Hi guys! The name's Tulio (yes, like the guy from Rio) Huggins, and I am a '23! I am from the beautiful state of Pennsylvania, where I have lived for the past couple of years. I am double majoring in History and English with a concentration in Creative Writing. In my free time, I love to hang out with friends at Dartmouth Apologia, my fraternity, and in Aquinas House! Feel free to ask any questions you might have. I hope that you all have a blessed day!
Academic Program
History & English with Concentration in Creative Writing
Favorite Thing Right Now
Hanging out with my fraternity brother and hanging out in Aquinas House!
I remember back in the summer when I was waiting anxiously for my room assignments. I was with two other '23s, and we all were glued to our phones, constantly refreshing our inboxes for the big email from Dartmouth College. It felt like college decision day all over again. Was I going to get a good room? Who was going to be my roommate? Where was my dorm going to be? Was it going to be close to the main campus?
Finally, it came.
With nervousness, I quickly opened my email to find out my living situation for my first year of college.
Dorm: Judge Hall
Room: 3-room double
Judge Hall is in the River Cluster, which I quickly learned is a hefty walk from the main campus around the Green. I was a little saddened by this. Freshman year was big; I didn't want a bad rooming situation to make my year even more overwhelming. But my fears soon abated when I recognized the true value of the room I got.
"Hey, our names are Tulio and Brendan and welcome to our crib"
A 3-room double means that there are three separate areas in my room: a common room where my and my roommate's desks would be, and two individual rooms, one for each of us. Our beds, closets, and drawers would all be in our individual rooms. This room set up was made exactly for my needs.
My personal room pictured during the few times it is clean
See, I'm an outgoing introvert. I love to hang out with people and be in a group, but I also value my alone time. Having a three-room double is perfect for my type of personality. I get to have someone to talk and interact within my room, which I feel is necessary when it's your first year of college. However, I always have a retreat to head to if I feel overwhelmed, or if I just want to be alone. If I want to dance around to some Kings Kaleidoscope, if I come in late from studying at Baker, I wouldn't have to wake up my roommate and disturb him, and vice versa. I have my space, and my roommate has his own, all while still having that roommate relationship. My room gives me the best of both worlds.
As you can tell, I am ALWAYS focused when doing work
So yeah, the distance from Judge Hall to places like FOCO or Baker Library can be challenging — but that's what bikes are for! I am thankful to have a room that fits my needs as a person and allows me to both have a roommate and my own place. And it also taught me to never judge (no pun intended) a book by its cover!
Being in DC this summer and participating in the Rockefeller Center's First Year Fellows program, I've been able to really see just how special the Dartmouth alumni network is.
During a recent conversation with my HS friend who also goes to college in the US, we discussed what it's like experiencing culture shock especially as international students. I'd love to share the tips we developed to combat this feeling.
I can still vividly remember the combination of nervousness and excitement I felt preparing for my first year of college. After an eventful freshman year, here is some advice to '26s as you get ready for your first year:
"Hey, our names are Tulio and Brendan and welcome to our crib"
My personal room pictured during the few times it is clean
As you can tell, I am ALWAYS focused when doing work
