Welcome!! My name is Serena and I'm a '28 from New York City. I couldn't be more excited to be here at Dartmouth and share my experiences with all of you! I know I want to explore English Literature alongside a STEM discipline. I love to run, play volleyball, hike, knit, and read 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!
In this dynamic class, Visiting Professor Vera Kallenberg taught us a survey of Jewish history and culture from the European enlightenment to the establishment of the State of Israel while also sharing her wealth of knowledge with us! Our small, seminar-style class lent itself to profound conversations around the difficult topics that arose during our discussions. From the Haskalah to discourse around the modern-day Israel-Palestine conflict, our class approached these topics with respect and care for one another. We read historical texts and fascinating personal narratives for homework, and then wove our knowledge about the past and present together in class discussions. What an incredible course!
My first term taught me that college is full of both adjustments and fun. It's now my second term here at Dartmouth, which is a great time to keep exploring academically and socially! I've settled in and am eager to expand my horizons even more. I love waving to friends I see while walking across campus, but I can't wait to meet even more new people and try even more new things.
I always set academic, social, personal, mental health, you-name-it goals for anything I do. Sometimes this goal setting is automatic, sometimes it's not. Sometimes I write down my goals, sometimes I just keep them in my mind. So, without further ado, here are my goals, thoughts, and reflections for this term!
Go to office hours more
This might seem silly, but it really is so helpful. Going to office hours has been such a great way to meet my professors and learn outside the classroom. It feels a little strange at first because it's different from high school. But I've learned that Dartmouth professors love getting to know their students.
I haven't gone since fall term, but I plan to go once my midterms are all over. I've taken helpful worksheets from the ASC but am eager to set up my first appointment with an academic coach. I want to develop some learning strategies to help with the new types of readings, assignments and work in my college classes. I also want to learn skills for time management. College is different from high school, so it makes sense that the requirements and learning is too. I can't wait to become more prepared!
Be more ahead of my work
This relates to visiting the Academic Skills Center, as I hope to gain more skills to help with college work through setting up an appointment. I want to feel better about my work and social life balance. This is a continuous goal I hope to always improve on!
Some different study spaces in the library!
Continuing doing things I love
I think it's always important to evaluate and reevaluate what makes you happy in life. If a club doesn't spark joy, then maybe I don't need to be as involved. But if I've found a new club or community that really makes me happy, I'm encouraging myself to join it!
My friend Grace and I are taking a mirror selfie in the library bathroom while taking a study break!
Join even more new clubs!
I love the clubs I am a part of (Hillel, Chabad, Stonefence, Club Frisbee) but I would love to get involved in even more fun activities and communities. I joined Stonefence, the literary magazine, this term. My friend and I started the literary magazine in highschool, so I'm really glad I decided to join this club and rekindle my love for literature, design, and teamwork!
Get outdoors!
There always seems to be less free time in the Winter, so I haven't gone on many DOC trips. But, I have made sure to ski down the Dartmouth Skiway, sled down the golf course, ice skate on Occom Pond, snowball fight on the Green, nordic ski at Oak Hill, frolic in the snow around campus, and so much more!
My friends and I went skiing at the Dartmouth Skiway during the weekend. Check out my skiing blog post!!
I'm going to continue to challenge myself for all of the above bullet points, but I also like to remind myself that college is strange and new. It's so important to just take a deep breath and slow down sometimes.
Thanks for sticking around to the end of this post, and I look forward to creating another blog post about my goals and reflection when I am a senior at Dartmouth!
Oh this? This is just a photo of me casually and mysteriously typing all my hopes, dreams, goals and wishes for my winter term…
A statement I never thought I would make. Being completely honest, during my first term I was counting down the days to go back to Arizona. However, being away from Dartmouth made me realize how lucky I am to be here.
Dartmouth's Chinese New Year celebrations brought a sense of home through themed dining, student-led events, and cultural gatherings, fostering community and appreciation for the holiday.
