Welcome to the blog of an Englishman studying at Dartmouth—do take a look around! Hopefully, my blogs will provide you with an insight on life at Dartmouth, and specifically through the eyes of an international student. Dartmouth has a ton to offer from the staggering natural beauty of its surroundings and stellar academic programs to the wonderful people you meet along the way. So stay a while, I'll make us cups of tea, and take a moment to discover life at the College on the Hill.
Everyone knows that the best way to get through finals is to practice and be prepared. That's why I spend so much time in the library! It's just a shame I spend so much of that time pretending to work when I'm really procrastinating.
Like for real, working is WORK, and who likes work?? Wouldn't it be so much better if I went outside and slept in the sun on the green? Or if I went and swam in the river? Or if I did a super long hike and ate snacks at 4,800 ft above sea level? Honestly like I can do this later when it's dark and I'm not missing the sun!
How I think I look doing work in the library
These are the thoughts which regularly plague me, and honestly one thing I've learned here so far is that these are okay! In fact, even indulging them is okay! It took a lot of work to achieve the dream of getting to Dartmouth, and though academics are undoubtedly important and we must do a lot of work to get through them, what was the point of coming if we don't enjoy ourselves! There will always be people with a 4.0 college GPA, and that is AMAZING for them, but I remember what President Hanlon said in my start-of-college speech: "when we asked everyone who got a 4.0 what advice they had for future students, they said it wasn't worth getting" (Paraphrased).
How I really look...
I'm certainly not saying that in college we shouldn't work hard – that isn't at ALL the case – but that if there is something that you think might well be worth doing, it probably is! Sometimes the work at hand will pay more in dividends and that is the tough decision we must make, but the memories of those times we spent with friends laughing and swimming in the river, or playing spikeball on the green, will last forever.
The takeaway here: take some time out sometime. Dartmouth is an incredible place full of incredible things to do and incredible people to do them with, and to spend every day all day in the library would be a waste!
Welcome back to Open Doors—your inside look at life in the Woods! This week, Gabe Brigham '26, a psychology and sociology double major, showed me around his dorm room, where we discussed Dartmouth residence halls, classes, and campus life.
