Hello there! My name is Shuyi and I'm a '23, which means it's my senior year here at Dartmouth! Follow me for my last year at Dartmouth as I reflect upon my college experience. At Dartmouth, I enjoy playing squash, eating at late night, and of course, blogging. You can ask me about studying social sciences, coming to Dartmouth as an international student, and anything else really. I hope you enjoy the blog!
I actually wasn't planning on taking this class but it eventually became my favorite class. The professor was very funny and created a relaxed classroom environment where I enjoyed looking at diversity in different contexts, such as college admissions and group dynamics.
This class was a perfect mix of philosophy, classical studies, and writing. We were able to reflect on societal views, our own ideas of optimism and pessimism, and how we can lead more fulfilling and compassionate lives.
My first experience with computer science was my Freshman winter, and I quickly became interested in the subject. I followed up CS1 with CS10 in the Spring, which I found just as cool. I love how you can solve problems by applying logic and math with computer science, and I look forward to diving deeper into the major!
Econ 21 is required for all Econ majors, and I loved my experience with Professor Gustman. He made the material super easy to digest and allowed me to take exams in my timezone, which I thought was really nice.
It was really interesting to study public speaking in an asynchronous environment, and I came away with a deeper understanding of not only public speaking but speech writing. I wrote a separate blog post about the class, so check it out!
Since English was one of my favorite classes in high school, I wanted to take another writing course at Dartmouth. This was a great choice, as it was a perfect mix of lecture and discussion. I loved reading and learning about several American dramas, and even discussing modern topics such as Trump's rhetoric!
SummerShanghai
I took my Sophomore Summer off, which many international students do, and got involved with the Tuck School of Business through the Bridge and Paganucci programs! You can read more about my summer experiences in my blogs!
This was my first class from the QSS department, which was long overdue considering that I'm a QSS major! I really enjoyed picking up some coding skills and tackling problems like transitional justice with quantitative approaches.
I took Econ 25 in the Fall, and Econ 35 was the next course in the game theory sequence! It was really fun to apply game theory to cool concepts like sports, Covid-19, and auctions.
This was my first time taking a music class even though I have been involved with music my entire life, whether that was playing the piano or learning how to make beats. I loved this class because I not only learned more about music, but more about Native culture as well!
SummerNew York
I took my junior summer off to pursue a management consulting internship in New York. I had a wonderful experience!
I absolutely loved this class! Theatre was one of my favorite classes in middle school, and so it was great to reconnect with theatre again in college. The professor was amazingly kind and passionate, and the final project was a really fun group performance!
This was a small class of around 15 people, which allowed us to have intimate discussions of readings and theatre. I loved hearing from my classmates, as we used our personal experiences to guide us in our understanding of materials. My final project was a protest on campus, which also really fun and refreshing take on performance!
How is the experience at Dartmouth as an international student?
A:
As someone who grew up in Montreal and Shanghai, I definitely know that it's like to come to a new country and start school as an international student. Like most schools, however, Dartmouth does a great job of making sure international students have the resources and support groups they need to succeed. Your experience as an international student starts off with First-Year Trips like all the other students, but then you go through your own international student orientation. This is a great time to meet some international mentors, ask any questions you might have, and meet a group of friends. Personally, I already felt acquainted with Dartmouth once the regular orientation began, as I had asked all my questions during international orientation. After orientation, students have International Student Advising, Visa and Immigration Services, and your International Mentor to count on for support throughout your time at Dartmouth. You can also meet other international students through the International Students Association, the Korean Students Association, etc. I've written about all this before, so check out my blog post here for more!
Although I had studied in the US prior to coming to Dartmouth, a lot of my other international student friends felt a culture shock during their first few months at the school. I know they were able to find comfort by making friends from their home country, enjoying their local cuisine at Foco (our dining hall), and of course connecting with their friends and family back home. I think most international students go through this adjustment period, but Dartmouth's warm community and sense of togetherness really helps to get you through it. Something I love about Dartmouth is that even if you're an international student, you naturally become friends with students from other countries. I've seen that some of my friends at bigger universities have just stuck to their own group of friends who all speak the same language and share the same culture. However, since Dartmouth is a smaller college where community is emphasized, you get to know people from nearby and from far away. I've made friends with students from every continent, and although I considered myself a global student coming into the school, my eyes have been opened to a lot more cultures by talking to people from all around the world. Although I wouldn't say your Dartmouth experience will be the same as an international student as it would be if you were from the United States, I can reassure you that you'll enjoy just a great of an experience and never feel like you're held back by the country you're from. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out to one of our current students here!
Through Dartmouth's Guarini Institute for International Study, I am getting to take classes and experience life at Wellesley College, an all-women's school!
