Hello, 你好! My name is Tao; I'm from New York City, and I'm a proud first-generation student. I'm currently interested in studying Math, Economics, and Philosophy. I love being immersed at campus–especially aesthetic Woccoms and soaking in the nature in the Upper Valley. Come one, come all: let me take you along!
It's Fall; leaves are falling, and so are the piles of assignments and mid-terms descending upon you! In Hanover, however, I've been taking advantage of the nature that has given me moments of peace—study breaks, if you will!
The Green (see cover photo)
Okay, this one will be brief, because it is too iconic, so much so that it is our sport mascot (Go Big Green!) to need much of an explanation. There are days where I just grab a laptop, food, and some friends to do work by The Green. This is an opportunity to soak in some sunlight as well!
Me and my friend enjoying Collis Stir Fry on a Sunday afternoon!
The Beloved Woccom
Woccom is a term coined at Dartmouth, another one of the numerous Dartmouth lingo! It is a lap around the Occom pond, which is located at the Northwest corner of the campus, next to the Geisel School of Medicine and the Life Sciences Center. Occom pond path is shaped like a long rectangle (where the length is the longer side), and you start at the Southwest corner—this means that you can take a left or right! As you venture, you'll notice that it's quiet. In summer nights, you can hear crickets chirping, and during the fall, surges of crispy air. Smell the earthiness; this is a wonderful place to take a good breather from study. As you venture forward, you'll see reflections of the sky on the surface of Occom pond.
And it gets even better.
At the midway point is the golf course, where this becomes my second favorite spot!
Direct view of the Occom Pond at first sight!
Woccom Part 2: The Golf Course
At exactly the midway point (picture the spot in between the northwest and northeast of the rectangle) you'll see fences before a gigantic (unused) golf course! Though, it is not really abandoned, because Dartmouth students make active use of the plains as picnic spots for stargazing at night
Captured by my photographer friend Nick Matanmi '28. Golf course at night with shimmering stars.
Lazy Weekends at the River
Dartmouth sits along the Connecticut River. And as students, we get free access to renting tandems, kayaks, paddleboards, and most importantly, life jackets! All year round (except the blizzarding Winter), you'll catch Dartmouth students either sunbathing by the docks or rowing along the Connecticut river.
In the middle of the Connecticut River, a mile away from the dock at Hanover, on a canoe!
As a student of The Woods, Dartmouth is home to so much nature. You'll have to just come to experience this—I hope these are on your bucket list as you imagine life in Hanover
Welcome back to Open Doors—your inside look at life in the Woods! This week, Greta Richardson '26, an engineering major, showed me around her room in her off-campus apartment, where we discussed Dartmouth residence halls, classes, and campus life.
I wrote my "Why Dartmouth?" essay a little under two years ago, and I've had a year in-between to fully experience Dartmouth: how I've grown, changed, and how Dartmouth has been a part of all of it.
