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!
Daily schedules change from term to term at Dartmouth. This term, I have a 9L, 10 and an 11, meaning I have classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the above time periods. Join me as I go through a normal Wednesday!
Dartmouth Class Schedule (read vertically for each day)! As mentioned, I have a 9L, 10 and an 11.
First, I grab a very quick breakfast from Novack Cafe. I usually get hot chocolate because it's great during the winter. I usually get this with a chocolate croissant, because it's my firm belief that you can never have too much chocolate. After this, I head to my first class, Writing 5.
Me and my morning coffee!
I've spoken about my classes in a previous post, so I'll be brief with these descriptions. Today in this class, we discussed two Holocaust memoirs by Primo Levi and Edith Bruck, two survivors. We compared their writing styles and had a general discussion about the perspectives of both authors. Next, I had a few minutes to walk to my biology class. There, the professor explained some of the confusing points from the lecture video we watched prior to the class. We spent the rest of the time working on practice problems as a group.
Working on bio problems together with my group!
For my final class of the day, I headed to French at Dartmouth Hall, where most language classes are held. We learnt about the conditional mode and practiced some phrases with other members of the class. Finally, after my quick succession of classes, I could get lunch, and I headed straight to FOCO. Since I usually have breakfast right before 9am and only get to have lunch around 1pm, I usually eat quite a lot at lunch. Today, I had a sandwich, some pizza, fries, a salad and a cookie for a sweet treat. After this, I picked up a package from the mail center, conveniently located in the FOCO, the dining hall building. After this, I usually get some work and studying done at one of my favourite study spots: The Centre for Computer Science and Engineering. With music playing in my ears and the ambience around me, I'm able to 'lock in' and be quite productive with the free hours I have.
Writing in my journal entry for my Writing class!
You know how I said I was done with classes for the day? Well, that's not exactly true. When you take introductory language classes, you also take drill, which is basically where you focus exclusively on speaking the language. I headed for drill where we did some exercises and we ended at 4:20pm. After this, I usually get dinner to-go before heading back to my dorm. This particular day was the Chinese New Year, so the dining hall was decorated accordingly. I love the effort put into the events by the dining staff. Not only is it very inclusive, it also adds something special to a lot of mealtimes.
Beginning of Chinese New Year!
My last thing to do for the day was go to gymnastics club practice. I started it last term, and I'm completely new, but it's so much fun.
Doing back handspring drills!
I usually get back from gymnastics practice by 10 pm, at which point I usually take a shower, scroll a bit on my phone and go to bed. That's what a normal weekday looks like for me. Thanks for joining me!
Entering a new environment miles away from home, knowing little to no people at first, can feel daunting. However, Dartmouth's support systems, particularly through the First Generation Office (FGO), have been nothing short of incredible.
