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!
Coming into my first winter term at Dartmouth, I wasn't sure how I was going to spend my weekends. I realized that in the fall, I spent a lot of Sunday afternoons hanging out with my friends on the Green, which wouldn't be an option in the winter. Therefore, I applied for TuckLAB over winterim, a free program available to all undergraduates hosted by the Tuck School of Business. TuckLAB provides students with business and entrepreneurial skills, and it's designed to allow you to pursue your interests, meet new people, and take classes from Tuck professors!
So far, I've been able to learn about marketing strategy, business analytics, and more. What's awesome is that these skills have already been useful to me in my life. For example, I recently learned how to do spreadsheet modeling from a great Tuck professor as part of the program. Later that week, while I was designing a presentation for my Macroeconomics class, I realized I could design a spreadsheet to better communicate my ideas. Without TuckLAB, I would have never been able to produce a beautiful spreadsheet, but I was able to look at my notes from TuckLAB and produce a great spreadsheet that my class loved.
A great lecture on group dynamics and teamwork
At TuckLAB, I've also enjoyed working on a start-up with some friends, competing with other start-ups in the program. My group's project is designed for neurologists and allows doctors to better understand the patient's brain during seizures by using electric impulses and machine learning. It's super interesting to learn about the financial aspects of this project, as we develop 2-minute pitches, product development, and more! All of this is guided by graduate students and graduate professors, so it's super cool to gain valuable insight from people I usually wouldn't interact with. Finally, most of our group work is done during dinner, so TuckLAB offers us great meals as we develop our start-ups. Free food is always a plus!
I always gush about how many opportunities Dartmouth students have available to them, and TuckLAB is just one example of them. The program is completely free, even though hours of planning and work have obviously been dedicated to it. Since it's voluntary, all the students and professors involved in the program are passionate and dedicated, and it's been a really positive experience for me so far. I can't wait to see what other lessons I take from the program, and how far my group develops our start-up.
Dartmouth changed my life. A large part of that change comes from the support I have received from professors. Learn more here about some mentor-mentee relationships I have made!
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.
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.
My first time in Chicago at the Society of Women Engineers Conference in Chicago, Illinois! Fully funded by Dartmouth, I had a great time meeting amazing companies and getting to know fellow women engineers.
Through Dartmouth's Guarini Institute for International Study, I am getting to take classes and experience life at Wellesley College, an all-women's school!
Academics can be challenging at Dartmouth. But there are lots of groups across campus here to support you through your academic journey. Read on for my experience asking for help and a few organizations that might be helpful to you!
