Hey! I'm Nuna and I'm a '28 from Accra, Ghana. I plan on studying Biology at Dartmouth but I'm definitely on the lookout for any other interesting areas of study. When I'm not in class (and not catching up on sleep), I'm reading, cooking or winning card games with my friends (especially Uno and Hearts!). I plan on getting involved with a lot of organizations on campus, so come along and join me for the ride!
I had a little experience with calculus before I came to Dartmouth, but this course made it a lot more fun while still being appropriately challenging. We learnt about limits, derivatives, differentiation and integration methods. My professor was a lot of fun and I made a lot of good friends in this class because it was such an engaging class and a friendly environment. I’m not sure if I’ll be taking any more calculus classes, but this one was a really good way to kick off my journey.
This class is an even mix between an English, History and Jewish Studies class. By using articles, movies and memoirs, we learn to how write effectively on the topic of gender and sexuality in relation to the Holocaust. The main focus is on organizing arguments, using evidence and developing a distinct writing style. Though I'm not a big fan of History, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Not only do I think my writing has improved dramatically, but I also learnt a lot about World War II and the nuanced experiences of people of different genders and sexualities. Our professor was also brilliantly engaging and very constructive in her teaching style. I might end up taking more History classes after this!
Courseload Chronicles: Choosing My Classes for the Term
One thing I love about Dartmouth having four quarters a year—instead of two semesters—is the fact that I get to take so many different classes over the course of the year. Doing classes for ten weeks before changing them keeps the classes fresh, so I never get bored of them. While course selection may be a hectic time for a lot of students, I had no problems choosing mine this term.
Writing 5 Gender & The Holocaust: All Dartmouth students have to complete the first year writing requirement, which is made up of a writing class, followed by a seminar class. Each writing class is taught by a different professor on a different theme, and the aim of the class is to hone students' writing skills. The subject of my Writing 5 class is Gender & The Holocaust. I love this class so far, despite not being interested in humanities or English. The works we go through are very engaging, and the class delves deep into the subject matter in a way that is both sensitive and intellectually stimulating.
Biology 13 Gene Expression & Inheritance: This class fits in with my field of study (biology) and is also one of my chosen biology classes to meet the pre-medical prerequisites. It is also my first flipped class! This means we watch lectures and have readings about content before the class, and then come to class ready to discuss, do practice questions and ask the professor questions about anything we found confusing. I think this way is more efficient because we have the ability to ask the professor questions within class time and also practice our understanding of the material within class hours. The content is very fast-paced but I love knowing how the intricacies of life forms work so it's really a blast for me. This class also has a laboratory component, so it's probably the class that takes up the most time in my week, but I'm definitely not complaining!
The course image for Bio 13. It's pretty simple but it just about sums it up!
French 3 Introductory French III: This class is the final sequence of beginner French classes. Although I have not taken any French classes at Dartmouth before this, I was placed into this class by taking a placement test. This class is also flipped, and we learn vocabulary, grammar and a bit about French culture as well. French 3 is probably the most interactive class; its small size (19 students) and the fact that we are learning a language make the exercises much more hands-on and we have to get a lot more involved. This class is also the gateway to the LSA+ Toulouse, a study abroad program, which I want to go on. Whilst I didn't originally intend on it, I am now considering a minor in French. It's not something to worry about now, though, as I still have so much time before I declare a major and minor.
A poster for one of the welcome events the Francophone held for its students (and anyone else who wanted to attend).
My classes this term are a bit more relaxed because I'm only taking one STEM course this term. This just goes to show how the quarters teach you about what you can and can't handle. Even though it's only the second week of classes, course selection for the spring term opens in a couple of weeks and I have to think about those pretty soon. You're never off your toes when it comes to course selection!
I've never felt the saying, "Time flies" more strongly than now. How am I already halfway through my Dartmouth career? This winter marks the end of my 6th out of my total 12 terms, the halfway point of my Dartmouth journey.
