Hi everyone! I'm Yehalah and I'm a '26 coming all the way from Colombo, Sri Lanka. My academic passions lie in Energy Engineering and Environmental Studies. I am a first-generation and low-income student, actively involved with the community. I love to paint and read during my free time. I'm excited that you're here, and I hope you enjoy this account of my life at Dartmouth!
Taking an art class has long been a dream of mine. Drawing 1 with Professor Enrico Riley exceeded my expectations greatly! He is an inspiring instructor who allowed us creative freedom, while guiding us in the right direction. We drew in different forms of charcoal, with colour introduced towards the end of the term. I loved my experience and I cannot wait to take another Studio Art class!
The sequel to Drawing 1 with Professor Enrico Riley! We worked in oil paint, which I was completely new to and admittedly afraid to use. I ended up falling in love with the medium and the flexibility it gave me to adjust and refine my paintings at any point in the process. I am sad to finish this class and I hope I get to take another Studio Art class in the future!
Moving to America was a drastic adjustment, especially considering the difference in perception of race and ethnicity. This class gave me a insight into past and current American oppression against Black and Indigenous communities. I loved how much I learnt through this class, which was also my First Year Seminar requirement.
My first language class at Dartmouth! Taking German was intimidating, especially because of the fast-paced and rigorous learning method that Dartmouth uses. It was so interesting to learn the different grammar and rules used in the German language. I cannot wait to use my Beginner German skills in Berlin next Spring!
The Sacred Architecture of Asia is one of the most incredible courses I have taken at Dartmouth! The course is primarily discussion-based, with Professor Seher explaining and initiating conversation about the course material. The material assigned was incredibly inspiring and taught me so much about South Asian religions and their beginnings. Everywhere I travel now, I think about the lessons I have learnt in this class and I am truly grateful to Professor Seher for facilitating an incredible learning experience!
Learning about German history in Berlin was a great way to explore the city and culture! The class had weekly excursions where we visited important sites in Berlin, which was so informative and helpful. Overall, I learnt so many new aspects of Germany and the people who played a significant role in German history.
SummerPerrysburg, Ohio
Interning at First Solar, a solar panel manufacturing company! I work on the Application Engineering team under Product Management, developing ways to better serve our clients and enhance our products. It has been an amazing experience so far, I have learnt so much and I am so grateful for this opportunity!
Every Dartmouth student has to learn a language before graduating. It requires three levels of language courses; if you are already proficient in a language, you only take two levels. Because I speak Sinhala, a language spoken in Sri Lanka, I will take two levels of a language.
I decided to take German 01 this fall term. To be completely honest, on my first day, I thought I walked into the wrong class. Dartmouth language classes tend to be extremely intensive. You are thrown headfirst into speaking and writing in the language. English is barely spoken during class time. This is known as the Rassias Method, developed in 1964 by John Arthur Rassias, a Dartmouth Professor. The professor spoke in German the entire class, except for five minutes at the end. Surprisingly, I was still able to understand the content of the class and engage with the material.
I have three types of homework to complete for each class, interactive homework online, textbook homework and grammar worksheets. I take around three hours to complete this, which is a big part of my day. The exams are bimonthly quizzes, some oral assessments and a final exam. We also have "drill", which is an extra fifty-minute class, three days a week, where you converse with a group of students in German led by a fluent German speaking student. Drill is intended to help with sentence structure and fluency.
German has genders for all objects, which is a concept I am unfamiliar with, so it was difficult to wrap my head around at first. I learn around forty new words every day. Even though the class has been taking up the most amount of my time, I find myself enjoying the process. It is so rewarding to read a German text and be able to understand a part of it. Going from not knowing a single German word to being able to read basic German in a few weeks is an amazing accomplishment for me.
If you are worried about the language requirement, I can assure you that it will be a great experience regardless of the difficulty!
Most students have to go back to college after Thanksgiving to take their finals, but not at Dartmouth! We have a six-week winter break, known as "winterim!" Let me tell you how I spent my winterim!
Applying early to a university can be overwhelming and confusing. As someone who did not apply to Dartmouth through early decision, here are a couple tips that I could have used when thinking about applying early to a school!
As a second-year at Dartmouth, I've embraced leadership roles that foster community, creativity, and support! Here's a look at how each role has shaped my journey.
