Hi everyone! I'm Yehalah and I'm a '26 coming all the way from Colombo, Sri Lanka. My academic passions lie in Energy Engineering and Environmental Studies. I am a first-generation and low-income student, actively involved with the community. I love to paint and read during my free time. I'm excited that you're here, and I hope you enjoy this account of my life at Dartmouth!
The sequel to Drawing 1! Undoubtedly harder, but definitely a great class. I can now say, with confidence, that I am able to paint a mango successfully.
The Sacred Architecture of Asia is one of the most incredible courses I have taken at Dartmouth! The course is primarily discussion-based, with Professor Seher explaining and initiating conversation about the course material.
Dartmouth in the winter is cold, very very cold. Freezing would be a better word to describe it actually. This past week was brutal, with the temperature going down to -29 degrees Celsius and the wind chill being -40 degrees Celsius. It's safe to say it was terrifying for a tropical island girl like me. I was wearing four layers on top, three pairs of pants, an ankle-length jacket, a beanie, earmuffs, and a scarf. Not to mention two pairs of socks and gloves.
Frozen eyelashes from walking outside!
Personally, I would have loved to be in bed, sipping hot chocolate. However, life goes on and even in extreme temperatures, it is still a Dartmouth day and there are things that need to be done. I still had classes and my job to go to. I also managed to make it alive to the Dartmouth vs. Princeton ice hockey game, which was a long walk from my dorm but turned out to be really fun.
Dartmouth vs Princeton!
I did my best to limit my time outdoors though and always made sure to walk with one of my friends. The College also had the campus shuttle running until 2:30 AM to and from major locations around campus. To all the local and international students from warm areas, I am not trying to scare you. I am trying to emphasize on being ready for a Dartmouth winter, especially how important it is to wear multiple layers and a warm coat. The Sustainability Office hosts many winter clothing drives, so don't worry if you are unable to afford winter clothes or unable to bring some to Dartmouth when you are initially arriving.
When I was coming to Dartmouth, I was definitely underprepared for the weather change. I barely brought any winter clothes from home. However, for the months I have been here, Dartmouth has helped me prepare for the winter and they still are. Last Friday, I went on a trip organized by the Sustainability Office to the local thrift store to get some warm base layers, where they gave us each some money to spend as well.
The temperatures we have been experiencing these past few days have been extreme and aren't the normal temperatures around this area. Hopefully, by the next post I write, I will be able to walk around campus with one less layer.
Growing up in New England and transitioning to living at Dartmouth, I'm all too familiar with the unpredictability (and beauty) of New England's weather. Let me tell you about it here!
Bonjour! It has been a while since you've heard from me, but I was indeed on a Language Study Abroad (LSA) program in southern France (Toulouse) for the winter term. Here are my reflections on being back!
I spent the past three months in New Zealand and the Cook Islands as part of Dartmouth's Linguistics Foreign Study Program (FSP). Come see what I made of this experience!
