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 Dartmouth, I went to a boarding school near Philadelphia. During my four years there, one of the most rewarding experiences I had was becoming a role model and mentor for other students by serving as a Prefect. When I got to Dartmouth, I hoped to continue building my mentoring experiences and serving in positions similar to the one I had in high school. Although I've been able enjoy mentor roles in the Admissions Office and in club sports, my dream job at Dartmouth was always to be an Undergraduate Advisor (UGA). I had first heard about the job from my upperclassmen friend, who was serving as a UGA, and I was immediately interested. I was attracted by the opportunity to engage with first-year residents and shape their Dartmouth experiences, in addition to working with other UGAs and staff who shared my interest in helping others. Not to mention, it pays really well!
The name stickers my UGA friend made, which I unfortunately didn't get to do remotely
Looking back, I applied to be a UGA almost a year ago as a freshman. I wrote my supplements, went through an interview, and was hopeful that I would get an opportunity. Unfortunately, COVID-19 became a thing soon after and how campus would look like became a mystery. Among the uncertainty, what being a UGA meant in the 2020-2021 academic year also became a question I had no answers to. When I decided to go to Shanghai to take my classes remotely, I had to give up on the idea of becoming a UGA. I was surprised, therefore, when I was notified that I would be able to apply as a remote UGA for the winter term. Since most first-year students are remote this winter, the College thought that having a remote UGA could help direct the 24's through this uncertain and difficult time. I immediately signed up and was happy to hear that I got the job a few weeks later.
Halfway through the term, and I've had a blast connecting with first-year students through this remote setting. Although the job isn't how I imagined it to be, it's still as fun and rewarding that I had hoped. As part of my job, I get to organize floor meetings for the 24's where we reflect on our Dartmouth experiences and talk about ways to succeed in college, whether that's academically, socially or something else. I have also enjoyed talking individually with each resident, as I get to know a little more about the newest class of Dartmouth. I've noticed that each of my residents have their own passions that make them so interesting to talk to, which is what makes Dartmouth so special! I also really enjoy working with all the other UGAs and staff members to make our residents' lives easier and better. I think being a UGA is not only a great way to serve the community, but also a role in which you can learn a lot about yourself, other cultures and how to be a good community member. I look forward to the rest of the term and all the floor meetings, one-on-one Zooms and virtual events to come!
I applied through Questbridge's National College Match, but did not match. To others who also did not match, this is not the end of your application process! Here's what I did following match decision day.
Unlimited buffets, flavorful drinks, an assortment of breakfast pastries—Dartmouth has so many great food and drink options to choose from! Join me as I rank my favorite ones.
Walking around the Wellelsey campus, it's clear that it was built with intentional incorporation of the surrounding nature. The architecture of many buildings were also mindfully crafted to support Wellesley's unique principles.
