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!
The last time I was on campus, I was living in a freshman dorm for my winter term. When I left for spring break in 2020, I was definitely expecting to be back in my cozy dorm room in Wheeler Hall for the Spring term. Instead, Covid-19 meant that I spent the following four terms around the world as I traveled between my homes of Shanghai and Montreal. Therefore, while the fact that I'm spending my third on-campus term at Dartmouth in a freshman dorm might not be surprising to hear, it definitely raises some eyebrows once you discover I'm actually a junior!
So, why I am living a freshman dorm as a junior? It's because I'm an Undergraduate Advisor (UGA) this year, which means I'll be advising all the freshmen (25s) on my floor! I've really loved the experience of getting to know the newest faces of Dartmouth so far, as I'm brought back to all the questions I had freshman year. Let me walk you through some of my regular experiences as a UGA, and why the work has been so rewarding!
One of my favorite things about being a UGA is the conversations on the floor. As you might expect, a freshman floor is usually louder than other floors, as the 25s are bursting with energy and excitement. These positive vibes have been contagious to my Dartmouth experience, as I'm always happy to come back to my room and ask what my 25s have done. It's been great to get to know everyone through casual conversations, and hearing about their first-year experiences brings back some personal memories from my freshman year as well!
My freshman residents after getting matriculated!
Another exciting thing about UGA is getting to host events. I recently hosted my first even with another UGA, and we decided to do a Wellness Weekend for all the 25s. We bought face masks, snacks and tea and welcomed all the 25s to come join us on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It was great to not only see some of the 25s I met on my floor at the event, but to meet some other people from other buildings as well! I can't wait to do my next event, which will be a movie night with Domino's pizza!
Although being a UGA is full of great experiences, what I've enjoyed so far is seeing all the great accomplishments from my floor. While most of the 25s were shy and full of questions during orientation, my residents are now playing key roles in Varsity teams and clubs around campus. Of course, they still have the silly question now and then, but it's been great to see them develop through the fall term. I hope my experience as a UGA sheds some light on what the residential freshman experience is like at Dartmouth, as you'll not only have your floormates to count on, but also an UGA who will always be there to help!
As a Digital Media Student Director for Dartmouth's First-Generation Office, it is my role on campus to amplify first-gen voices, foster community, and create meaningful connections through creative outreach.
This fall, Dartmouth provided me with incredible opportunities to get involved in politics. I registered as a New Hampshire voter, joined civic organizations, canvassed, and more! Read on to follow my journey leading up to Election Day!
Some of my rising senior friends from New York have been in contact with me since graduation, and I've compiled a list of FAQs that might help you better understand life at Dartmouth!
