My name is Michal, but I often end up being called Michael. I am a '27 from Lozorno, a small town outside Bratislava (Slovak capital). I am an exUWCer. I am passionate about climate change and sustainability in general. I want to devote my life to making this world a little more sustainable. I am an incredibly curious person and I'll be exploring as much of Dartmouth as possible from hardcore research to different sports to American culture. Please enjoy my adventures and thoughts on Dartmouth!
Choosing a college is a major decision. It determines not just your activities but also your lifestyle. It is crucial to consider what you want your life to look like when considering where you want to go to college.
I often find myself blogging about the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC). Although this is a massive part of my Dartmouth experience, that is not the case for everyone—my day-to-day involves a lot of activism, outdoors, and a bit of research! I've realized that the DOC plays a significant role in my daily life here, not because I'm out on DOC trips every other day, but because it provides me with a vital break from academics. I sometimes struggle to "zoom out" and see the bigger picture, which would help distance me from my minor day-to-day challenges; this is why the DOC proves invaluable to me. Regardless of my mood, I sign up for trips and make a concerted effort to get outside—unless it directly conflicts with my courses.
Currently, I climb once a week as part of a "lead class"—a program run by experienced climbers that teaches new members of the Dartmouth Mountain Climbing (DMC) essential skills for climbing over six consecutive weeks. The goal is to teach DMC members "lead climbing," which involves the lead climber attaching their rope to bolts fixed in the rock, requiring intense focus and physical engagement—so much so that I'm too focused on not falling to worry about anything else. Through these courses and climbing trips, I have found that climbing is one of the few activities I do purely for enjoyment!
Ultimately, whether you're into climbing or some other hobby, the key is to engage in activities that allow you to appreciate life fully. After nearly a year at Dartmouth—and having made friends across various clubs, greek spaces, and other social groups—I believe most people can find something at Dartmouth that ignites their passion for life. It is vital to ensure that Dartmouth—or any college you choose—will have something you love to do outside the classroom.
This winter break, I spent eight days participating in the TuckLAB: Energy Program before heading back to home. In this blog, I'd like to share more about what TuckLAB Energy is about, and why I decided to participate in it.
Dartmouth hosts a variety of speaker events, bringing experts from politics, journalism, and academia to campus. The 2024 Election Speaker Series featured figures such as Mike Pence, Elbridge Colby, and Ben Rhodes.
Having grown a little more accustomed to the single-digit temperatures in Fahrenheit, I decided to spend my three-day weekend participating in a campus-wide snowball fight.
Dartmouth offers a variety of study abroad programs. In this post, I interviewed a member of the class of 2027 who went on the ASCL Chinese LSA+ during the summer of 2024.
