Stephanie Abbott-Grobicki

Stephanie is from... well, lots of places! She was born in South Africa but graduated from the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales, and her family now lives in Switzerland! Here in the USA, she plans to major in theater and government. This term she's taking History of Modern South Africa, a writing course called Love and Friendship from Plato to Hemingway, and Acting I (Theater 30). She's already immersed herself in theater at Dartmouth, joining the Rude Mechanicals and acting in our fall mainstage production, Breaking E.D.E.N. She's also a member of ISA, the International Students Association. She's a big fan of the BBC films, and rates Hey Jude as one of the best songs ever. With the coming of winter, her favorite study space has shifted from the Green to the Baker stacks. Coming to Dartmouth Stephanie's first time in the United States, but she says it's already starting to feel like home.

A Long Time Coming: Here, there, and everywhere.

Posted by Stephanie Abbott-Grobicki at 4:04 pm No Responses »

Aug 082012

Wembley Stadium!

SO I have been really bad at writing blogs for this page – for which I apologise! It turns out that being away from Dartmouth is just as busy as being at Dartmouth. Although it was sad leaving my freshman floor, it was really nice to go home, unwind, and take in everything that has happened this year. It has been a crazy collage of ups and downs (mostly ups!), excitement and discovery, meeting friends and taking interesting classes – I’ve loved every minute of it.

Your freshman summer is a little bit of a free for all. There are programs (like First Year Fellows) or FSPs (I know theatre and film are both during the summer) that some people do.

For me, I wanted to relax at home – no homework, or midterms, or finals for 3 months! But, I did think it might be useful just to get a short internship and start getting some experience in the field I am interested in going into. I approached my acting professor and asked him for advice and a recommendation. I also looked for Dartmouth alumni that could help me. Career Services is really awesome in that respect.

I am now working in London for four weeks for a Casting Director. I am really interested in Theatre – so discovering the theatre industry in London has been amazing. It’s such a cool opportunity to meet people in the business and also see how it all works. I also get to go see a lot of shows and meet some actors which has been great! My professors were so helpful in getting me this internship and although I’ve enjoyed relaxing this summer, it was a nice change. I’ve also had the added bonus of seeing some Olympics too!

Team GB for the win!

Dartmouth 12F is going to rock and I will hopefully be blogging more when I get back!

Nothing much in particular

Posted by Stephanie Abbott-Grobicki at 5:23 pm No Responses »

Feb 202012

Wow, I have been truly terrible at keeping up with blogging regularly! It’s crazy how quickly time flies. I wrote a blog post within the first week of school, then I blinked before writing my second and it’s week eight!

Dartmouth terms are so short. 10 weeks and then you’re done. Another term. I was looking through my many, many emails and I saw an application for Dimensions and thought ‘surely, it can’t be already!’. It’s crazy that nearly a year has passed since I found out I got into Dartmouth. I’m wishing you all the best of luck on your applications!

This term, I have done quite a bit – I’ve been in a play, joined another organisation and been part of Language in Motion (a Tucker Foundation program). It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of activities there are here and how little time there is to do all of them. I recently discovered it’s very easy to start to feel down about this. It’s so easy to begin to think you aren’t doing enough, or you aren’t achieving as much as everyone else. I was reminded this weekend that this isn’t true at all! I guess this is my first bit of fresher’s advice for when you all get here. As silly and simple as it sounds: don’t get overwhelmed. It’s so easy to forget how important it is to take a step back every now and then, to remind yourself it’s okay to not be busy every second of every day.

Dartmouth is an experience, and I have to live it. Not just witness it.

Back Already and So Much To Do!

Posted by Stephanie Abbott-Grobicki at 12:22 pm No Responses »

Jan 182012

Coming back to Dartmouth after a wonderful Christmas was bittersweet. It’s amazing to be back and I missed everyone but it is never easy leaving home. What I’ve found most challenging about this term though has been getting organised. Last term was all about settling down at Dartmouth and getting to know the place a little better. But coming back for Winter term a whole new set of problems are thrown at you: MAJORS, DPLANS, INTERNSHIPS, SUMMER PLANS, APPLICATIONS!!!! Etc. It never ends.

I’ve been struggling to sort out my d-plan. It may seem like I am doing this pre-maturely but, as an international student, there are a whole lot of visa requirements which take a little bit of thinking about. Luckily, this week I’ve really been able to find out about and use the resources that are available to help students figure this all out.

You will hear all about them during orientation and – maybe, like me – you might forget about them completely during fall term which is a silly, silly thing to do. The undergraduate deans. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the most helpful office on campus. I went to go see my assigned Dean (deans are assigned to different freshman clusters and they send out newsletters and important notices that you should not delete from your blitz!). I don’t know what I was expecting as I ventured to the 2^nd floor of Baker Library and tentatively stepped into the Undergraduate Dean office. Dean Hoyt turned out to be the friendliest person and she was so attentive and helpful – it truly brightened up my day. This may sound a little exaggerated but you might have picked up that I was getting a little overwhelmed by everything Dartmouth. Dean Hoyt really helped me sort out thoughts in my own head, but also answered questions I had about majors/dplans/applications. It was really great to be able to talk through my academic life and what – at this stage – I want to achieve at Dartmouth and how I can go about doing that.

The result of my meeting was that I came out a lot happier and I just felt more on top of my already crammed to-do list.

Dartmouth from Home

Posted by Stephanie Abbott-Grobicki at 10:04 am No Responses »

Dec 302011

Coming home for me, I felt, wasn’t quite as climactic as it was for everyone else. I went to a boarding school before coming to Dartmouth so I have spent time away from home before. But I underestimated how different it would be coming home from college for the first time. Seeing my parents and my little brother was, as always, wonderful and being away from home always makes you appreciate it more. But time away from Dartmouth and having to repeatedly answer questions about my time away got me thinking about this term: all that I’ve achieved, all that I’ve not yet been able to do, the sheer vastness of the opportunities that lie before me. It was terrifying.

It’s funny how time works at Dartmouth, while you’re in the term, everything seems to last for ever. But as soon as it’s over, it feels like everything was over before it even started. I guess what I am trying to say is that I realised how precious time is and – as corny as that sounds – I think it’s a valuable lesson to learn (yes, more cheesiness I’m afraid). This term I got involved in Theatre and I am loving it. Breaking E.D.E.N. was amazing and I met some very awesome people. But I also realised how much more I want to get involved in when I get back.

My first term was hectic and crazy but really great. I know it’s not always easy adjusting to new circumstances but it’s really all about putting yourself out there and taking advantage of the circumstances. I hope you all had a great Christmas/holiday and see you in the New Year!!

Thanksgiving – Take One

Posted by Stephanie Abbott-Grobicki at 12:17 pm No Responses »

Dec 022011

Being an international student, I wasn’t able to go home for Thanksgiving. Spending 20+hours in a plane and at airports, with 6 hours jetlag each way, for only a five day break is a little excessive for a holiday that my family doesn’t even celebrate. This term I have been lucky enough to make some great friends on my freshman floor. When you are all up at 2 am frantically trying to finish a paper for some class or another, there is some serious bonding! One of my friends on my floor is actually from Hanover and her family invited me to spend Thanksgiving break in their home.

My last two years of high school were spent at a boarding school which was an amazing experience but certainly made me appreciate time spent in a real home – away from the dorms. After 9 weeks of classes, it was so nice to be in a bedroom with a proper bathroom and a house just to relax in. Being about a mile from campus, it was so easy to get to Baker (the library) to get any books I needed for my work but it also meant that I was off campus for a while – without having to go very far. Dartmouth is fantastic but it is a very intense experience and it’s good to remember that breaks every now and then to rejuvenate are necessary. This one definitely renewed my energy! Thanksgiving was amazing (SUCH GOOD FOOD) and we went on one or two fabulous adventures (involving black Friday shopping, building a snowturkey and baking lots and lots of pie!).

Next year, the calendar is changing so Thanksgiving is actually at that beginning of the winter break, but I think I will definitely stick around for another Thanksgiving holiday before heading off home for Christmas!

Breaking in to Theatre

Posted by Stephanie Abbott-Grobicki at 11:01 pm No Responses »

Nov 192011

Before I came to Dartmouth, I loved doing theatre – performing, directing or just helping out. I loved being around the stage and I loved the relationships that form in that sort of environment. When I came to Dartmouth, I was worried about fitting into the Theatre scene. The Theatre Department directs one play a term called the mainstage. When I got here, I auditioned for the mainstage performance Breaking E.D.E.N. I was cast in the ensemble and it has been one of the most memorable experiences of my first fall term at Dartmouth.

Photo credit: hop.dartmouth.edu

First of all, it’s been a really great way to meet upperclassman. As a freshman, this can be hard to do because we are grouped together a lot (through trips and various freshman activities). Once we were into ‘Hell Week’ (tech and dress rehearsals) I was spending 5+ hours in the theatre with 25 wonderful people and this – as you can imagine! – means that A LOT of bonding goes on. A typical rehearsal was to arrive at the theatre, a quick briefing from the stage manager and ASMs (assistant Stage managers), then picking up of the show from where we had left off. It was a huge time commitment but one that I don’t regret taking on at all. We wouldn’t always be working and there was a fair amount of down time and I’ve had some of my most interesting conversations during this down time.

Second of all, committing to this show was like a crash course in time management. I was spending every evening in the Bentley (the theatre) during Hell Week and – as fun as it was – it wasn’t an environment conducive to studying, or attempting to do anything productive. So I really had to plan out my time to be able to get assignments in on time. Time management is something that a lot of freshman struggle with and I wasn’t any different but I quickly learnt how necessary it was.

The Theatre Department is such a family here. They are so welcoming and excited about freshman joining and getting involved in shows. There is also so much to do! The DTC (Displaced Theatre Company) is in charge of student productions – mainly plays, the Harlequins is a group for musical theatre and the Rude Mechanicals is the student run Shakespeare group. The Rude Mechanicals is the only groups that requires an audition (and once in the group, you participate in their performances for your four years); the other two groups audition on a show to show basis. E.D.E.N. has allowed me to do so much in just my first term here and I am so excited about doing more with theatre here!

Welcome Home!

Posted by Stephanie Abbott-Grobicki at 10:24 pm No Responses »

Oct 292011

Trips is definitely one of the best experiences at Dartmouth. It’s very bizarre to be told as soon as you arrive that you are setting off on the “best five days of your life”. I’d just left home, was jet-lagged and thinking “what kind of crazy school have I gotten myself into?”

Setting off for four days on a canoe, in the rain is not everyone’s idea of fun. But I returned with some amazing friends and a feeling of belonging that I don’t think you will get so soon at any other college.

The first day canoeing is what could be called ‘a bonding experience’. It rained solidly for about 20 or so hours. We canoed through the rain, slept under tarps and woke up with puddles at the bottom of our sleeping bags but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. That evening I huddled together with 11 other complete strangers, playing mafia and quickly realised that they weren’t strangers anymore. Inside jokes, ridiculous games, sharing embarrassing facts and listening to jokes that simple shouldn’t be told (because they were simply that bad!) are just a few of the memories that made that evening.

“WELCOME HOME” is how everyone on trips will greet you. Dartmouth becomes so important to you in five days, it’s difficult to see how you lived without it. I arrived back on campus looking awful, smelling bad and with the biggest smile on my face and 11 people I already knew. It’s terrifying going to a new place and scrambling to make new friends. Trips did that for me and, in the best way, welcomed me home.