Dezstany Garcia

The Prequel: All the Adventures that Happened Before New Student Orientation!

Hey y'all! 

"How are you doing?!" A common question going around as we—first-years—experience our first day of classes. So far, I have loved all the energy my professors are bringing, the questions my peers are asking, and the community I can lean on during this exciting yet newtransition.

I am blessed to say that I have been on campus for quite some time already! I was a part of the First-Year Summer Enrichment Program, commonly known as FYSEP, an amazing three-week program offered to first-generation and low-income students. Within the program, I learned more about what STEM and writing courses entail at Dartmouth, how to start preparing for my post-graduate career (never too early to start!), and, gained some out-of-the-classroom knowledge via welcoming upperclass students back to campus. Thanks to FYSEP, I made some amazing core memories: Swimming in the Connecticut River with friends, dancing the night away to Bad Bunny, and stargazing on the golf course near campus. It definitely went by way too fast, and I will be forever grateful for all the care and attention the First-Generation Office put into the experience. 

The girl in the pink shirt dancing under the coffee house photo is actually me! "Coffee House" is another way to say a talent show within FYSEP and it's a big tradition.

Because of the FYSEP experince, I felt so much security attending classes. As a first-generation student, it can feel a bit overwhelming trying to figure out such new territory on your own. However, I can confidently say that you are never alone at Dartmouth! The community is fueled by passion rather than competition, and I was really able to see that when it came time to pick my classes. Upperclass students were always available to answer my questions and help me plan out my fall term—professors too! I emailed a few professors because I had questions about their classes, and they responded as soon as they could. Did I know them beforehand? No! That's the Dartmouth community for you. Not only were they super-welcoming, but also encouraging of my general Dartmouth questions. 

After FYSEP ended, there was a short break before New Student Orientation. However,  I also attended the Native and Indigenous Pre-Orientation, known as NIPOP. If you couldn't tell, yet Dartmouth loves acronyms. NIPOP is a three-day orientation that helps Native and Indigenous students have a successful transition into Dartmouth. We learned about ways to continue practicing our culture through opportunities, such as Powwow. I also got to connect more with the Native and Indigenous students before all the other first-years arrived on campus.

Thankfully, adjusting to college has been so smooth because of all the resources Dartmouth provides. If I named each of the individuals that I know I could reach out to for support, we would be here for another three weeks! So please, if you have any questions about the Woods, know there is someone here who is waiting to answer them.