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.
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.
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.
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!
This is my final term before senior year, which is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. One thing I am excited about is the classes I am taking this term, so let me tell you more!
This is part two of me "nerding out" about my honors thesis! If you want to learn more about independent projects, theses, or the humanities at Dartmouth, check it out!
