lone pine

Chidera Duru

Class of 2025
Chidera Duru '25
About 

Hi guys! I'm Chidera and I'm a '25 from Lagos, Nigeria. I've lived in a big city for nearly half of my life, so it's great to experience the scenic outdoor spaces surrounding Dartmouth. Outside of the classroom, I conduct research with the economics department, I'm a peer tutor for the Academic Skills Center and I'm also involved with the Dartmouth Energy Alliance.

Academic Program 

Economics, African and African American Studies

Favorite Thing Right Now 

Getting lunch with friends on Collis Porch

Hometown 

Lagos, Nigeria

Pronouns 

she/her/hers

You are here

Chidera's D-Plan

What's a D-Plan?

    • FallHanover

      Favorite Class: Introduction to Biological Anthropology

      Taking this class was a random and unexpected decision that I am so happy I made. This class was about the intersection between human and primate evolution and our social behaviors. It really opened my eyes to how unique and beautifully diverse different societies are, and how this uniqueness influences our biology in interesting ways.

    • WinterHanover

      Favorite Class: Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis

      Taught by Professor Doyle, this has been my favorite class at Dartmouth so far. It was a calculus integrated with economic applications of the concepts we learned. It was the first time this class was offered at Dartmouth, and Professor Doyle made sure we all had a thorough understanding of the material. The fact that we were also able to see the real-world applications of the calculus concepts also made the class uniquely interesting.

    • SpringHanover

      Favorite Class: Paris in the 19th Century

      I took this class to fulfill Dartmouth's first-year seminar requirement. In selecting a first-year seminar class, I sought out a department that I would not have taken a class in otherwise. It was an incredibly fulfilling experience and I learnt so much about Parisian Impressionist painters in the late 19th century like Monet, Manet, Degas, Morisot and Renoir. It also taught me about the political, social and economic conditions that typically inspire pivotal art movements.

    • SummerWashington D.C.

      This summer, I interned at the International Finance Corporation in DC, through the Rockefeller Center's First-Year Fellows program which gives first-year students the opportunity to engage in public policy early in their Dartmouth careers. I lived with about twenty other members of Dartmouth's Class of 2025 and got to experience life in a vibrant city while gaining professional work experience.

    • FallAccra, Ghana

      Favorite Class: Globalization and the African Continent

      I spent this term in Accra, Ghana for the African and African American Studies department's Foreign Study Program (FSP). I'm so glad I was able to take advantage of one of Dartmouth's study-abroad programs. During this FSP, I got to explore a new country and city while taking classes taught by the amazing professors at the University of Ghana.

    • WinterHanover

      Favorite Class: The Age of Brainwashing: A History of Russian and Eastern European Film

      After being away from campus for six months, I decided to start working towards fulfilling my distributive requirements. To fulfill my ART distrib, I took a Russian film class with a friend. It was an amazing experience and a testament to the ways a liberal arts education encourages you to approach each class through an interdisciplinary lens. For my final essay in this class, I explored the ways that government and political culture affect the nature of the film industry in different countries.

    • SpringHanover

      Favorite Class: International Trade

      This class is one of the prerequisites for the international economics track's culminating experience. Dartmouth's economics major allows you to focus on a specific field that you're interested in, while also having the opportunity to take a couple of classes in other fields. Before taking this class, I had always been interested in international economics and this class definitely cemented my interests in the field.

    • SummerHanover

      Favorite Class: Economics Research

      I used my sophomore summer off term to conduct research with the economics department through the Dartmouth Economics Research Scholars and with the funding of the James O. Freedman Presidential Scholarship. My research project, which was mentored and advised by a faculty member, focused on the effects of European Union climate policy on the economy of my home country, Nigeria. It gave me the opportunity to apply and better understand several concepts I learnt in economics classes at Dartmouth.

    • FallHanover

      Favorite Class: Gender Identities and Politics in Africa

      This was the most enjoyable and impactful class I have ever taken at Dartmouth! Each assigned reading and class discussion was more enthralling and thought-provoking than the last. This class taught me how to think outside the box, write academic articles in the field of the humanities and how to intellectualise and synthesise my own lived experiences in a way that contributes meaningfully to existing literature in African Studies. Lastly, it taught me to think critically about pressing social issues within the African continent.

a picture of the monument in Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana

Looking Back on my Study Abroad Experience
All reactions: 16 16 17 15 16 24
Add a Reaction
           

I was excited to hear that two of my friends will be studying abroad in Ghana. Talking with them about what to expect from the program made me remember all the great memories and lessons I made and learned from my study abroad experience there.

Read More

Posted 03/23/2024 at 9:00 AMAll Text Posts
a Dartmouth professor in front of a whiteboard teaching Dartmouth students in a classroom.

Handling Academic Difficulties At Dartmouth
All reactions: 17 18 17 17 17 21
Add a Reaction
           

While conducting interviews, applicants have asked how I navigate academic stress and difficulties at Dartmouth. Answering this has made me appreciate the various resources available at Dartmouth that help students manage academic challenges.

Read More

Posted 03/18/2024 at 9:00 AMAll Text Posts
a photo of a concert happening on the lawn outside a residential building at Dartmouth

Building Community through Residential Life
All reactions: 17 17 17 18 17 21
Add a Reaction
           

In the past month, I've been conducting interviews for Dartmouth's Regular Decision applicants and during one of these interviews, I talked about how every aspect of Dartmouth residential life fosters and enables such a close-knit community.

Read More

Posted 02/14/2024 at 9:00 AMAll Text Posts
A picture capturing students seated for an anthropology class in a lecture hall at Dartmouth

Academic Journeys at Dartmouth
All reactions: 23 17 17 16 17 23
Add a Reaction
           

Over the past few terms, I've realized just how much space Dartmouth's academic system gives students to customize their academic and intellectual journeys while preserving the comprehensiveness, breadth and depth of each academic discipline.

Read More

Posted 02/9/2024 at 9:00 AMAll Text Posts

Pages