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!
Something I love about being at Dartmouth is everyone you meet is passionate about something. Whether that's playing a sport for the national team, doing research with the government, or making songs that gain thousands of streams, it's always amazing to discover what people love doing. Although I haven't accomplished any of the feats I just mentioned, I do have my own interests and pursuits. After a year at Dartmouth, I've been able to carve out little niches for myself where I'm able to explore my passions, which I'd like to share with you all!
One of the first things I signed up for at Dartmouth was Club Squash. Squash was a huge part of my life in high school, as my teammates were some of my best friends and weekend trips were some of my favorite memories. Therefore, I was excited to see how I could continue playing squash at Dartmouth. Although I can't go to the squash courts this term, I've met some amazing people through Club Squash and have made some great memories at practices and matches. To me, squash is a relaxing activity that I can go to whenever I feel stressed. Being able to play with friends or hit by myself has always been a great outlet, and I'm grateful to have that at Dartmouth.
Squash after class!
Going to the academic side of things, I started studying economics my senior year of high school and decided to continue on that track at Dartmouth. While a liberal arts education means that I can explore other areas (which in my case have included philosophy, anthropology and psychology), it's definitely not designed to be a pre-professional curriculum. I love that I'm not forced to step into a professional track in college, but I've also been pick up some relevant industry skills by participating in various clubs across campus. For example, I'm involved with Dartmouth's Investment Philanthropy Program, which invests their own fund each year and distributes their earnings to various organizations. Through this club, I've been able to learn about financial statements and valuation methods, which will be useful if I ever decide to go into Finance.
Of course, your passions don't have to be confined to a club or team. Something that I have always been interested by is making music. Since this is only a casual interest for me, I never thought about joining a music group (not that I would be qualified to do so), but instead have enjoyed making beats with other friends who share my interest. I spent just as much time my Freshman year playing squash as I did sitting in the radio booth with my friends messing around with the DJ kits, even though I might not have a club to show for it. As you can see, Dartmouth allows you to explore your passions in any manner you choose, whether that's structured or unstructured.
My extracurriculars have allowed me to pick up new skills, continue to develop old ones, and support me in my life during Dartmouth while also preparing me for my life after graduation. Most importantly, they've allowed me to meet amazing people who share my passions and work every day to explore their interests. Of course, I had to save the best for last and mention my work at the Admissions Office. Blogging every week and talking to prospective students has been something I never expected to do in college, but now couldn't imagine not doing!
In Solid Mechanics, we designed and constructed a bridge that held 10kN, around 1000kg! The process, from SOLIDWORKS design to laser cutting to gluing parts together, took us weeks, but it was one of the most rewarding projects I have ever done.
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.
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.
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.
