Hi everyone! I'm Kabir, an international member of the class of '26, from New Delhi, India. I'm thinking of majoring in Psychology and Film & Media Studies. Outside the classroom, I enjoy watching movies, going on hikes, hanging out with my friends, and going on runs (if you see me on the streets of Hanover, say hi!) In the short while I've been here, I've come to love Dartmouth, so if you're interested in what I have to say, stick around! This should (hopefully) be fun :)
My Writing 5 class was definitely my favorite class this term — it opened my eyes to the realities of the food industry, strengthened my skills as a writer, and helped me make a ton of new friends.
My seminar was possibly the best class I've taken so far at Dartmouth. I learned about the importance of free speech and journalists in a democratic society, and how those rights to freedom are being stripped everywhere, all the time.
I've loved Cognitive Psychology as a class so far, especially because of the cool demos that the professor uses to illustrate every type of phenomena we learn about. From illusions to memory tests, it's so cool to see how the human psyche can be tricked so very easily.
Sophomore summer is considered to be a critical part of the Dartmouth undergraduate experience, something that differentiates it from every other school across the country. I'm currently going into Week 6 of my sophomore summer, so I thought it'd be cool to give you an update on my term. I'm hoping this gives you a glimpse into what your sophomore summer could look like, whether you're an incoming '28 or a potential applicant.
Here are five things I've been doing this term (beyond academics)!
I've taken up the piano again: Taking inspiration from my friend who's part of an orchestra in the Upper Valley, I've decided to take up playing the piano again. If you ever need me at 4 o'clock on a Wednesday, I'm probably in Sudikoff, locked up in some room, trying to get back into piano. That's one of the benefits of the summer: since I'm only taking two classes, I feel like I have more time to pursue other things.
I joined an acapella group: Maybe musicality is the mood for my sophomore summer! I'm part of a summer acapella group, the Dartmouth Doms (the summer edition of the Dartmouth Subtleties). A lot of my friends are also part of summer dance groups, too! This past week, we had an event called Streetfest where a bunch of different groups performed. It was awesome!
I've been travelling & making a film: Well, this one seems to be a bit of a cop out because it doesn't seem related to Dartmouth at all, but bear with me: I've been to Boston and New York in the past few weeks with some of my Dartmouth friends, and we've been shooting a short film. We're all film majors and are excited to finish our project soon.
I'm learning pickleball:I've actually never played pickleball, which came as a big shock to all my friends. Luckily, I'm starting to learn now (my friends are my coaches). I'm not very good (yet!) but I still have a lot of fun playing it. A bunch of my friends have also been playing a lot of tennis, and the weather's currently perfect for it too!
I've been hiking: These days, my roommates and I have been hiking a lot. It may also be because we've had a lot of visitors and Dartmouth is a naturally scenic place, so it makes sense to take them out. We've honestly been hitting up new trails every other week and it's been great. Though I definitely prefer sunsikes (sunset hikes) to sunrikes (sunrise hikes). I'm not a morning person.
As a senior, one of the most exciting things for me is my thesis project. In this blog, I describe how to approach making a senior honors thesis. As Dartmouth focuses on their undergraduate research, many students complete a thesis, so let's dive in!
Dartmouth requires students to complete 3 PE credits, offering a variety of activities. I joined Women's Club Basketball, Pilates to the Core, and Ujimelt, a summer dance group. Now, I'm taking beginner ice skating to prepare for winter skating!
Before arriving at Dartmouth, I had never played Ultimate Frisbee before, and I barely knew how to throw a disc. However, I am now a proud member of The Dartmouth Womxns Ultimate Frisbee Team: Daybreak!!
When asked about my favorite term at Dartmouth, I'll enthusiastically answer, "Sophomore Summer!" Whether it's the enhanced beauty or community on campus, one aspect stands out as the highlight of my term: the start of summer dance ensembles!
