Hey all! So excited to see you here. My name is Sydney and I'm a '24 passionate about energy, education, the environment, and economic policy. I grew up in Southern California, but have also lived abroad in Gibraltar, Spain, and the Philippines. When not blogging or working at McNutt as a Senior Admissions Fellow, you can catch me involved in the Dartmouth Energy Alliance, Energy Justice Clinic, and Greek Life. I hope my blog can give you a window into Dartmouth from a student's perspective.
Academic Program
Majors in Economics and Environmental Studies, Minor in International Studies
Having never taken an economics class prior to Dartmouth, I took Economics 1 this fall to explore how people make decisions and how to think like an economist. We just wrapped up our first midterm that covered topics like supply and demand, taxes and subsidies, elasticities, and marginal utility. Now, we're jumping into graphing indifference curves and analyzing competitive firms in the short and long terms. As part of our problem sets, we have been listening and responding to a variety of NPR podcasts on topics relevant to our everyday lives – how costumes relate to international tariffs, almond trees and opportunity cost, Uber's controversial surge pricing, and more. During our weekly discussion meetings, Professor Shenhav is especially helpful in answering all of our questions and popping into breakout rooms to assist. I've also joined a weekly study group (which is free with the Tutor Clearinghouse at Dartmouth!) and have enjoyed discussing concepts with a small group of peers and our upperclassman tutor Anoop to guide us.
Introduction to Education: Learning, Development, and Teaching
I am absolutely loving Education 1 – an interdisciplinary asynchronous class housed in the Education department. I'm learning so much about the significance of early pre-K interventions on long-term behaviors, the layered complexities of the American public school system, the neuroscience behind how the brain processes new information, and more! Since this class is asynchronous, I can go at my own pace when writing up discussion posts and collaborating on group projects. I usually watch the lectures the day they are posted on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Novack, the student cafe on campus. Professor Tine goes above and beyond to provide thorough feedback on all assignments and loves when her students pop into Zoom office hours. Her passion about teaching, especially when it comes to reversing neuromyths and alleviating educational inequities in the United States, inspires me to truly engage with class material!
Introduction to International Development
International Studies 16 is a fantastic course within the Geography department that hones in on the roots of global inequality. So far, we've learned about topics like colonial history, the global South, the Green Revolution, the work of the World Bank, racial capitalism, and international aid. Not going to lie, this class does cover a dense reading load, but we also mix things up by watching documentaries, learning about current news items, listening to guest speakers, and participating in engaging discussions. Today, I just finished an in-class debate on cash transfers versus traditional aid, a hot relevant development topic. We also have an online research journal where we can examine any one of the Sustainable Development Goals that piques our interest – I am writing about initiatives to improve public transportation within the Philippines. Professor Freidberg and my teacher assistant Han are super knowledgeable and always willing to schedule office hour appointments. I took this class on a whim after emailing the professor about additional openings, and I'm so glad I've been able to explore international development my freshman fall!
Traditionally, Dartmouth students take three courses during a term, but I decided to take four courses this term! Learn about course load and the academic system at Dartmouth.
As I approach the halfway mark of my Dartmouth journey this spring, I find myself reflecting on the significance of distributive and world culture requirements in shaping my academic experience.
This is my final term before senior year, which is both exciting and terrifying at the same time. One thing I am excited about is the classes I am taking this term, so let me tell you more!
This is part two of me "nerding out" about my honors thesis! If you want to learn more about independent projects, theses, or the humanities at Dartmouth, check it out!
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.
