Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog, also known as my digital diary. I'm majoring in Asian Studies modified with Business, a new program here at Dartmouth, so feel free to ask me anything related to that. Beyond the classroom, I love the Dartmouth sunsets, the traditions, the classes, the merch, and the people, of course. Come along with me as I explore the ins and outs of life in the woods.
A course that definitely surprised me, I did not know what to expect and had very little philosophical knowledge before taking this course. It was a mixture of current and past readings, with the final project to make a group video, testing my technological ability. Professor Bumpus was amazing, and I got to know her more when I took her to breakfast at Pine through the Take Your Professor to Lunch Program.
I was recommended to take a history course, specifically a history course with Professor Lu, and it has not disappointed! This course is cross listed with Asian Studies, my major, but it has made me consider a history minor... We start every class off with a song relating to the topic of that class, and then we move on to discussion based activities.
So far, the Dartmouth classes I have taken have been all based around discussion and essay writing. As an Asian Studies and Government major, I expected that the rest of my time at Dartmouth would follow a similar pattern, but in fact a pre-requisite for the Government major is a Political Analysis class. This class involves coding, analyzing survey samples, and other quantitative methods. The professor is amazing—a friend and I got to know him better by taking him out to breakfast at Pine through the 'Take Your Professor to Lunch' program. The final group project involves making projections for the 2024 elections using past data. Although, obviously, this election already happened, some of our predictions were more accurate than the polls! It is super interesting to take a class that I can see the themes in real world news outlets.
My favorite class this term had to be Developing Vietnam, which is a ten-week course taken in Hanover, in preparation for three weeks in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam during the winter break. The goal of this class was to plan and carry out a research project pertaining to development in Vietnam. During our time at Dartmouth, we collaborated with Fulbright University Vietnam students to come up with a shared research topic, research brief, and agenda. The interdisciplinary nature of this class meant that we had the opportunity to explore Vietnam through different angles/themes spanning religion, history, political economy, and environmental governance.
Developing Vietnam: A Dartmouth-Fulbright Combined Course
This term I am participating in a unique opportunity offered by Dartmouth: a Fall+ program, which utilizes our six-week, extended Winter break— 'winterim' in Dartmouth language.
During regular term time, one course is taken in preparation for an international trip during the first three weeks of winterim. Currently, Dartmouth offers three of these programs: one offered by the Art History department, titled'Slow Looking in Paris,' another in the German-Jewish Studies department, titled 'Migration and Memory,' and then an Asian Societies, Cultures and Languages (ASCL) program, 'Developing Vietnam.' I am enrolled in the latter.
What is so special about Developing Vietnam (DVN) is the emphasis on cross-cultural learning. Along with the 18 Dartmouth students are 18 students from Fulbright University Vietnam who also participate in the program. Throughout the fall term, we are enrolled in the same class, albeit on different continents, doing the same readings and having the same in class discussions. And then, during winterim, the Dartmouth students will travel to Ho Chi Minh City.
We are in teams of six—three each from Dartmouth and Fulbright, with majors in anything from ASCL to Environmental Studies. In this way, the cohort has an excellent breadth of interests and skills. For example, within my team, we have students majoring in history, English, economics, and even a pre-med. A key reason that the program draws on such a wide cross section of the student population is its interdisciplinary nature. From history, to religion, to environmental studies, to the political economy of Vietnam, over the ten weeks we will delve into each subsection.
The goal of this study abroad is to create and conduct a research project in Ho Chi Minh City. During term time, we have weekly meetings with our Fulbright counterparts, starting from initial planning stages to the creation of a research prospectus (the stage we are at now!). We can draw on the knowledge and assistance of any of the program's instructors—Professor Miller from the Dartmouth side, and Professor Huang and Professor Lan from Fulbright.
Not only do we get to go to Vietnam, but the Fulbright students also pay us a visit. This occurred during week five of this term and was a wonderful opportunity for us to bond. Being able to meet in person allowed us to build genuine rapport and understand each other's interests, goals, and personalities from beyond the screen.
I first heard about this program during a Study Away fair at the beginning of my first year at Dartmouth. I knew that over the course of my Dartmouth experience that I would want to study abroad at least once, but was ineligible for the Beijing Language Study Abroad, and wasn't too keen on going back to my home city, London, for a program offered in the history department. Sure, some students choose to participate in study aways in a department that they aren't interested in majoring in, in fact the liberal arts philosophy that Dartmouth operates under encourages this, but due to my tight schedule, this wouldn't be possible for me. Therefore, Developing Vietnam was a perfect opportunity for me.
All study abroad applications are quite similar. For the following calendar year, applications are due on February 1st, followed by an interview and a decision on March 1st. Students then have about three weeks to accept their position on the study abroad.
I am elated to travel to Vietnam this winterim. It will not only be a wonderful bonding experience, but also will provide the space to engage meaningfully with Vietnamese students, communities, and institutions, transforming our virtual collaboration into true cross-cultural understanding
If you're a prospective geology, mining, or resources student, this post is for you. "The Stretch" is Dartmouth's field geology program, and it covers exactly those areas!
This winter break, I went on tour with the Dartmouth Decibelles to Charleston and Atlanta, performing throughout local communities and making lasting memories together!
Paris is often hailed as the center of the (European) art world. Through an Art History Fall Plus program, I explored Parisian art in person and up close!
