Hello everyone! My name is Natasha Raman and I'm a freshman at Dartmouth. Although I'm undecided on my major, I am leaning towards something related to government, economics, and Asian studies. In my free time, I like to watch The Office, keep up with current events, learn new languages, and hang out with my friends. I am excited to explore my interests at Dartmouth and take advantage of the amazing opportunities offered here!
A Review of my First Term at Dartmouth in Pictures
My first term at Dartmouth has definitely been a whirlwind. Here are a couple of photos that capture some of the highlights of my term here:
Me, my trip leaders, and my trippees before we started our hike.
Trips was everything I dreamed of and more! It was so much fun to hike in the woods and meet some great people along the way. Shoutout to Hiking group I4… y'all were the best trip leaders and trippees I could ask for!
My floormates and I after officially matriculating!
Although I was apprehensive at first to live in a dorm, it turned out to be a great experience! Every week, my floor has a "floor meeting" where we talk about our weeks and discuss student life. These meetings have bonded our floor together and helped us get to know more about each other. My UGA (undergraduate advisor, Dartmouth's term for an "RA") has been amazing and always has her door open for us to talk to her about anything. Overall, I've enjoyed my dorm experience and am looking forward to living with these people next term!
Delicious bulgolgi being served at FoCo.
Foco, which is our nickname for the dining hall called the Class of 1953 Commons, has come to be a social space for my friends and I to hang out over a meal. Because we are on the quarter system (meaning our terms are 10 weeks long rather than 15 weeks like on a semester system), life goes at a fast pace and it can be hard sometimes to find time to hang out with friends. However, for me, eating with my friends at Foco has become a way for us to catch up and see each other after classes. And, of course, the food is pretty great! While there are definitely other eating options on campus, Foco has been the staple place I got to eat because there is a variety of food (like the Korean dish bulgogi, as pictured) and it's centrally located among all my friends!
The fall foliage on Campus.
One of the best aspects of campus in the fall is the beautiful fall foliage. Until I came to New Hampshire, I had never experienced the breathtaking scenery of the leaves changing into vibrant yellows, reds, and oranges. This scenery has made walking from class to class so much more enjoyable. In fact, I took this photo when walking to one of my classes because it was so aesthetic!
Celebrating Diwali!
Dartmouth's campus life is always alive and full of activities to do. During this term, I have gone to an outdoor movie screening, stargazed on the Green, watched a Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra concert, went to a couple of Presidential candidates' rallies, and went to a football game (Dartmouth's 8-0 as of now)! In this picture, I along with some friends went to go celebrate the Hindu festival called Diwali. People from all over the community came to see the beautiful candles arranged on the Green and to celebrate Diwali!
At the end of every term, without fail, Dartmouth students post memories of the past ten weeks captioned with some variation of a '20F' hashtag. Read all about 20FinalFall in this blog post!
But at the end of the day, when people ask me what my favorite Dartmouth memories are, I'm always thinking about the place. Ice skating, pink sunsets, riverbanks, or canoeing? That's my highlight reel.
In a world where proper social distancing is so important, Novack Café has fulfilled a unique desire for current on-campus students; it's a place to study, hang out with friends, and grab a snack—all while staying COVID safe.
The last week of October was especially ~spooky~ as I was able to find more time than usual to enjoy my weekend with friends and the small-town-charm of Hanover.
While the student body at the College may be relatively small, students here recognize that their vote can hold a lot of weight in New Hampshire, a classic swing state.
After walking around campus all day in eye-catching attire, we headed to a Murder Mystery night hosted by Phi Tau (a fraternity) in one of the tents scattered around campus.
Trips was everything I dreamed of and more! It was so much fun to hike in the woods and meet some great people along the way. Shoutout to Hiking group I4… y'all were the best trip leaders and trippees I could ask for!
Although I was apprehensive at first to live in a dorm, it turned out to be a great experience! Every week, my floor has a "floor meeting" where we talk about our weeks and discuss student life. These meetings have bonded our floor together and helped us get to know more about each other. My UGA (undergraduate advisor, Dartmouth's term for an "RA") has been amazing and always has her door open for us to talk to her about anything. Overall, I've enjoyed my dorm experience and am looking forward to living with these people next term!
Foco, which is our nickname for the dining hall called the Class of 1953 Commons, has come to be a social space for my friends and I to hang out over a meal. Because we are on the quarter system (meaning our terms are 10 weeks long rather than 15 weeks like on a semester system), life goes at a fast pace and it can be hard sometimes to find time to hang out with friends. However, for me, eating with my friends at Foco has become a way for us to catch up and see each other after classes. And, of course, the food is pretty great! While there are definitely other eating options on campus, Foco has been the staple place I got to eat because there is a variety of food (like the Korean dish bulgogi, as pictured) and it's centrally located among all my friends!
One of the best aspects of campus in the fall is the beautiful fall foliage. Until I came to New Hampshire, I had never experienced the breathtaking scenery of the leaves changing into vibrant yellows, reds, and oranges. This scenery has made walking from class to class so much more enjoyable. In fact, I took this photo when walking to one of my classes because it was so aesthetic!
Dartmouth's campus life is always alive and full of activities to do. During this term, I have gone to an outdoor movie screening, stargazed on the Green, watched a Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra concert, went to a couple of Presidential candidates' rallies, and went to a football game (Dartmouth's 8-0 as of now)! In this picture, I along with some friends went to go celebrate the Hindu festival called Diwali. People from all over the community came to see the beautiful candles arranged on the Green and to celebrate Diwali!
