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Dartmouth UGAR Database

These past few weeks I've written pretty extensively on what it's like doing research at Dartmouth. However, those stories mainly focused on my particular role, and not quite the overall experience of what research really means at Dartmouth.

It turns out that finding research at Dartmouth is pretty easy, actually. Much easier than at larger state schools. Corona has given me a chance to reconnect with some old high school friends, and each one of them has had quite a bit of trouble finding ways to keep themselves occupied over the summer break. And I feel bad! Because I keep hearing about these problems they keep running into when trying to keep busy. Cold calling professors for research, applying for internships that never get back to them, or the inevitable scour across LinkedIn for something. Anything!

And then the conversation inevitably swings across to me and I have no choice but to go:

"Nah, I've been good."

But it's the truth! Not only have I found two remote research positions at Dartmouth, but I've also found an internship. In fact, the people running the internship reached out to me after reading the content they found on this blog. A blog I write, again, also from Dartmouth. 

So yeah. It would feel really disingenuous if I were to say "oh I've had my ups and downs." No downs. Because of the Dartmouth name, I keep stumbling into ups.

But really, it's a good problem to have.

You see, for most people at most schools, the issue is very, very different. As I've seen with my friends, half the battle is just getting your foot in the door. But for me? Because of the Dartmouth name, they both trust me with the keys and ask me to house-sit while I'm at it. Even if I, admittedly, never quite did anything to deserve it. It's an at-times messed up form of bias, but there's a presumption with intelligence just because of the name of the school. 

Of course, it's not necessarily easy cruising. That initial trust is contingent not just that you will work hard, but that you'll produce work high enough in quality that it justifies the open door.

But that's where Dartmouth itself comes in. Because up until now, I was just talking about what the Dartmouth name gives you. Not so much the education. I've said it on here before, but I'll say it again. This place is a nerd sanctuary. A place that not just teaches you, but teaches you to think in new, bold, and creative ways that really any employer or PI (head research professor) will appreciate. And you'd be pressed to find another place for that. 

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