Hello there! My name is Shuyi and I'm a '23, which means it's my senior year here at Dartmouth! Follow me for my last year at Dartmouth as I reflect upon my college experience. At Dartmouth, I enjoy playing squash, eating at late night, and of course, blogging. You can ask me about studying social sciences, coming to Dartmouth as an international student, and anything else really. I hope you enjoy the blog!
I actually wasn't planning on taking this class but it eventually became my favorite class. The professor was very funny and created a relaxed classroom environment where I enjoyed looking at diversity in different contexts, such as college admissions and group dynamics.
This class was a perfect mix of philosophy, classical studies, and writing. We were able to reflect on societal views, our own ideas of optimism and pessimism, and how we can lead more fulfilling and compassionate lives.
My first experience with computer science was my Freshman winter, and I quickly became interested in the subject. I followed up CS1 with CS10 in the Spring, which I found just as cool. I love how you can solve problems by applying logic and math with computer science, and I look forward to diving deeper into the major!
Econ 21 is required for all Econ majors, and I loved my experience with Professor Gustman. He made the material super easy to digest and allowed me to take exams in my timezone, which I thought was really nice.
It was really interesting to study public speaking in an asynchronous environment, and I came away with a deeper understanding of not only public speaking but speech writing. I wrote a separate blog post about the class, so check it out!
Since English was one of my favorite classes in high school, I wanted to take another writing course at Dartmouth. This was a great choice, as it was a perfect mix of lecture and discussion. I loved reading and learning about several American dramas, and even discussing modern topics such as Trump's rhetoric!
SummerShanghai
I took my Sophomore Summer off, which many international students do, and got involved with the Tuck School of Business through the Bridge and Paganucci programs! You can read more about my summer experiences in my blogs!
This was my first class from the QSS department, which was long overdue considering that I'm a QSS major! I really enjoyed picking up some coding skills and tackling problems like transitional justice with quantitative approaches.
I took Econ 25 in the Fall, and Econ 35 was the next course in the game theory sequence! It was really fun to apply game theory to cool concepts like sports, Covid-19, and auctions.
This was my first time taking a music class even though I have been involved with music my entire life, whether that was playing the piano or learning how to make beats. I loved this class because I not only learned more about music, but more about Native culture as well!
SummerNew York
I took my junior summer off to pursue a management consulting internship in New York. I had a wonderful experience!
I absolutely loved this class! Theatre was one of my favorite classes in middle school, and so it was great to reconnect with theatre again in college. The professor was amazingly kind and passionate, and the final project was a really fun group performance!
This was a small class of around 15 people, which allowed us to have intimate discussions of readings and theatre. I loved hearing from my classmates, as we used our personal experiences to guide us in our understanding of materials. My final project was a protest on campus, which also really fun and refreshing take on performance!
Although I appreciate so many people in my life (my family, my girlfriend Jenny, and all the amazing friends I have at and outside of Dartmouth), I wanted to write a blog post about my friend Bora, who's graduating this week. Why does this post belong on an Admissions blog? Well, not only would my Dartmouth experience look notably different without Bora, but more importantly I want to share with you all the kinds of friends that you can expect to make at Dartmouth.
I first met Bora during my Freshman year, and honestly, I spent the majority of my Fall term being intimated by him. He was a grade older than me, a foot taller than me, and had a very blunt personality. However, we slowly became closer as he invited my friends and me to hang out, play pong, or eat together at Foco. During Covid, Bora and I shared the unique situation of spending over a year away from Hanover, during which I was in Montreal or Shanghai, and he was in Istanbul. We kept in touch through remote classes, working together on group projects, and studying together for midterms and finals. Throughout this time, he was always someone I could go to for advice on academics, personal life, and more. Fast forward to 2022, and Bora and I are in the same fraternity, have taken several classes together, and share some great memories (many of which include spending hours at Foco, and talking with friends).
Without Bora, my time at Dartmouth would be drastically different. I would have taken different classes, been involved in different social spaces, and would have enjoyed my time here less. Instead, I can reflect on this weird Covid-19 college experience and say that I've loved every term, and every decision I have made. It's hard to express why I am so grateful for a friend like Bora. I could share some of our best memories, from "damce" scenes in the basement, group Foco dinners that last hours, or even going to class together and sitting through lectures on topics including computer science, Middle Eastern literature, and what matters. I could also talk about how Bora has taken care of me while I'm here, helping me navigate the transition to college. Even when my girlfriend Jenny came, she remarked that Bora made her feel welcome and involved with our community here. Bora is not only someone you can be yourself with but someone who will make you feel like you fit in.
In the spirit of giving back, I've enjoyed trying to connect and support underclassmen this year. As an undergraduate advisor, I've made great connections with many of the 25s (Freshmen) on my floor. Although it's been great being their advisor, I hope that I've also become a reliable friend, a trustworthy mentor, and an older brother to some of my residents. I hope that I've become someone they can spend Saturday nights with and not feel lame for not going out or someone that they can ask for advice and know they'll receive brutal honesty because I genuinely care about them. I hope that I am all these things and more because that's what I've been able to have in my friendship with Bora. I'll miss that next year, but of course, the friendships we take from Dartmouth will last far beyond our time here.
Thank you, Bora, and congratulations to the Dartmouth Class of 2022! We finally made it, 0 days left.
This is my final term before senior year, which is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. One thing I am excited about is the classes I am taking this term, so let me tell you more!
This is part two of me "nerding out" about my honors thesis! If you want to learn more about independent projects, theses, or the humanities at Dartmouth, check it out!
Many small classes at Dartmouth are seminar-style and are the cornerstone of the intellectual exploration and intentionality that define the learning experience at Dartmouth.
I've officially completed all of my English major requirements for Dartmouth. Since I'm now a veteran English student, I'll walk you all through one of Dartmouth's coolest departments!
It's not every day that my Intro to Chinese Culture and Understanding the Universe classes were both canceled, but the cosmos had other plans. Welcome to a rare weekday in my life with no classes!
