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.
I decided to stay on campus for spring break instead of going home; I believed that going home for two weeks would feel too short, and I felt like exploring a bit of the Upper Valley and Massachusetts during the break. Here's what I did during the break!
Checked out the restaurants in Hanover
Without much of an opportunity to eat out during the term, my friend and I ate at restaurants in Hanover. Because there weren't many people on campus, the restaurants were quite open. Here are a couple of my favorites:
Jewel of India, an Indian restaurant. I love their naan!
The Nest, a breakfast/lunch sandwich spot. Their burger is incredible!
Molly's, the famous restaurant that's always packed. When I get a chance to sit, though, I love their pastas and burgers.
Traveled to West Lebanon
The Advance Transit bus system is free on the weekdays, but I had never had the opportunity to go during the term; I found spring break to be the perfect opportunity to test it out. With a couple of restaurants and stores in West Lebanon, there is quite a lot to check out in the quaint area. I went to Target to pick up some groceries to start, but I wonder what else is there to explore!
Went to the New England Aquarium
For the second half of the break, I traveled to Boston—I went to the aquarium! Although the aquarium itself was oriented towards younger children, it was fun to look for fish and other aquatic creatures. It was a little nostalgic!
What a cool turtle!
Went to the Boston Museum of Fine Art
The Boston Museum of Fine Art, which is free for Dartmouth students, was another place I explored; it was bigger than I thought! The historical elements of the museum were a highlight. One such exhibit consisted of pottery created by slaves in South Carolina; forced to make pots, they expressed themselves through the pottery they made through inscriptions or additions. Having never heard about this before, I found the exhibit incredibly interesting.
The Old North Church in Boston feels oddly familiar...
Dartmouth's two-week break compared to most schools' one-week was quite relaxing. Spending a break away from home was an interesting experience, especially knowing that I could have gone home, compared to international students. However, I found that having the freedom to spend my time how I wished was also a nice experience in itself. Although part of me wishes the break was a little bit longer, I'm interested to see what the next term will bring!
