Hello there, friend! My name is Love and I am a '23. Aside from being on the pre-med track, I'm currently interested in studying math and public policy. I have a penchant for old things, learning languages, and the arts. I also love personality tests, irrespective of their actual validity—in case you're curious, I'm an INFJ, Scorpio, dragon, and type 2w1.
BIOL 11.07 (Major Events in the History of Life and the Human Genome) is a very unique class. We learn topics such as oxidative phosphorylation in conjunction with evolution and paleontology. In other words, where and when did ETC come from, and how can we support our hypothesis? Though not an easy class by far, every day the material I learn amazes me with the wonder of life, which is how biology should be!
MES 7.03 (Jerusalem: Vision and Reality) was my First-Year Seminar and such an interesting class to take! We explored Jerusalem through three main viewpoints (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). The class had a bit of religion, literature, anthropology, sociology, and even geography—all things I love to study but don't necessarily have the space for with our three-class quarters. I often found myself going to office hours just to talk with my professor about questions I had outside of the reading!
COSC 10 (Problem Solving with Object-Oriented Programming) is a data structures course and the last pre-requisite for the computer science major. Though I added it as a fourth class on a whim because of COVID-19 and remote learning, it quickly became my favorite class this term because I loved the problem solving that CS has to offer. It is a difficult class but the emotional and academic rewards make it all worth it!
This was one of four classes I took during fall term and it was super interesting! We learned about healthcare systems and innovations from around 4 guest lecturers per week, and were able to do research on our own and propose a new system at the end of the term. Students came from all over campus and the course was very enlightening for me in terms of understanding how care is dispensed in the U.S. and how we can improve it.
Though this was my first "foundation" course in the Biology department and I still found it challenging, I really enjoyed learning the material and found it all super exciting! We learned about DNA replication, mRNA transcription and protein translation, genetics, and had the opportunity to do a literature review at the end of the term.
The dreaded Organic Chemistry sequence of my pre-med track came upon me faster than I thought it would, but it surprised me by being one of my favorite classes to date! I found it intellectually interesting (even though it was time-consuming), probably because I treated it like a STEM-and-logic puzzle instead of pure STEM or pure memorization. Am I great at it? Not necessarily. Do I remember everything I've learned? I'm not too sure! Am I mentally ready for Organic Chemistry 2 next term? Not at all! But I had a lot of fun doing this class and surprised even myself with how I tackled it.
I love dancing, story-telling, and learning about different cultures so I knew going into this course that I would enjoy it. Cross-listed in the theater and AAAS departments, this course let students have the privilege of working with Dance Theatre of Harlem members who were in Hanover for a summer residency. As a group, we analyzed a play ("The Purple Flower" by Marita Bonner) and transformed the text into a physical movement piece. Each student also had complete ownership of a personal final project, and I opted to do a self-choreographed dance. Overall, I loved getting the chance to work creatively in my academics this term and I also was able to broaden my perspective and knowledge of the African-American story in the process!
As a pre-med, I am constantly trying to learn more about the U.S medical system. This course was extremely engaging in all aspects, taking students through all of American history through the lens of healthcare within the span of 10 weeks. I particularly liked having a discussion session that replaced a lecture, since we were able to talk about the issues with the professor and think out loud about our readings. The course was definitely challenging and required a lot of synthesis across different time periods and topics, but I feel like I came out of it with a deeper and more profound understanding of our healthcare system and why it functions the way it does today.
WinterDetroit, MI
For my junior winter, I did an internship in clinical research! With COVID affecting so much of my college experience, this practical, in-person work internship was very important for me to not only hone my employable skills but also see what having a 8am - 5pm job looks like and how it could fit into my future.
Much like my other pre-med courses here at Dartmouth, Biochemistry was quite rigorous and fast-paced. It was certainly challenging, but I found the work extremely rewarding and I enjoyed learning about all the different mechanisms that happen inside of our bodies. Additionally, many of my friends were also in this class as well, rounding out final prerequisites for graduate school, and this fact made it all the more fun.
SummerDresden, Germany
For my junior summer, I had a research internship in Eastern Germany, working at the intersection between math, computer science, and biology! The learning curve was very steep since my project focus changed once I arrived in Europe, but I had a lot of fun and learned a lot about the content and myself. I am extremely thankful for all the support that Dartmouth has given me throughout my time here, without which I wouldn't have been able to do a 12-week European adventure!
As a pre-med student interested in health disparities, SOCY 75 was an amazing class to take! We covered numerous topics concerning how where one lives can impact their health outcomes. At the end of the course, students were also able to complete a final project of their choosing and I loved being able to tie my personal experiences into an academic course.
Throughout college, most of my science courses have been at the introductory level: one term of genetics, one term of cell structure, etc. Rarely have I had the chance to engage with something on a deeper level or connect the pre-med courses to human biology. This course was super interesting because I could finally connect everything I've learned throughout college into one cohesive course that connects to something I want to do post-Dartmouth.
At Dartmouth, every student must have a "culminating experience" to finish off their major or minor. This can either look like an upper-level class (e.g., a seminar), an independent research project, or a senior honors thesis.
I am a math major, and I decided to write a thesis for my culminating experience! Though it is slightly more work than the other two choices, I really wanted to engage with one topic over an extended period of time, so the thesis was a perfect choice for me. Departments will have their own restrictions for who is eligible to write a thesis, such as grade point average or an application process; I recommend students interested in doing one to look on the Registrar's website for more information. Internal deadlines such as first drafts, second readers, and presentations also differ by department, and therefore remaining in communication with your thesis advisor and department head is very important.
How does one get started writing a thesis? Since the project is largely self-directed, you will need to decide on a topic that interests you and that will yield enough material for a thesis. Students may have background knowledge through a class, research, or personal readings. I decided on my thesis topic after taking a course and finishing a final project that I wanted to continue engaging with.
After deciding on a topic, it is the student's responsibility to identify a potential faculty advisor and verify that they meet the requirements to write a thesis. You can find an advisor often through your courses or by looking online at the department website. If you don't happen to meet the requirements, it is always possible to do a one-term independent research project instead. Once you and your advisor have agreed on a direction, then the real work begins! Departments will vary based on how many deliverables you need to turn in, such as thesis proposals, drafts, and final presentations. They will also vary based on when you need to turn everything in. The math department, for example, has deadlines at the end of spring term whereas other departments may have them Week 2 or Week 5.
Depending on your concentration, your thesis writing will look very different from others. Since I am doing a modeling project, the majority of my work involves doing literature reviews, learning new mathematical theory, and coding algorithms and running analyses. If you were to do a biology thesis, the majority of your time will be spent gathering data and doing experiments in the lab. Knowing what type of work you enjoy doing will be important, as many students clock numerous hours for their thesis in the terms leading up to graduation.
At the end of the term, all students will have finished their theses and defended them in front of a panel of adjudicators and audience members. This is often a fun time for seniors, as friends come out to support and they are able to present something they've worked on for a long time.
Though it can be a lot of work, writing a thesis is very rewarding! If you're curious about completing one as your culminating experience, I recommend asking questions about it as you go, and deciding sometime junior year or early senior year. Asking your deans, major advisor, or upperclassmen is also a fantastic way to gauge what the process looks like for your specific major. I have personally quite enjoyed the process and look forward to seeing the end product in May. In the meantime, I will keep you updated!
Dartmouth's liberal arts curriculum pushes students to explore new departments and draw connections between seemingly disparate disciplines. Come explore my Economics, Physics, and Asian, Societies, Cultures, and Languages classes!
At Dartmouth, there is an undergraduate requirement for language; after all, it is the liberal arts! Fulfilling this requirement looks different for various people and I will focus on my experience.
Traditionally, Dartmouth students take three courses during a term, but I decided to take four courses this term! Learn about course load and the academic system at Dartmouth.
As I approach the halfway mark of my Dartmouth journey this spring, I find myself reflecting on the significance of distributive and world culture requirements in shaping my academic experience.
