Antônio Jorge Medeiros Batista Silva

At Dartmouth, over half of the student body will study abroad at least once, and some—like me—will even do it more than once! The opportunities are endless, and include transfer terms, Language Study Abroad (LSA and LSA+ for more advanced classes), Foreign Study Programs (FSPs), exchanges, and internships or fellowships abroad. Both my programs were FSPs—meaning that I dedicated my time fully to classes within the organising department— but many of my friends have been to either an LSA or an LSA+, where they were fully immersed in a city where their target language was spoken. Other opportunities, like exchanges and internships, are often organised independently by the student, who can then request funding through one of Dartmouth's many resources.

To be able to attend two FSPs, I had to think ahead of all my major and degree requirements. Would the classes I take abroad count towards my major? Would it fulfil any of my degree distributive requirements? It is easy to feel overwhelmed with the possibilities, but one has to be realistic when applying to an off-campus program, which is easy, since most of the time you can check what classes will be offered at your host institution, making planning much easier.

One of my fears of spending a term abroad was the financial uncertainty of not being able to work on campus—something I do every term I'm in Hanover. While my financial aid at Dartmouth is really generous, most of my pocket money comes from hours worked around here, either as a research assistant, a Spanish apprentice teacher, or as a blogger for the Admissions Office. Thankfully, however, my financial aid package has always been enough that, when transposed to the abroad programs, it would still offset most of my personal expenses, such as flights. So, in summary: take your expenses into account, but do not worry too much, as Dartmouth often has options to help you out!

Although traditional Greek life can be scary for 2SLGBTQIA+ students, I have never felt unsafe or unwelcomed at The Tabard, my house. On that note, it is worth mentioning that, differently from fraternities and sororities, The Tabard is a gender-inclusive house. That means that everyone is welcome to 'rush' – how we refer to the process of 'applying' for house membership. As a gay man, it is no surprise that most of my friends are queer, but some are also straight, cis boys and girls—and The Tabard is a space where all of us can live together.

Perhaps this is an idea I equivocally nurtured from watching too many college-life-themed movies on TV growing up, but either way, I always saw Greek Life as the closest thing students (especially those from far away) get to a second family. Sometimes, these are literally the people you live, eat, study, and work with. But, that is not always the case! Although we are all part of this house, you don't have to force more intimate relationships to grow if that's not what you want. We all come to these spaces with different expectations: some want to make friends, others just want a space to party at, and many other possibilities. When exploring the potentials of Greek Life, be honest with who you are, don't push yourself to pursue exactly what you think others are looking for—especially if your only reference is John Landi's 'Animal House'.

On that same note: throw away any expectations you have that are solely based on TV! Every house has its own charm, and offers its members a unique experience. Although TV often gets it right—portraying general traditions and organizational structures we do find at Dartmouth Greek houses – there's much more nuance to these spaces than shown on the screen. At the end of the day, your Greek experience will be exactly what you make of it – whether that means partying all night or having daily study sessions with siblings in your house library (something most of Dartmouth Greek houses have).

To be honest, a lot of my time at Dartmouth is spent in my room. It's a me thing; I like my own space. My room is where I host my friends, hold study sessions, have Zoom meetings, etc. But, since returning for junior year, I have been exploring different spaces around campus. My favorite spot was hidden right in front of my eyes—especially great for studying. I come to FoCo (our main dining hall) every single day, but just now, I started using it for studying. In this corner, I get all the lighting needed to lock in and focus on my work, and there's still unlimited coffee!

This term brought along new connections. Both during the rush process of my Greek House—when we welcomed new members—and also in classes and clubs, I met great new people. Since my closest friend group is currently dispersed around the world—not that I'm complaining since they are all studying abroad in incredible places—it meant a lot to me to be able to build new friendships. This term in particular, I surrounded myself with friends I made who had—like me—just got back from an adventure. Some are dual-degree students from other liberal arts colleges who come to Dartmouth to complete their Engineering degrees. Others were abroad, and we finally got the chance to reconnect.

Finally, another spin in my Dartmouth routine took place in one of the clubs I've been a part of since my first year: the college radio. I am now taking on the role of project manager at our station, meaning I get to work closely with other radio leadership, as well as college staff whose work is to support us. It's been a great experience to get to know how the station is run from the inside, not only as a show host but as part of the backstage crew.

The sky is blue, often cloudy, but sunny for most of the quarter. And, oh boy! When the weather begins to chill down, there's nothing more comfortable than pulling out my sweater collection from the bottom drawer and bringing it back to my daily fits. It might be a me thing, but fall looks are my best looks…

A thousand new people for you to familiarize yourself with—a thousand new potential friends, teammates, coworkers, etc. I've been loving getting to know the '27s, and I enjoy seeing them find ways of making Dartmouth feel like their new home. The adaptation process is not always easy, especially if you come from a completely different reality—as in the case of Francisco, my "little" in the Dartmouth Brazilian Society. It's interesting how the big-little dynamics play an important role at this moment. I felt like I could truly offer my experiences as a resource to Francisco as he learned to navigate the college by himself.

During my first term here at Dartmouth (the fall of 2021), I found myself taking some unexpected classes. I wanted to get a real taste of the liberal arts education, and so I did by enrolling in classes I would have never considered taking before. "SPAN20: Writing & Reading," for example, was a game changer for me. It was there and then that I decided to take more Spanish classes, which now are building up towards a double major. I had hoped to take more of Prof. Pastor's classes as I progressed in the department offerings, but for most of my time at Dartmouth, she has been away on a sabbatical. Now, she is back! Just like the student body, Dartmouth's faculty is ever-changing. While you might not see your favorite professor every year, there'll always be a strong bond between you, your classmates, and the instructor—something I truly celebrate.