Hey y'all! My name is Natasha, and I am a junior at Dartmouth College. I'm majoring in history and minoring in public policy and Chinese. In my free time, I love to watch New Girl, hang out with my friends, and explore the Upper Valley. Dartmouth is a pretty neat place— I hope you enjoy reading my posts about life here!
Academic Program
History Major and Minors in Public Policy and Chinese
Chinese 004 was my first language class at Dartmouth. Although the class was fast-paced and a lot of work, my professor, Alan Li, was really engaging and I became close with my classmates.
I really enjoyed this class! My professor, Charles Wheelan, was so hilarious and an amazing lecturer. I still find myself applying concepts I learned in that class to my real life.
As part of Dartmouth's liberal arts mission, all students have to take a technology or applied science course with a lab component in order to graduate. I decided to take computer science 1 to fulfill this requirement. As someone with no prior coding experience, I definitely was challenged in this class. However, by the end of the term, I gained a valuable skill and was really proud of how far I came!
This class inspired me to be a history major! In this class, I learned about the major economic developments that occurred from the 1800s till now. I found this topic to be very fascinating, and I really enjoyed the way my professor, Stefan Link, taught the material.
In this class, I was taught the basics of conducting quantitative analysis. We primarily worked in STATA and utilized statistical concepts to analyze social science data. My professor, Kristin Smith, was so incredibly kind and made sure that everyone in the class understood the material.
I gained a comprehensive understanding of Chinese history from this class. As an asynchronous class, I had to be incredibly organized and diligent to ensure I was on top of the material. My professor, Pamela Crossley, was incredibly knowledgeable and was always available to talk to if I had any questions.
This was my first European history course at Dartmouth, and I loved it so much! My professor, David Petruccelli, was an engaging lecturer and was always willing to talk with me whenever I had a question. I learned so much about World War I and its implications on European and international politics.
I have really enjoyed Public Policy 45 with Professor Ronald Shaiko. As a public policy minor, I have found the material in the course to be both interesting and useful. In this course, we learn about different research methods and apply what we learn to conduct non-partisan policy research.
Rose, bud, and thorn is a very popular icebreaker activity amongst Dartmouth students. Essentially, a rose is something positive that has happened in your life, a bud is something you are looking forward to, and a thorn is something that has been negative or challenging to face. As the term is quickly coming to a close, I figure this is an excellent time to reflect by doing my own rose, bud, and thorn for this fall!
Rose: Taking Interesting Classes
All of my classes this term have been phenomenal. I am taking classes spanning from the public policy department to the Chinese department and the history department. Taking such a wide range of courses has made my learning experience this term both dynamic and enriching. I also really like my professors and classmates, which has made my classes this term all the more better!
Bud: Exploring More of the Upper Valley
Even as a junior at Dartmouth, I am amazed by how many scenic locations there are on campus and in the surrounding Upper Valley area that I haven't yet explored. I have already seen beautiful sites like the Poverty Lane Orchards and the Gile Mountain fire tower this term. However, there are still so many places I want to visit in the Upper Valley. I can't wait to hike Mt. Cardigan, visit a pumpkin patch at Riverview Farm, and more!
A view from the Gile Mountain fire tower!
Thorn: How Fast the Term is Going By
Due to Dartmouth being on the quarter system, our terms are ten weeks long. Although I enjoy the fast-paced nature of life at Dartmouth, I can't help but feel sad when the term is almost over. I'm particularly going to miss my friends. Many of them will be taking an off-term in the winter and won't be on campus with me next term. I have had so much fun this fall, and I don't want it to end!
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
