你好！Or Hi! My name is Taylor, and I'm a '27! I'm from Beijing, China. I'm hoping to major in Mathematics Modified with Computer Science and minor in Religion. Outside of the classroom, you can find me going on hikes with the Dartmouth Outing club, drawing or crafting at the jewelry studio, or having fun, philosophical conversations with friends!
Academic Program
(Intended) Mathematics Modified with Computer Science, Religion
Coming to Dartmouth with a solid background in French (Delf B2), I find French 3 a perfect fit for me -- it helps me to consolidate a lot of key grammar and vocabs, and fun weekly cultural activities like coffee hours and french lunch table offers me chances to relax in busy times. While the class is very rigorous and requires a lot of hard work, my professor is so nice and makes the class very fun! I also look forward to going to Dartmouth's Toulouse LSA program after completion of this class!
This course explores how Buddhist concepts of embodiment affect daily life and society in Southeast Asian contexts, and how the intersection of religion, sexuality, and gender impact broader understandings of authority, wisdom, beauty, death, and loyalty. The class takes on many forms beyond mere lectures -- a visit to the Hood Museum of Art, mindfulness practices, and small Buddha-crafting projects. Our professor (the sweetest Prof. MK Long) also invites many of her colleagues at other institutes as guest lecturers to our class so that we can learn from real experts specializing in different countries in Southeast Asia. I have learned a lot from the class and decided to become a religion major after this course!
Having never enjoyed math classes before college, I'm surprised (again) by how I'm becoming a math major and falling in love with math here! My professor (Prof. Shu Longmei, who graduated from the best university in my hometown) is incredibly good at teaching the concepts -- not just explaining things clearly but also showing us the beauty and elegance of calculus. I really look forward to taking more math classes in the future!
SummerVietnam & Beijing, China
I first visited pagodas in Vietnam for a couple of weeks and had days of conversations with monastics! Then, I returned home to savor time spent with my family and old friends, focus on my mental and physical health, and study and work a bit.
My first-year at Dartmouth has truly been a whirlwind of experiences. As I return home, I want to take a moment to reflect on what I have learned and how I have grown during this transformative year. Looking back, my first-year at Dartmouth has been a period of profound growth and self-discovery. It has challenged me to push beyond my limits, embrace my strengths and weaknesses, and navigate the complex web of choices and opportunities that define college life.
1. Breaking the limits I set for myself.
Academically, I have done so many things that I would never imagined myself doing back in high school. I came here as a humanities student (and I still love the humanities deeply) who has been afraid of STEM for all her life and would do everything to avoid STEM. Yet, I have begun to recognize the beauty in mathematics and computer science throughout my first year at Dartmouth. From takingLinear Algebra in my first term just for fulfilling my distributive requirements to talking about data structures and vector calculus in my conversations with friends, the liberal arts curriculum here makes me realize my potential in subjects I thought I would never be able to study, and teaches me how to be a critical thinker as I take on the mindsets of different fields.
The brisk pace of the quarter system has also honed my time management and multitasking skills. Whether it was reading a novel and writing a ten-page paper in three days or juggling club responsibilities, final exams, and packing up my dorm, each day in college was busier than my college application season. These experiences have prepared me for any academic challenge, nurtured my grit, and boosted my confidence in stepping out of my comfort zone.
2. Recognizing my limits and living with them.
At the same time, my first year is characterized by meeting so many incredibly brilliant people in so many fields—friends who have published research papers in their first-year or sophomore years, who are doing multiple research projects at the same time, who are interning at amazing companies in their first-year summer… Meeting these wonderfully diverse, talented, and friendly people is an extremely humbling experience. It helps me to better know myself by recognizing and living with my own limitations. It has not only made me recognize that I'm not as talented or passionate in certain fields, which helps to rule out certain major or career choices but also propels me to realize that excellence can be manifested in incredibly different yet inspiring ways, thus encourages me to be more conscious finding my strengths and bold pursuing my interests.
3. It's all about opportunity costs.
My first year has not been without regrets. Dartmouth offers a plethora of resources, and I often blame myself for not taking full advantage of them—whether it's becoming a research assistant, participating in the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship, joining the DALI Lab, or attending SpareRib meetings. However, I also realize the importance of my existing commitments—engaging in demanding but rewarding classes, managing club involvements and internships, hiking with the Dartmouth Outing Club, and taking care of my mental health and homesickness. Limited time and energy mean that every college student constantly makes choices about what to study, who to meet, and which extracurriculars to pursue. While it is still challenging to make peace with not engaging in certain activities, I am grateful for how these choices have helped me understand who I am, what I love, and what I do not, guiding me toward a more conscious path in life.
Spending time in a cabin over the weekend rather than working in a lab!
Every Dartmouth student is required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English. Here's my experience navigating the language requirement!
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
