Paulina Cuadra

Dartmouth es una de las mejores instituciones académicas de los Estados Unidos y el mundo. Es reconocida por promover el pensamiento crítico, colaboración, y creatividad para fomentar una cultura de aprendizaje y crear futuros líderes conscientes. Dartmouth es una universidad rural situada en el borde de Nuevo Hampshire y Vermont, lo cual significa que está rodeado por bosques y ofrece muchísimas oportunidades a sus estudiantes para asociarse con el medio ambiente. Es una universidad pequeña con un total de 4,000 estudiantes pero con los recursos de una universidad grande de investigación.  

De la misma manera, Dartmouth está orgullosa de ofrecer una educación de artes liberales que significa que cada estudiante tiene un gran nivel de oportunidades de sacar diplomas en varias áreas y encontrar maneras de mezclar muchas carreras. Por ejemplo, es muy común ver que estudiantes combinan diferentes disciplinas que tienen pocas similitudes entre sí. Una de mis mejores amigas se está especializando en biología y francés. Esta no es la excepción sino la norma en Dartmouth, donde muchos estudiantes son caracterizados por una búsqueda incesante de conocimiento e interés en diferentes disciplinas.

Dartmouth se compromete a ofrecer a sus estudiantes una educación de clase mundial que aún sea asequible. Alrededor de dos tercios de todas los estudiantes de universidades de pregrado en los Estados Unidos reciben alguna forma de ayuda financiera para poder asistir a esa universidad. Desde el 2020, Dartmouth ha eliminado los préstamos estudiantiles de la misma manera, Dartmouth no toma en cuenta la habilidad de pagar al momento de leer aplicaciones incluso para estudiantes internacionales. A esto se le designa como need blind o que son ciegos a la necesidad para otorgarle a un estudiante admisión. Si uno ingresa, se le va a cumplir con el 100% de la necesidad financiera. Pueden leer más acerca de esto aquí. 

So many of my friends recently have told me how they try to go outside as sparingly as possible when the weather gets colder. Please don’t do that! While it might seem counterintuitive to go outside while it is frigid out, staying cooped up means that you will miss out on fresh air and movement. While last winter I attempted to move the least possible amounts across campus, this winter I am doing the exact opposite, venturing outside every possible moment. I’ve noticed I’m not as affected by the cold as I get more exposed to it. Besides, Dartmouth has so many possibilities to offer during the cold months and you should spend as much time as you can outside. So, this term you will definitely catch me going on walks around Occom Pond (woccoms), building snowmen, or sitting around a firepit on the Collis porch while taking in the beautiful Hanover winters!

The onset of the winter months means shorter days, and with that, less access to direct sunlight. This can affect one’s energy levels and even mood. But there is no need to despair, as a sun lamp is a great way to combat a lack of sunlight. Sun lamps (also called happy lamps) are available to rent to all Dartmouth students for a 2 week period at Baker-Berry Library. Using a lamp for 30 minutes in the morning every day has already made me feel better. 

Everyone that knows me knows that I am a huge fan of warm drinks, in my opinion, it’s the best way to stay warm. Being in the library means I must make a mandatory stop at Novack for a hot chai, matcha, or mocha to accompany me throughout my day. Stops at One Wheelock located at the bottom of the Collis Student Center have also become quite common as I make use of the free coffee.

They say that life is all about exploring all the pasta-bilities. Going for an out-of-Hanover dining escapade is one of my favorite things to do with my friends. Last Wednesday after class, two of my friends and I rented a Zipcar to go to Lebanon.  We first had dinner at an Italian restaurant called The Three Tomatoes. The food (and vibes) were spectacular. I would totally recommend. 

After dinner, we made a Target run. This Target is 15 minutes away from campus and has everything you could need. One day you are young, and the next you really enjoy browsing through all the detergents in the supermarket. I unfortunately am becoming one of those people who cannot go to Target without meandering through every single aisle and looking at every item –despite the fact she’s not planning to buy anything. One of my friends was planning a dinner with her roommates so she needed to get all of the ingredients for the meal. 

Ice Cream Fore-U is an awesome ice cream shop in Lebanon. They have amazing ice cream, in fun flavors. I’ve also heard that their hot-dogs are really good.  IC4U is a really popularly delicious destination amongst Dartmouth students. They are only open in the warmer months and have a season of spring to fall. This photo was the last night that they were open for the season! I tried the pistachio ice cream which was really really yummy. 

During summer I counted down the days until I could be back on campus and see all of my friends! While being homesick is definitely a natural part of going away to college, I did not expect to be homesick for Dartmouth. Thankfully from the very moment I stepped out of the Dartmouth Coach I was greeted by a bunch of my friends and warm hugs! A week into the term and I have yet to stop encountering friendly faces! Dartmouth is such a small campus so bumping into people you know is an inescapably lovely circumstance. 

Even coming from Nicaragua and having enjoyed the tropical heat and sunshine for the entire summer, I have come to love the seasonal changes. I now love the way in which summer ebbs into fall, becomes winter, and then spring and rolls back into summer. As we move into September, that can only mean that fall is coming soon, and I couldn’t be more excited! I am already waking up to crisp cool mornings and I couldn’t be happier. Given enough layers, I now love the energizing chill. 

I am so excited to finally be concentrating on classes surrounding my intended major in Economics and Geography. Fun fact –Dartmouth has the only Geography department in the entire Ivy League! This term I am taking Development Economics (ECON 24), Human Geography (GEOG 2.01), and a Public Speaking (SPEE 20) class. I am in love with these classes as they are all really different from one another and make an amazing balance. I am always amazed by the liberal arts curriculum at Dartmouth and how I am able to take classes in a wide range of disciplines and still find connections between them. My Geography class is also taught by one of my favorite professors here, Coleen Fox, who studies political and environmental geography and often focuses on the impacts of dams. I love being in her class and learning more about humans and how we interact and are impacted by the natural environment. Overall, I am so excited to see what new academic interests this term sparks!

Richardson and the Fayerweathers (North Fayerweather, Mid Fayerweather, and South Fayerweather) are all-first-year dorms that are extremely centrally located. Richardson has beautiful views to Baker Berry Library and the Fays are right behind Dartmouth Hall and an extremely short walk to the Green which serves as the center for campus. These are both pretty old buildings but rooms are generally a bit spacious. The majority of rooms in the Fays are composed of two-room triples with a half bathroom inside the room and showers in the hall. The Fays are all connected with each other through the basement. The room configurations in Richardson are a lot more variable ranging from singles, doubles, triples, to quads. The floors in both buildings are divided by gender, and because these dorms are composed of all first-year they are a pretty popular spot amongst first-years and tend to have pretty close friendships among floors. Having lived in the Fays my first year, I am an undying Fays fan!!

Dorms in East Wheelock are located near the Alumni Gym. These dorms are not the most centrally located but are very nice and more modern than most other buildings. The majority of first-years living here are either placed in singles or two-room doubles. Students living in East Wheelock also tend to study and hang out in the common rooms. Upperclassmen also live in these buildings but in non-first-year floors. An added East-Wheelock perk is the Brace snack-bar that has late-night (8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.) snack options available for purchase. 

Wheeler is one of the most centrally located dorms on campus as it is right in front of Baker Berry Library. Dorms are composed of singles, doubles, and triples. There are four buildings designated as the “Choates” which are Brown, Little, Cohen, and Bissel. Only Brown and Little are in School House and these two are connected with each other. Most rooms in the Choates are one-room doubles with some singles. You can be at Novack and some academic buildings after a really short walk and are placed right behind frat row. While the Choates are generally considered to be pretty old, these are one of my favorite dorms since they host amazing communities. People living in the Choates tend to form pretty strong bonds with each other, and given their proximity to frat row they are a pretty popular destination amongst first-years.