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.
It's always interesting to ask my peers (and to browse People Places Pines blogs) about the study spaces at Dartmouth that attract students the most. What room of the library are they most likely to occupy to crank out that essay, to check over that problem set, or to discuss a group project? What I find most interesting is the variance in replies. 3FB (Third Floor Berry)? How about Sanborn Library? Is Rauner Library some people's favorite?
This is a cross-section of Baker-Berry Library--I was going to draw arrows where one could study, but then I realized that I'd have to draw arrows over the entire diagram.
So, what factors come into play when choosing a study spot on the Dartmouth campus? I have compiled a list of characteristics of study spaces that potentially cover all the aspects that students consider when deciding their study spot.
1. Natural light
If there's one thing Dartmouth students love, it's natural light. Especially during the cold and dark winter months, I don't want to spend my hours of daylight in a room with no windows! But at the same time, if I plan to spend a long time in the library, I don't want to be in a place where I can see the sun quickly setting, which can dampen the mood. That's why I prefer the open and airy Rauner Library (or any place with windows) for a quick mid-day study session, where I can take in the sun even without being outside. But for long nights, a session in the windowless but bright East Asian Reading Room is preferable!
2. Physical personal comfort – chair comfort, temperature, lighting
Making sure that I'm comfortable when I'm studying makes the session go even more pleasantly! The library has a large variety of chairs ranging from cushy armchairs to hard but ergonomic wooden chairs. When I feel like sitting in a comfy chair after a long day of walking around, I'll opt for a chair that will swallow me whole that is present in the Tower Room, Sanborn Library, and other spots. There's always a wooden plank nearby to place on the armrests, so my laptop stays in place. But when I know that I need to focus on my work, I may choose a hard wooden chair—they remind me to stay focused!
Perhaps one may prefer warm lighting to cool lighting—that can vary depending on the lamps and lights available in each space, too! Whether one chooses the cool-toned lights of the Irving building on the west side of campus or the orange lights of the Orozco Mural room, there's a space for everyone.
The mural of the Orozco Mural Room truly adds warm colors (and striking images) into the mix.
On the topic of warmth, there's temperature variance in different rooms as well! The toasty Tower Room will keep anyone warm during the winter months, but if I get worried about falling asleep due to the cozy warmth, I could also head to the chillier Stacks in Berry Library.
Hey, and when I'm hungry, I could always park in a booth in the Class of '53 Commons, our dining hall, where food is available all day.
3. Privacy vs. accountability
This is a big one; how much privacy does one desire when they study? But how can one make sure that they are not getting distracted for too long? I like to rely on some accountability from my peers to make sure that I am studying; that could mean studying with friends at tables or studying in a more open space where others may be studying alongside me. Prefer privacy? There are cubicles available all over the library, and even empty classrooms can be a great way to study with no one around.
4. Amount of silence
There's a general agreement at Dartmouth: The higher the floor in the library, the quieter the study space. I do not mind some noise and prefer to sit in quiet but not silent areas. However, there's a spectrum of all volumes present on campus, from the usually talkative 1FB (First Floor of Berry Library) to the silent 4FB (Fourth Floor of Berry Library—get it?)
5. Academic aesthetic
And of course…there's the vibe. I love that I have the freedom to choose between the sleeker, modern styles of Berry Library and the Engineering and Computer Science Center (ECSC) and the old, wooden style of the Sherman Art Library or Sanborn Library. I can even choose to live the café-study life with One Wheelock in the Collis Center, or Still North Books and Bar, which is just a walk down the street. I'll usually choose the wooden shelves of Baker Library, but that's just me.
So…what's my favorite study spot? Well, it changes every term! I like to keep things open. (And perhaps that is a blog for another time…)
As my first year (and first spring) at Dartmouth had come to an end, I wanted to provide some thoughts and reflections on my classes this term. Perhaps you'll find something you'd like to take someday!
My time at Dartmouth has been filled with a lot of change, yet I'm struck by how similar Dartmouth is to my life back home, or rather, how Dartmouth is quickly becoming a place I call home.
Hello everybody and welcome! Usually this would be an introduction to my Dartmouth journey but I've actually already been here for about a month before classes even started. How'd that happen? Let me tell you…
Classes are only one of the activities you can do on campus that teach you new skills. Read on to learn about my (very busy) first week, my training to become a French drill instructor, and my first meeting at my neuroscience lab.
