Dartmouth students.
S: Yes, I found this internship through the Center for Professional Development. The other two interns at Arthur D. Little are also Dartmouth students.
T: Yes, I found this internship on the CPD.
Where are you living during your leave term, and who are you living with?
M: I'm living by myself in New York City.
N: Boston and my parents.
S: I'm living with my good friend Tanzil, a Dartmouth '23, in Boston.
T: I'm living in Boston with my GREAT friend Sophia, a Dartmouth '23.
What is the biggest adjustment you have had to make while living in a new city?
M: I would say having to cook for myself and doing my own grocery shopping has been a big adjustment.
N: Transportation is a lot more complicated now.
S: I had to get used to taking the subway everywhere and grocery shopping alone.
T: I have loved it here so far, but the one thing I had to adjust to, being from Texas, is the cold weather (brrr).
Do you miss being on campus?
M: Yeah! I really miss my friends and the convenience of living on campus.
N: Yeah, I miss seeing my friends on the daily and not having to commute far to work.
S: I do! Even though Boston is amazing, I loved seeing my friends every single day on campus.
T: Yes! I have missed Hanover dearly, but I know it'll be there when I come back.
One of the staple characteristics of the D-Plan is the off-term, a term in which you are not taking classes! Most students at Dartmouth will take at least one off-term, and this winter happens to be my turn! What will I be doing?
It's hard to believe that it has been a year since I wrote my first end-of-fall-term reflection. It felt like only yesterday that I stepped into my dorm room this September, eager to reunite with my friends.
Most students have to go back to college after Thanksgiving to take their finals, but not at Dartmouth! We have a six-week winter break, known as "winterim!" Let me tell you how I spent my winterim!
