Hello there! My name is Shuyi and I'm a '23, which means it's my sophomore year here at Dartmouth! I'm currently taking classes at Dartmouth remotely from China, so it's definitely been an interesting 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!
This past summer, I spent a week in Istanbul with some of my high school friends. We enjoyed visiting museums, going on river cruises, and trying local cuisines, all of which I made sure to capture on my social media. Although I didn't think much when I posted them, they would eventually lead me to some of my best friends at Dartmouth!
I went to Turkey in June, and college seemed far away at the time. I was focused on having fun with my friends, making the most of my summer, and taking in all that Turkey had to offer. Therefore, I was surprised when I received a Snapchat from an incoming Dartmouth freshman, who asked me if I was in Turkey. When I said I was, he introduced himself as Egemen, and asked if I would be interested in meeting up. I jumped at the opportunity to make a new friend and learn more about Turkish culture, so we made plans to have dinner.
I met up with Egemen and another Turkish freshman, Umut, in Istanbul. As we walked around the city, introducing ourselves and talking about our lives, I began to feel more and more comfortable with the strangers I had just met. We went to cool spots I would have never otherwise visited, including a restaurant that was famous for its İskenderkebab, a Turkish delicacy I still crave to this day.
The delicious İskender kebab I had in Instanbul!
Egemen and Umut gave me recommendations for places to visit, Turkish songs to listen to, and through our conversations, we connected over our similarities and differences. Meeting these incredibly kind and interesting people gave me the confidence that I had made the right decision in choosing Dartmouth, and I went home feeling even more excited about all that awaited me in the fall.
Jumping forward to September, I see Egemen and Umut almost every day at Dartmouth. We caught up on everything we did over the summer during International Student Pre-Orientation and have continued to grow closer and learn more about each other since then. Whether we're studying together, listening to live music on the Green, or grabbing a meal, I can always count on having a good time with Egemen and Umut.
Although Dartmouth is physically in Hanover, it has already made impacts on my life from around the world, with Turkey being only one example. Because of Dartmouth, I was introduced to İskender, fun and beautiful places around Istanbul, and most importantly, two friends I can look forward to experiencing Dartmouth with!
"Undergraduate focus!" "Undergraduate focus!" "Undergraduate focus!" But what does that mean? It means the professors and faculty are extremely approachable and help you in your educational journey any way they can!
Dartmouth is home to a diverse range of students that will become your lifelong friends. For this blog post, I thought I'd interview a few of my fellow '24s to give you a glimpse into the crazy awesome people that make Dartmouth, Dartmouth!
Here is an inside look on the culture of Dartmouth through the perspective of a low-income first-year student! I talk about professors, financial aid, and offer some pieces of advice!
We so very wish you could step onto Dartmouth's campus yourself to witness the beauty of our winters live, but COVID-19 has made visiting campuses extremely difficult. I would love to share some of my favorite photos from this past snowy week!
Did you know that Dartmouth is one of the only two colleges in the United States to own their own ski mountain? And here's the best part: you don't have to be an expert skier to have fun on the slopes.
International students like me are no strangers to choosing their College without being able to physically visit. Now, I believe everyone is in that situation, and I decided to gather some thoughts on my choice!
If you haven't heard, this year's application deadline has been extended from February 1, 2021, to March 1, 2021. Read on to hear about my application process!
The Office of Visa and Immigration Services is certainly the biggest ally of the international student, keeping us from being buried by a snowstorm of visa concerns, cultural clashes and more. But they are not our only allies. Come find out more!
The delicious İskender kebab I had in Instanbul!
