Hey all! So excited to see you here. My name is Sydney and I'm a '24 studying Economics and Government from Southern California. I've also lived abroad in Spain, Gibraltar, and the Philippines, so Hanover and the East Coast are a whole new world to me! I love to scuba dive, bike, travel, and listen to anything by Kasey Musgraves or The Weeknd. Besides blogging, I am involved in the news section of The Dartmouth, Women in Business, club water polo, and the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact.
What I've Gained from Dartmouth's Profound Sense of Place
This term, I've truly cherished the opportunity to live and learn on Dartmouth's 269-acre campus. I've grown so much – academically with my three amazing classes, socially with my new college friendships, and intrapersonally with learning more about myself every day!
Before touring colleges the summer before my senior year in high school, I thought I wanted to attend a big city university. However, I unexpectedly fell in love with Dartmouth during my visit when I discovered that its rural surrounding environment is what makes its campus so special. Dartmouth is located in Hanover, New Hampshire – a charming quintessential New England college town of around 11,000 residents. Every day, I wake up and appreciate the campus's walkability because everywhere from downtown Hanover to the Vermont border (and everything in between!) is walking distance from my dorm. In broad daylight, I usually can't walk outside for longer than five minutes without exchanging a nice hello with someone I personally know in passing.
The Hanover trees come in all different colors in the fall!
Dartmouth's constantly changing scenery offers so many ways for students to center themselves in nature. I've experienced so many exciting milestones over these past nine weeks – kayaking in the warm early-fall months, swimming across the Connecticut River to Vermont, hiking Gile Mountain with friends, standing on top of the Quechee Gorge, thrift shopping for Halloween costumes, and experiencing my first New England snowfall. At Dartmouth, there is never a dull moment; I feel like I'm constantly exploring and creating new memories. For example, my friend and I walked to the Mink Brook Nature Preserve last Friday to celebrate our final midterms of freshman fall. A dense forest of pine trees and crisp New England breeze surrounded us as we trekked deeper through the woodsy trail. This one example goes to show how the sheer vastness of Dartmouth's campus has made me more mindful and humble of my place in the world. In the middle of a global pandemic, I've appreciated the little things that make life so beautiful. I've met friends here that come from all over the country and the world – Texas, Massachusetts, New York, Singapore, Switzerland, and many more!
My friend Emily M. and I take a walk to a nearby nature reserve to appreciate the outdoors!
After sunrise, I snap this backdrop photo walking back from the nature reserve.
Dartmouth is a safe, familiar, and close-knit community that emphasizes traditions and cultivates lifelong friendships. As I pack up my belongings and head home for winterim (the six week break we have before winter quarter), I'm really going to miss late night runs to CVS, early morning study sessions at Baker-Berry Library, the sound of freshly-fallen leaves crunching on the pavement, and renting Zipcars to explore the Upper Valley. Farewell for now, Dartmouth!
Wow, my freshman year at Dartmouth has really flown by! Towards the end of summer 2020, I received a warm welcome email from my Orientation Peer Leaders inviting me to join a Zoom call with around ten other of my classmates.
As we approach graduation day, I continue to reflect on my time at Dartmouth. I've learned a lot about myself over the course of the last four years, but here are three of the most important things I've come to realize...
In no particular order, here are a few places and ways I love to spend my free time as a student at Dartmouth. I hope this post can give you a glimpse into how wonderful campus life can be!
Here is a glimpse into the gorgeous outdoors that sits on and hugs Dartmouth's campus. On this fine May afternoon, my friends and I paddled down the Connecticut River for the first time now that the Ledyard Canoe Club opened services. We had a blast!
Spikeball on the Green, cherry blossoms in front of Baker….as spring is arriving here in the Upper Valley, I thought I'd write a quick post about my favorite things to do near campus this time of year!
