Hello, 你好, and Bonjour! My name is Tao; I'm from New York City, and I'm a proud first-generation student. I'm currently interested in studying applied math and learning a new language (French, with the intent of studying abroad using my D-Plan!) at Dartmouth. I love being immersed at campus–especially aesthetic Woccoms, fookie grubs at FOCO, and Baker-Berry Tower Room study sessions. Come one, come all: let me take you along!
Academic Program
Mathematics and Quantitative Social Science with a minor in French
As the name describes, this class taught me all about food! While the class is centered on teaching academic writing skills, I have definitely learned a lot about fun topics like food diversity, ethical farming, and culinary significances. For my final project, I got to write about how sauces relates to our society!
As a first-year student, here are advices I would give to any student or prospective students:
Have a calendar!
Last fall term, I moved into Dartmouth and realized just how important it is to have something, like a calendar, to keep track of your tasks. I cannot stress how having a calendar made life much easier: I can keep track of when and where my classes and professors office hours were, list time I meet with my academic advisors, and stay up to date to events like sport games! At Dartmouth, we have a saying "put it on my g-cal," translating to: want to schedule a time to meet together? Send an invite on my Google Calendar. I just started using Google Calendar this term, and I saved so much time by just looking at my calendar for daily itinerary than scattering through my emails for events.
Utilize the academic resources!
1. I did not know Dartmouth had so many resources until I began exploring! For one, we have the student Writing Center. The Writing Center is composed of Dartmouth undergraduates who are available through appointment or special walk-in hours to give you peer feedback on anything writing related: I have used the writing center for my writing class, club application on campus, and scholarship applications!
2. Academic Skills Center: The Academic Skills Center (ASC) at Dartmouth, as the name suggests, is built for students to learn about study skills that'll help them academically succeed! Fun fact: I learned about the benefits of having a Google Calendar through an academic coach at Academic Skills Center. Besides learning useful study habits, ASC also offers peer tutoring for classes like Economics and Computer Science! Going to peer tutoring sessions has helped me solidify class contents faster than studying alone. On top of that, ASC also hosts weekly events. My personal favorite? "Get it Done," a dedicated space where I can sit down to literally get my work done!
You Deserve Break Off!
I used to feel a bit guilty for taking time off to relax instead of studying, but I realized how important it is to take breaks. One thing that I realized didn't work for me was cram-studying, an extended period of time where I'd try to sit and study, study, study! As a college student, it's important to have a balanced schedule, and that means giving yourself some grace:
1. Campus events are great opportunities to socialize and take your mind off of study stress. Dartmouth has various extracurricular events. This weekend, for example, the Student Programming Board brought Laundry Day to perform for the students; another weekend, Collis After Dark (a late-night program at Dartmouth that hosts frequent social activities) brought mentalist Brian Imbus on campus and showed us the secret behind mind-reading.
2. Me and my friends and I decided to have a weekly dinner together to talk and debrief. Our favorite spot is going to Molly's, an American-diner just a block away from the campus. I live for their weekly special brick-oven pizza and being able to spend time with my friend. Having a dedicated time just for yourself is an important aspect of contributing to mental wellbeing.
3. Go outside: literally and figuratively! For one, when studying gets stressful, I like to stroll around for a 15 minute woccom around the Occom pond on campus (a "walk around the Occom pond," hence the name woccom). On the other hand, Dartmouth has numerous outdoor clubs that helped me integrate physical activity into my day-to-day life. One of the outdoor clubs, People of Color Outdoor, has my heart! Every week, the people of color at Dartmouth plan trips to build community and offer students the opportunity to explore the upper valley. During the fall, I was able to go apple picking at a local farm; this term, we're thinking of going ice climbing and skiing!
I've just put a lot on your plate, but do you know what's the best part? All of these resources are free! They are made for Dartmouth students, so I'd definitely recommend students or prospective students explore these programs that shape a balanced academic experience.
I can't wait to celebrate Winter, so I just had to write a blog post all about it. Read on to hear about all the fun (and affordable) Winter activities at Dartmouth!
After experiencing this Dartmouth winter term, I am ready to write an ode to this cold weather! Here is what a weekend in the Hanover winter feels like.
