Hi all! Welcome to my blog! My name is Robin. I am a senior studying Economics and the Digital Arts. Outside of class I'm a guitarist, amateur rock climber, and seasoned billiard player–if you're on campus, there's a good chance you can find me at the Collis pool hall. I love Dartmouth and am sharing my journey through this blog. So if you're a prospie, parent, or Dartmouth enthusiast, you've come to the right place!
In this class, I'll be learning about stellar evolution, the origin of the elements, the deaths of stars, black holes, the structure of our Galaxy, other galaxies, dark matter, the expanding universe and the big bang.
In this class, we explore the issues of mark, line, scale, space, light and composition. I'm not naturally a great artist, but I love art and am taking this course to improve my skills.
This course studies the economic behavior of employers and employees as they interact in the labor market, covering topics such as human capital investment, the structure and determinants of financial compensation and benefits packages, contract negotiations and arbitration.
Painting I is an introductory class in oil painting techniques, painting language, and critical thinking. Major topics that will be covered include: basic color theory, color mixing, paint application, and color composition.
This course explores how the brain controls our motivation to pursue goals and how drugs of abuse hijack those systems, exploring in detail how narcotic drugs (opioids, stimulants, alcohol, cannabis) act in the brain and the mechanisms underlying the transition from drug use to addiction.
This year, I was selected to be an Undergraduate Advisor, more commonly known as UGA, for first-year students in the North Park housing community.
So, what is a UGA?
For starters, there is generally one UGA per floor in the dormitories; so, each UGA is assigned twenty or so residents. UGAs are meant to be a support system for their floors and go through a rigorous training process at the start of each school year. This training is one week long, and covers topics such as academics, mental health, and job resources, amongst others. Our training does not give us the answer to every concern that our residents may have throughout the year, but it does teach us where they can find the resources they need—on and off campus
As a UGA for first-year students, I have some additional responsibilities. These include leading weekly floor meetings to pass along information on community events, resources, and anything happening around campus. It is also a chance for the residents to come together and chat at the end of the week—there's also snacks! Additionally, we hold a few large events each term, from spa day to sunrise-hikes, to give residents a chance to step back from school, relax and get to know one another.
UGAs also do "walkthroughs" a few times a week, in which they walk through the dormitories later in the night to make sure everyone is safe and that noise levels are appropriate (not everyone's a night owl).
The job does come with some pretty cool perks. UGAs are given a stipend to cover their meal plan each term, are assigned a one-person room for the year, get unique gear, and receive three paychecks each term. Additionally, UGAs in the same housing community are a team, and as such have team-building activities every once in a while. These range from dinners to out-of-town trips, and are an awesome way to bond and feel part of the community.
In short, UGAs at Dartmouth are a support system to make students are safe, feel at home, and have access to all the information they need. I love my job, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings.
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
