First, I'll explain who I am. I'm Nicholas Sugiarto, a '23 from San Diego, California. Second, a quick disclaimer. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. Prior to Dartmouth, I've never hiked, skied, or seen snow. So yeah, you could say that Dartmouth is quite a bit different from what I'm used to. You'll probably find me on campus lost. I have no sense of direction. Please help.
A class studying how Christian language has permeated into how we as a society talk about economics. I have virtually no interest in either field as a major, nor am I really religious, but the class is super fun! It challenges you to think in ways that aren't outstandingly obvious, but get more and more interesting if you're willing to put the time in to thinking about them. It's by no means your traditional class. At least in the high school I came from, the idea of dedicating an entire term to a topic as niche as this is unheard of. But honestly? That just makes it so much more fulfilling. Like most Dartmouth classes, there's a ton of freedom to explore topics that interest you. For my final term paper, since I'm a huge hip hop fan, I wrote about the religious and economic underpinnings of Kendrick Lamar's "How Much a Dollar Cost." Without diving too deep into the jargon, I argued that money according to Kendrick Lamar, is defined by Western capitalism heavily intertwined with American Prosperity Gospel; its true nature, on the other hand, is a form of spiritual exchange. I loved this class so much that I was able to take my professor out to breakfast (on Dartmouth's dime, of course. Quick college lesson, never, ever pay for food. Live life Aladdin style.).
For those that don't know, Writing 5 is a class that's mandated for all Freshman. It helps you adjust to college writing, research, all that good stuff. There's a ton of topics to choose from, ranging from the criminal justice system to how food affects your mind. I personally chose "Pursuit of Happiness" because, well, who doesn't want to be happy? This class was my first intro to what the Dartmouth academic experience is really about. It was a small class of only 16 strong where classes were discussion-based and the professor's door is always open. It goes without saying that the course was immensely interesting (is there really a way to make happiness boring?), and we studied a vast majority of topics from Aristotle to Voltaire to Biochemical research studies. I tell incoming students all the time that if you want to make the most of your Dartmouth experience, take classes that interest you and make what you do with those classes interesting too. There's nothing more painful than having to write a paper on a topic you find absolutely mind-numbingly dull. Given my fascination with stand up comedy, I focused on viewing comedy as a form of happiness, starting from comedy in relation to Camus's absurd, the higher prevalence of mental illness in comedians, and what kind of comedians deserve happiness. Honestly? Even though this class was technically "mandatory," I would have taken it regardless.
This is the class I'm currently taking, and it's by far my favorite. You couldn't tell by my posts, or my favorite classes I listed earlier, but I'm actually a huge STEM guy. I'm a biomedical engineering major for a reason, and Dartmouth classes really make STEM fun. They're also so easy a child could follow them. Literally. I'm using the computer science 1 curriculum to teach my little sister coding. At a slower pace of course. She's not THAT smart (yet). I've never tried coding before, but the task-based approach of the CS department really makes things interesting. So far, we've drawn a children's book/ logo, a chalkboard drawing (I drew the Kanye bear), and a retro pong game. There's something fun about solving puzzles for a grade, and even though the course is admittedly pretty challenging at times, it's so worth it.
Part of the Dartmouth appeal is that Dartmouth is a very close-knit community. You often hear this said about the student body, but it's true about the student-faculty relationships as well. One of the coolest programs Dartmouth has to offer is the "Take Your Professor Out to Lunch" Program where you get to take a professor of your choosing out to a free lunch at Pine— Hanover's swanky restaurant that serves scallops, $20 burgers, and other fancy stuff you normally wouldn't get a chance to eat otherwise. It's a program I've done before, and highly recommend if you ever get the chance.
That being said, there's opportunities to bond with faculty without some sort of program facilitated by Dartmouth.
For background, I do cancer biology research with the Wang Lab at Geisel (Dartmouth's Medical School Campus). I've worked with them for just over a year and a half now, and it's a very close knit group of people passionate about science.
And although it's a very professional setting, we do hang out outside of the lab and do things like eat out together as well. A little while back, most of us went out to an all day hike out to Mt. Lafayette!
I've never hiked before, so I had no idea what to expect. Given that it was an 8 hour hike up one of the tallest mountains in New Hampshire, I should have expected death.
I can't describe what the hike was like so much as I can only describe the sweet relief of finally taking a break at the peak of the mountain and enjoying a very much well deserved lunch (if I do say so myself). Don't get me wrong, the view was genuinely breathtaking and I did love being about in nature, but I was really there because I enjoyed spending time with the professors and graduate students who have been so vital in teaching me what research is like.
When I first entered research, I didn't know what to expect. Popular imagination would lead you to believe that research, especially biology research, is just a bunch of dudes sitting to themselves, muttering things as they mix oddly colored liquids together. And though I can't speak to other schools, I can say definitively that that's not what I've found at Dartmouth. Instead, I've found a group of highly collaborative people who are doing great work to advance science forward. So collaborative, in fact, that despite having so much more age, experience, and more important things to do they're still willing to take a chance on an undergrad like me.
At Dartmouth, there is an undergraduate requirement for language; after all, it is the liberal arts! Fulfilling this requirement looks different for various people and I will focus on my experience.
Traditionally, Dartmouth students take three courses during a term, but I decided to take four courses this term! Learn about course load and the academic system at Dartmouth.
Planning on visiting Dartmouth as a prospective student or an interested person wanting to see our beautiful campus? In this post, I share insider tips to ensure your visit is fulfilled!
As I approach the halfway mark of my Dartmouth journey this spring, I find myself reflecting on the significance of distributive and world culture requirements in shaping my academic experience.
Witnessing an eclipse was one of the most exciting days in my life to date, and a solid reminder of our place in this universe. Read on to hear about it!
