Dartmouth has a distinctive year-round quarter system—the D-Plan—that allows students to customize their own academic calendars across four years. Dartmouth offers four, 10-week academic terms per year that loosely align with the four seasons. Within some guidelines, students choose how—and where—they'll spend each of those terms, whether taking classes in Hanover, studying away on an off-campus program, or embarking on a "leave term" to pursue an internship, research, creative pursuit, or time off. Here, Shuyi Jin '23 shares snapshots drawn from his D-Plan, organized by season.
FALL
Since high school, I have traveled from my home in Shanghai, China to the United States at the start of every fall to begin a new academic year. Like many, I headed into my first-year fall at Dartmouth with a mix of excitement and fear. Fortunately, any feelings of fear quickly turned into excitement thanks to my first-year trip, a pre-orientation program that helps first-year students acclimate to life at the College through peer-led adventures, many of which take place outdoors. On my fishing trip, I quickly grew close to a great group of other '23s, and my trip leaders became mentors that I still keep in touch with today.
My sophomore fall, I stayed in Shanghai with my family because of COVID-19. I was nervous about how I would stay connected with the College, but quickly realized how easy it was to engage with the Dartmouth community from afar. I remained involved with club squash, joined the Dartmouth Investment and Philanthropy Program as well as a Greek organization, and continued my campus job writing for the Office of Admissions' student blog. I was so thankful to have a fulfilling academic and social life even from thousands of miles away.
WINTER
As I approached my first-year winter, I felt confident that I had gotten the hang of Dartmouth—so when my friend asked if I wanted to join him in applying to TuckLAB, I responded with an enthusiastic 'yes!' Hosted by the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, TuckLAB helps students obtain the business skills they need to leverage their liberal arts education in the competitive job market. I attended classes taught by Tuck professors every weekend, participated in an entrepreneurship competition, and met other students interested in business and entrepreneurship.
Through TuckLAB, I partnered with Laurens Debo, a professor of operations management, on two research projects: one that examined the behavior of physicians following a redesign of medical codes, and another that investigated how to optimize the energy efficiency of food waste disposal. Not only did I learn about business analytics, spreadsheet modeling, and marketing communications, but I also made a lot of friends along the way. The best part: Everything was free, including the weekend lunches!
SPRING
Hanging out on the Green, swimming in the nearby Connecticut River, and taking nature walks around campus are some of my favorite things to do in the spring. Spring has also been a time for me to explore new academic interests outside my major in quantitative social science.
During my first-year spring, I took one of my most memorable classes: ANTH020: Primate Evolution and Ecology, an anthropology class about the evolution of primates. After taking the course, I often surprised my friends and family with my intimate knowledge of the names of different monkeys and apes. Sophomore spring, I took ENGL034: Modern American Drama, a course that examined iconic plays like Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, and Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton. Junior spring, I enjoyed exploring Native American music in my MUS03.06: Sound Relations class. I learned so much from the Native American musician who visited our class to discuss how he introduces modern elements into traditional music.
SUMMER
I spent my junior summer interning at a management consultant firm in New York City. Although I was nervous to begin my internship, my concerns quickly dissipated after the first week. Not only did the company have great training programs, but the skills I learned through my liberal arts education at Dartmouth prepared me to adapt to an internship in the corporate world. By picking up new concepts efficiently and knowing when to ask questions, I was able to have a successful internship experience. In fact, I'm returning to the firm after graduation to start my professional career as an associate consultant!
Even though Dartmouth does not offer a business major to undergraduates, the College's unique academic calendar, co-curricular offerings, and extensive research opportunities have prepared me with skills that I can apply to any professional field with confidence. I'm grateful that my summer experience in consulting set me on a path to success after graduation.
Illustration by Federica Bordoni
