Welcome! I'm Olivia Koo '26, hailing from Los Alamos, New Mexico. I am studying biological chemistry on the pre-med track, and I'm excited to be supplementing it with music, as a classical pianist and singer-songwriter! Some of my favorite things to do are watching YouTube videos about video games, singing and playing my guitar, and reading New York Times op-eds. Look through my page for information about Dartmouth's pre-med track, STEM research, acapella/music, and study abroad opportunities!
Unsure whether I would enjoy the biology-heavy pre-health track, I took an intro biology class. I surprisingly found myself so invested each class—I didn’t think I’d ever be excited trying to determine if the Last Universal Common Ancestor (LUCA) had DNA or RNA, but here we are! I found it a great introduction to thinking processes at Dartmouth.
I loved coming to this class with its supportive environment! The professor's feedback really helped me improve in my writing. This course guided us through personal narratives and organizational writing while discussing what it really means to be authentic. It also introduced me to the library’s resources for writing and research!
This class was definitely not easy! The accelerated version of general chemistry, it was my first class at Dartmouth that used a textbook, and I had to adapt and learn how to use a textbook for a class properly. But that didn't mean I didn't have a good time! The classes were full of physical demonstrations, and I felt very supported in the lab and beyond.
This was the first group music class I took, and I loved it! Each class we'd move a little forward in time; one day we'd talk about medieval chants, and by the next couple weeks, we talked about Baroque music. We even got to observe original medieval music scores from the Rauner Library, and attend a performance of Baroque music by the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra!
Songwriting 1 was the first time I was able to work on something creative/in the arts at Dartmouth, and I really loved it! I got to learn how to improve my songwriting and get to know a community of fellow songwriters on campus. The class was both supportive and constructive, and I pushed myself to my creative limit with the assignment of writing one new song a week. This class inspired me to continue writing and being expressive, whether in an academic setting or not.
For one of my classes on the London Music FSP, I got to attend a myriad of musical performances in London and discuss them with my class! It was a once-in-a-life-time experience–getting to watch multiple operas, ballets, jazz sets, and a musical, as well as seeing beautiful performances from the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, and more, helped me grow my ear so much and my inspirations as a musician.
I took this class to learn a little more about the social landscape around medicine, and this class delivered that by a mile. From environmental exposure to racial inequities in medicine/health to the discussion of medicine itself as a manipulative tool in colonialist social structures, this class helped me rethink medicine and my role within it.
For a little treat, I went on a weekend day trip with my partner to Boston! I haven't really tried to leave campus during a term before, so this was a big step.
To get to Boston, we took the Dartmouth Coach, a coach system that offers trips to Boston South Station and Boston Logan Airport, or New York City! I, like many students, usually use the coach to get to the airport to travel home and back to school, but it is also a nifty way to get to Boston.
There are other ways to get to Boston from Dartmouth, which is about two and a half hours away; many students rent a ZipCar from the school, which allows a car to be used throughout the day, paying by the hour. Students use ZipCar, a car-share service, to go to other places as well, from Montpelier, Vermont, to Portland, Maine.
My food blog era (some ramen!)
My food blog era (continued with some sashimi!)
In Boston, I ate some good food, and visited the Boston Public Library! I didn't know that it was such a pretty place (I think Baker-Berry Library is pretty beautiful too, though!).
The Boston Public Library!
Due to the fast-paced terms of Dartmouth, it's not a super common occurrence to leave campus—but I think exploring the rest of New England is quite refreshing and a worthwhile venture! Whether it's hiking through the mountains or traversing a new city, Dartmouth offers a lot of different ways to spend some time away from campus. The residential house communities also host trips outside of campus every term, such as weekend trips to New York City, Montreal, and more! I'm hoping that I'll be able to explore more of New England and the surrounding area with future mini vacations!
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
