你好！Or Hi! My name is Taylor, and I'm a '27! I'm from Beijing, China. I'm hoping to major in Mathematics Modified with Computer Science and minor in Religion. Outside of the classroom, you can find me going on hikes with the Dartmouth Outing club, drawing or crafting at the jewelry studio, or having fun, philosophical conversations with friends!
Academic Program
(Intended) Mathematics Modified with Computer Science, Religion
Coming to Dartmouth with a solid background in French (Delf B2), I find French 3 a perfect fit for me -- it helps me to consolidate a lot of key grammar and vocabs, and fun weekly cultural activities like coffee hours and french lunch table offers me chances to relax in busy times. While the class is very rigorous and requires a lot of hard work, my professor is so nice and makes the class very fun! I also look forward to going to Dartmouth's Toulouse LSA program after completion of this class!
This course explores how Buddhist concepts of embodiment affect daily life and society in Southeast Asian contexts, and how the intersection of religion, sexuality, and gender impact broader understandings of authority, wisdom, beauty, death, and loyalty. The class takes on many forms beyond mere lectures -- a visit to the Hood Museum of Art, mindfulness practices, and small Buddha-crafting projects. Our professor (the sweetest Prof. MK Long) also invites many of her colleagues at other institutes as guest lecturers to our class so that we can learn from real experts specializing in different countries in Southeast Asia. I have learned a lot from the class and decided to become a religion major after this course!
Having never enjoyed math classes before college, I'm surprised (again) by how I'm becoming a math major and falling in love with math here! My professor (Prof. Shu Longmei, who graduated from the best university in my hometown) is incredibly good at teaching the concepts -- not just explaining things clearly but also showing us the beauty and elegance of calculus. I really look forward to taking more math classes in the future!
SummerVietnam & Beijing, China
I first visited pagodas in Vietnam for a couple of weeks and had days of conversations with monastics! Then, I returned home to savor time spent with my family and old friends, focus on my mental and physical health, and study and work a bit.
Coming from a bustling metropolis renowned for its top-notch public transport system, I had serious reservations about moving to Dartmouth's more rural location. Unlike American students who could drive to campus, my journey from halfway across the globe seemed daunting, especially with no local contacts in the States to ease my concerns about initial move-in and ongoing travel needs.
Coming from a place with public transportations like this, I didn't find Dartmouth's location too inconvenient!
To my pleasant surprise, transportation at Dartmouth exceeded all my expectations! The Dartmouth Coach provides a seamless connection to major cities nearby, with convenient stops at New York City near Grand Central, downtown Boston at South Station, and Boston Logan Airport. The ease of stepping off the plane, boarding the coach, and arriving directly in front of the Baker-Berry Library—and maybe catching a nap in a cozy seat along the way—significantly lightens the travel fatigue.
Dartmouth Coach routes
Dartmouth Coach has also opened up thrilling weekend travel opportunities. My friends and I can leave after our last class on Friday, spend a vibrant weekend in Boston celebrating Chinese New Year or the Mid-Autumn Festival, and return by Sunday evening. Last term, I even managed a mid-semester trip to New York City and watched a Broadway show there. Despite a hectic schedule that sees me spending many of my weekends studying in the library, the Dartmouth Coach offers a welcome escape to explore and unwind when time allows.
Affordability is another key feature of the Dartmouth Coach. With buses to New York City once or twice a day and to Boston every two hours, it offers budget-friendly travel options—one way tickets are $35 to Boston and $89 to New York City, a cost-effective alternative to other transportation methods.
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
