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.
Welcome to Sophomore Summer! As I stepped off the Dartmouth Coach onto a humid, lush green campus, I found myself not quite believing that I was going to stay on campus through the months of July and August. But here we are!
Sophomore Summer is a unique facet of Dartmouth's D-Plan, in which students can choose (to a degree) which terms they want to be on or off campus. One term where students are highly encouraged to be on campus for is the summer term between students' sophomore and junior years. With much of the student population away in the summer, the student population here is mostly made of '26's this year!
The tradition began in the 1970's with the implementation of the D-Plan, in which the exploding student population (as a result of opening the school to both men and women) could not be solely contained on one campus at one time. The D-Plan allowed the school to stagger which students were on and off campus, overall lessening the burden on student housing. Sophomore Summer was another aspect of this, where one class is required to be on campus and fill up on class credits when most of the school is not. What began as a wily solution to a housing problem has become a famous part of the Dartmouth Experience. The campus is more relaxed, and the weather has never been better!
Well, actually, we've had a lot of thunderstorms lately…but that's no problem!
Sophomore Summer is often known for being a more relaxed time, with less commitments. The dance groups host a more relaxed, fun version of their groups in which students who don't usually dance can join. Outdoor activities like flyfishing, hiking around New Hampshire and swimming in the Connecticut River are commonplace. And many usual activities that occur in the fall, winter, and spring (such as ensemble groups like the Coast Jazz Orchestra) are on a break.
For me, my individual piano lessons are on a break, as well as my a capella group, so I'll be filling that time with other things, such as being in a summer dance group, working on research in the Chemistry department, hiking around the Upper Valley, and catching up with friends. I've also signed up for pickleball lessons! Already, I've seen so many classmates and friends to catch up with.
The truth is, even with a more relaxed campus atmosphere, my schedule seems that it'll be as busy as ever, so I'm hoping that I can continue improving in my time management and my health management, too.
I was pleasantly surprised by how the Dartmouth connection extends far beyond its campus and even beyond the United States. Meeting and bonding with people through our shared identity as Dartmouth students has truly been a remarkable journey.
A highlight of Sophomore Summer is the opportunity to participate in activities that you're usually unable to do—most notably, dance, acapella, and comedy! Here's my experience being in a summer dance group!
With the sun and schedule of summer, I've had more time to dedicate to exercise. My sport of choice is tennis–here's how I maintain that hobby at Dartmouth!
