Welcome! My name is Serena and I'm a '28 from NYC. I'm so excited to be here at Dartmouth and share my experiences with you! On campus you can find me organizing events at Hillel, hosting socials for the women's club frisbee team, trying every single Dartmouth tradition, and yapping in the library. I also love to run, play volleyball, hike, knit, and read fantasy books! If you want to hear about a city kid's adventures in rural New Hampshire, follow along as I experience life in the woods!
Dartmouth is such a fun place, and there's always something to do! Whether that's joining a new club you've never played in before, going on a Dartmouth Outing Clubtrip (visiting the o-farm, day hiking, overnight hiking, canoeing, and more!), going to housing community dinners, going to class, finding new spots to study in the library, or just hanging out on the Green with a friend!
But I'm not going to lie; between having so much fun and studying, sometimes I crave a break. Here's how I've taken time to reset and relax through the Student Wellness Center!
Look at how beautiful the Green is! What a gorgeous sky and what an amazing time to be out in nature and enjoy the superb weather!
The SWC has so many great services to help your mental wellbeing. I've been trying new activities at the SWC practically every week (including my very first week, orientation week, on campus) and the staff are always so welcoming. Most importantly, it is super accessible and easy to get to! It is located in Baker-Berry Library, our main library complex, on the edge of the Green.
Meditation: I've tried the small group, weekly guided meditation led by a SWC staff member. It was very beginner-friendly!
Yoga Nidra: Last Thursday, I went to the weekly Yoga Nidra and reflective journaling session with a friend. It was such a beautiful and transcendental experience. I feel like I am a changed woman, seriously. Yoga Nidra is a blend between falling asleep and meditating, aka creating liminal spaces. Indeed, it felt like I was walking the line between dreaming and being awake. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically, I am rejuvenated.
KineticSand: I love hanging out and playing with the SWC's Kinetic Sand with my friends. Also, the SWC is a work-free environment, which I find highly helpful when I want to reset and just relax!
Massage chairs: The massage chair room is such an integral part of the SWC!! It is a great place to let your worries go and just breathe. Not only are there a billion different settings on the massage chairs, but the relaxing mood lighting is so calm and peaceful.
Motivational stickers: I love putting meaningful quotes and images on my water bottle (an Owala water bottle, in case you were wondering)! I love the reminder I get every time I look at my current SWC sticker on my water bottle: "Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one starts off being excellent." I chose it because I thought it was a great outlook and reminder, needed more than ever during my first quarter at Dartmouth.
The Student Wellness Center is such an amazing place full of great resources to take advantage of! I can't wait to see what else I can discover about the SWC this term.
Someone recently reframed my thinking about "surviving" in the winter to thriving, and I have really taken that to heart. Read to find out how I (try to) thrive in a winter climate!
If you're a prospective geology, mining, or resources student, this post is for you. "The Stretch" is Dartmouth's field geology program, and it covers exactly those areas!
