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!
Before I jump into my Spring term, I would like to appreciate Dartmouth's 2-week spring break which is twice as long as the traditiional one-week break that most semester schools have (Dartmouth is on a quarter system!). Since I didn't have any final exams, I was able to leave early and enjoy a 3-week spring break...amazing!
Now that I'm rejuvenated and back for Spring term, I wanted to share the personal goals I've set for myself as I approach my last months of college. I'm only taking two classes this term compared to the traditional three class term, so I have significantly more time for personal pursuits and to enjoy Dartmouth. By sharing my goals, I hope you will be able to get some insight into what daily life is like at Dartmouth, and what activities are available to students in the Spring!
1) Go skiing and/or swimming in the river once a week:
The river is one of the most popular spots for Dartmouth students during the Spring, as you can swim, kayak, and more! Students can rent kayaks and paddleboards with the DOC, and it's always nice to swim in the river or sunbathe on the dock. Although I went a few times last Spring, I hope to take advantage of my last term and go at least once a week! I also want to go skiing a few more times, as I really enjoyed going skiing every week in the winter. Since I still have my season pass, I'll be able to go for free, and bigger mountains in the area will still have trails open in April!
My friends and I going for a dip at the river last Spring!
2) Attend more social events:
A term at Dartmouth gets busy pretty quickly, given the fast-pace of classes and the many extracurricular options available. That means I'm often opting out of social events to catch up on work, attend meetings, or simply relax. However, since I'm only taking two classes this term, I hope I'll have more time to be more active with the different social events on campus, whether that's weekly meetings with my fraternity, pizza nights with the People Places Pines bloggers, or just hanging out with friends on the Green. Of course, I'll be sure to turn up for big events of the Spring such as Green Key, which is a huge concert hosted by the College, and Pigstick, a music/food event hosted by my fraternity (hoping it doesn't rain)!
3) Exercise and take advantage of Dartmouth's facilities:
Last term, my friend told me that he started going to the sauna every week. I was shocked to find out that there was an accessible sauna at the gym, and I made it a goal to check it out in the Spring. On a similar note, I want to discover and take advantage of all the different options we have at the gym! Whether that's taking a swim, playing squash, or doing a spin class, I look forward to trying out new ways to exercise. It was hard to go to the gym regularly in the winter since it was cold, but I'm making it a goal to exercise everyday in the Spring. Although it remains to be seen whether I'll actually reach that goal, I feel more confident than ever.
And of course, I'll make sure to keep up and be engaged with my classes this term - more on that in a future post! Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to the Spring!
Planning on visiting Dartmouth as a prospective student or an interested person wanting to see our beautiful campus? In this post, I share insider tips to ensure your visit is fulfilled!
Witnessing an eclipse was one of the most exciting days in my life to date, and a solid reminder of our place in this universe. Read on to hear about it!
Coming back from Spring break usually means coming back to an entirely different campus than the one you left in the Winter – but that was not the case this year! Read on to hear more...
