Paulina Cuadra

Wake up time! I woke up early and got ready to go on a run with my roommate. What better way to start off the day than with a run around Occom Pond? Dartmouth’s campus is breathtaking and it is incredible to have the opportunity to interact so much with nature through outdoor activities. It was nice to see campus come to life as everyone headed to class or got breakfast after having been with only 25’s (Freshmen) during orientation.

After showering and getting ready for the day, I headed over to grab breakfast at the Class of 1953 Commons (referred to as FoCo) with my roommates. FoCo is often the go-to place for meals as it has an all you can eat buffet style food court with plenty of options. Here, you are bound to bump into tons of friendly faces, and it is not a lone occurrence to have your food go cold after stopping to chat with friends one too many times. 

Class! Finally, time for my first ever Dartmouth class (MATH 1), so I headed over to the Mathematics Department at Kemeny Hall. I always enjoy walking to my classes as it allows me to get in the right frame of mind as I listen to music and take in the beauty of Dartmouth’s campus. 

I headed over to The Green in order to grab lunch with some friends. Today, there was free lunch to commemorate the first day of school and there were many tables set out. I had a burger, chips, and a delectable FoCo cookie. 
 

I decided to head over to the Connecticut River with some friends. A short 15 minute walk from the Green, the river is always a great option when searching for something to do or trying to connect more with the outdoors. Here, we rented some paddle boards (the Ledyard Canoe Club was renting them for free for a couple of weeks) and headed down the river. The day was really warm and sunny, so we enjoyed swimming and paddle boarding. 

Dinner! Our group recollected back at FoCo after having showered. I had some stir-fry made to order.

Despite having a day that was packed with activity, I was not feeling tired at all, so I decided to head over to the library to work on some projects from back home. But mostly, I just wanted an excuse to be in the Tower Room. I love its plush velvet chairs and warmth. Believe me when I tell you that the Tower Room is starting to become my favorite place on Earth!