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!
The world is currently in a tumultuous state because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals, government officials, and other workers from around the globe are working tirelessly to keep people safe and help slow down the spread of this virus. To do its part in keeping both the staff and students as safe as possible, the Dartmouth administration has drastically minimized the number of people allowed on campus for the spring term. In addition, all classes are being held online. Although the switch to remote learning took some time to adjust to, I, along with many other Dartmouth students, have finally started to get into the groove of things. Here are some of the tips my friends and I have gathered from our first week of online classes!
1. Separate Your Work Space From Your Personal Space
Even though it is very tempting to attend classes from the comfort of your bed, doing so will worsen your work-life balance. On campus, it was easy for me to separate my "work" life from my personal life by only studying at the library and using my dorm as a place to relax. However, at home, it is a bit more challenging to do this. One tip my friend suggested was to designate one desk as your working desk and to only be on your bed when you want to sleep or catch up with friends.
2. Be Mindful of Your Mental Health
It is no doubt that people are very stressed out because of the precarious situation we are in right now. It is so crucial for any student who is feeling overwhelmed to reach out for help from people they trust, whether that be their parents, friends, relatives, or anyone else. For me, talking to my Dartmouth friends through FaceTime made me realize that we all were truly in this together and could have fun even while social distancing!
3. Learn a New Hobby
At Dartmouth, many clubs and organizations are now being run online, like improv groups, political clubs, and of course, this blog! There is no time like now to dive into that activity you have always wanted to get into.
I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these times!
In case you didn't know, Dartmouth operates on a quarter system, which means that in each term, students typically take three classes. However, they can also elect to add an additional course!
Have you ever wondered what a Dartmouth freshman's course of study may look like? The beauty of the D-Plan is everyone can customize their own schedules, so this term I'm taking International Politics, Global Health & Society, and Expository Writing.
Professors at Dartmouth really love their discipline and want to share their knowledge with as many students as possible through a variety of resources. I'll walk you through some of the ways they do this while telling you about my classes this term.
This winter is my first term really focusing on classes in the government and economics departments, so I thought I'd walk you all through my class schedule and experiences so far!
Dartmouth's Center for Social Impact has several opportunities for students to be involved with the Upper Valley. This year, I have the privilege to be involved in Foundations, a first-year program, and can't wait for other opportunities!
While taking four classes at most other schools with semester-based calendars seems like a breeze, Dartmouth's unique D-Plan and quarter system make my efforts to take four classes this winter a bit more challenging.
DUJS is a great opportunity for students across campus to get together and discuss scientific thought and innovation, whether from psychology, astrophysics, or more social justice-oriented medical research.
