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!
How have you been able to engage with global experiences and opportunities through Dartmouth amid COVID?
A:
Unfortunately, the study abroad experiences that were once easily accessible for all Dartmouth students were put on hold for the 2020-2021 academic school year. I was personally impacted by this change (which most if not all peer universities made), as I was planning to spend my winter in Lyon, France where I looked forward to becoming immersed in the local culture and language. Fortunately, these programs have been resumed for the 2021-2022 school year, and application results have already been released! Although I decided not to apply to any study abroad programs to make up for the lost time in Hanover, I have friends who will be studying Government in London, sustainable engineering in Berlin, and Economics in Milan next year! Therefore, although Covid-19 remains a global concern, it's amazing to see how quickly the College has been able to restore these global experiences and opportunities for its students.
Although my study abroad program was canceled, I am happy to share some other ways in which I was able to widen my global perspective this year. First, I engaged worked with a Peruvian non-profit this summer, where I was able to learn more about the politics, education system, and culture of South America. You can read more about my experience here! I've also kept in touch with old friends and made new ones, including Dartmouth students from Turkey, Germany, and Poland! Although I wasn't able to travel to Europe this year, these friendships have allowed me to learn about different cultures and lifestyles. For example, while working on a group project for a Psychology class, I bonded with a Polish student over Polish UFC Champion Jan Blachowicz! He then told me how Poland rallies around this champion and how well-known MMA is in the country. Through experiences like these, I gain a better understanding of cultures and the global world without having to leave the comfort of my home.
Next year, I look forward to hopefully welcoming back a post-Covid-19 world where study abroad programs are back and the Dartmouth community can interact in person again. However, reflecting on how my global perspective has expanded this year while having never traveled abroad, I can say that Dartmouth does a great job of expanding my views through everyday interactions and even remote classes. I hope this post has been helpful, and if you have any more questions about global experiences, feel free to visit the Guarini of International Education!
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.
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!
