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.

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Fuzzy Memories of Hectic (but Definitely Fun) Times

 Posted by Ajay Kannan at 5:52 pm  No Responses »
Jan 262012
 

It has been emphasized over and over again, but I just can’t get over how fast the term is going by.  I blinked and somehow it has been two weeks since I last posted.  Midterms have once again descended upon us, but I don’t really want to write about that.  Instead, I want to talk about the debate tournament the Parliamentary Debate Team hosted a few weekends ago.  As a member of the team, it was a great time to bond with fellow ’15 teammates and help organize a fun event for colleges across the nation.

The tournament started on Friday the 13th and continued on until afternoon the next day.  It snowed and sleeted on Friday, so teams got delayed coming in and rounds started late.  By the time I had finished my job for the day, it was well past midnight.  But somehow by the end of that first night, even after having worked for nine straight hours, I was in good spirits.

Most of my friends were judging debate rounds, which is supposed to be really helpful for cultivating your own debate skills as well.  Meanwhile, I helped in “Tab” (where all the pairings and draws were established), answering calls from debaters that were having problems finding their rooms, judges, or opposing teams.  It was interesting having my cell phone be the emergency number for the tournament, especially since my cell phone wasn’t completely functional (everything worked out though).  Trying to get buildings unlocked so that debaters could get into their assigned rooms late at night and early the next morning kept me on my feet as well, and there were a few interesting surprises thrown in along the way.  All in all, those two days are somewhat of a blur in my mind, but I do remember getting free breakfast and lunch with my fellow debate team members on Saturday.  Who doesn’t love free food?

With around 100 people coming from other schools, each member of the team had to host a couple debaters overnight.  I had people from University of Connecticut and William and Mary, which is somewhat close to my home in Maryland.  There were some some teams that flew in (Stanford and University of Chicago) – they take their debating seriously.  On one of the rare occasions I had the chance to venture outside of Tab, I saw people from different schools laughing and talking with each other over food.  It was so satisfying to see people from different schools creating a sense of inter-college community.

Even though large chunks of that hectic weekend are a blur, it was a great time to bond with my fellow ’15s on the team and to get to know how debate tournaments really work (it is a lot more complex than I thought).  Moreover, it is an example of the level of campus involvement you can immerse yourself in even as a freshman.  Whatever clubs you may be interested in here on campus,  I bet you can look forward to engaging in big, exciting projects as well.

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 2nd 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.

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One Week at a Time

 Posted by Faizan Kanji at 4:38 pm  No Responses »
Jan 162012
 

The beauty of 10 week terms is that each week is a challenge. It’s like you’re on a reality show in which you’re given a list of tasks. You work super hard to complete task after task and get through that list. While doing that, somehow you also find moments to laugh, have fun and just breathe. Eventually, after days of working hard, you complete all your tasks. You feel proud, and happy and motivated. You go ahead and submit your list with a check mark against all the tasks with a huge smile on your face. And before you can even celebrate you’re given a new list and you have to start all over again. Each week at Dartmouth is a new list of tasks. Every Sunday night we try to make sure we’ve completed our list for the week. Monday morning, a new week starts and, with that, a new list.

Weeks and terms at Dartmouth go by really fast. Often we find loads of work piled up. Often we have to go by a day with less than 4 hours of sleep. But somehow, in some weird way, being at Dartmouth makes it completely manageable. Not only do we manage to make sure to get all our work done, but we end up making sure we have time for activities, for sports, for just having fun. And then every Sunday night when we’ve conquered one more week, we realize the beauty of this place and are ready to start the next week filled with motivation and excitement. Having said that, the magic, however, is that each week is an adventure yet no two weeks are the same. Each week brings us a new lesson, a new challenge, a new perspective, just something new. Each week adds to our personalities at least one more positive attribute. Each week makes us a better and stronger person. In this way we continue our journey at Dartmouth, becoming better individuals, and achieving something remarkable, one week at a time.

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The Path of Least Cold

 Posted by Ajay Kannan at 10:45 am  No Responses »
Jan 042012
 

My sidekicks during the winter months.

Classes start really late for me today, so I thought I would load a quick post. I’m a little anxious to get back into the swing of classwork, especially since I’m taking harder courses this term. I’m very satisfied with my schedule because my classes are fairly small and there will be a lot of participation involved. However, the most pressing item on my mental agenda for today is plotting my “path of least cold”.

When my friends left for classes this morning, they stepped outside into 1 degree (F) weather. It’s supposed to reach a high of 15 degrees today. Needless to say, I’m plotting my activities for the day to minimize time outside. It’s really a pity that the 40 degree weather that Hanover had a couple days ago disappeared the moment everyone came back to campus. Anyways, I suppose I should be readying myself for class instead of sitting on my bed being wistful.

The nice thing is that, as I sit on my bed typing this post and planning out my day, I’m enjoying some balmy conditions inside. The dorms are kept toasty – warm enough that I sometimes wear shorts and sandals inside.  Most of the time, I feel like it’s spring. Essentially, I’m only preparing to face the cold for a combined 20 minutes of walking over the course of the entire day.

But, back to my checklist: Hat – check. Gloves – check. Huge jacket – check. Wool socks – check. And I’ve never worn a scarf before, but I assure you, I will be wearing one today. It’s kind of exciting to break out all my heavy winter gear. I’m off now, with plan formulated in my head.

Happy New Year everyone!  This year is definitely starting differently for me, and I hope it will be a great one for the both of us.

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On my way back…

 Posted by Faizan Kanji at 4:38 pm  No Responses »
Jan 032012
 

Here I am, sitting at an airport waiting to board my flight back to Dartmouth. Soon I’ll be back in my dorm, with a brutal outside temperature in the negative. I was unable to go back home to Pakistan this break and so I was visiting some relatives in Atlanta. My break was absolutely amazing, but now I am excited to go back to Dartmouth. Questions keep running through my mind regarding how the next term will be for me. Obviously it will be insanely cold. My first term was the perfect start to Dartmouth, now what do I have in store during my second term. I can’t wait for the much heard of winter carnival. I can’t wait to start my classes. How will the work load be? How will my professors be? What new activities will I try out? How will I survive the cold? With much anticipation and excitement, I now prepare to board my plane and continue my journey at an amazing place called Dartmouth College!

16 tips for the awesome ’16s!

 Posted by Sasha Dudding at 2:25 pm  2 Responses »
Dec 092011
 

Hey there ’16s! Congratulations!!! We’re so so so excited to have you, even if we don’t quite believe that the class of 2016 is a real thing yet. I applied ED last year too, and it seems like just yesterday. I know I’m just a freshman and I’ve only been here one term, so forgive me for getting a bit nostalgic. And forgive me if I pretend to know what I’m talking about, since I often feel just as new as you do, but I’d like to add some of my own tips on Dartmouth to all the advice given by the lovely bloggers below. 16 tips, in fact. Here goes!

1. Celebrate! You’ve clearly worked hard to get to where you are now, and you deserve a break. Take the weekend to have fun, hang out with your friends if they’re not going too crazy about colleges, and repeat: you did it!

2. But… you still have school Monday. Relax of course, but remember that there’s a reason you’ve worked hard throughout high school aside from getting into college. Maybe take a class or do a project you didn’t have time for during the application process. I signed up for astronomy and creative writing during second semester of my senior year, and they were both great!

3. One more thing about school next week- a lot of people don’t yet know which Class of 2016 they’ll be a part of. So be proud and happy, but maybe don’t skip and sing down the halls dressed head to toe in Dartmouth green? Or go for it, your call.

4. Dartmouth green is a pretty great color though, and it looks good on everyone! It might be time to order that college apparel you were too superstitious to order before your decision came. I know I was way too scared to buy anything before finding out, but I placed an order that Friday. Nothin’ like a little school spirit.

5. If any meet-ups are happening in your area, you should definitely go. I bet all you ’16s are pretty cool kids, and you should meet each other. You could make your first Dartmouth friends before even getting here! If there aren’t any yet, plan one!

6. You didn’t really have to do a supplement for your application. You were required to have someone else do the biggest part for you! So if anyone asks you to write their peer rec for a regular decision application, go for it. It’s only fair.

7. If you had an alumni interview and enjoyed that experience, you might consider sending an email to your alumni interviewer to let them know you got in. Chances are they put in a good word for you, and they’ll be happy to know you were admitted.

8. Start checking out what’s happening on campus. The website of the Hopkins Center for the Arts will give you lots of great ideas about the types of performances and programs that will be happening when you’re on campus next year.

 

Whew, we’re halfway there! Still reading? C’mon ’16s, you can do it!

 

9. Go on a first year DOC trip. They’re so much fun! You’ll get to meet cool people and eat lots of Cabot cheese. You’ll also learn how to play the trash can game. It’s quite intense.

10. Get in touch with your roommates and floormates when you (finally) find out who they are, because if you’re half as lucky as I am, they’ll be awesome. Shout-out to Russell Sage 3!

11. Before you get here, take a look at some classes you might want to take next fall. Orientation is pretty busy, so it’s good to already have some sense of what you’re interested in when you get that large brick of a book that lists every class we offer.

12. Now I’m gonna give you some advice on what to do when you get here- which will be before you know it! Find a study spot that works for you. I spent the first month only studying on the first floor of the main library (there are 4 floors, and 6 in the stacks, and lots of other buildings and libraries to consider). I still do my work in Baker-Berry, but I also like to go to Sanborn library. I do my work at the Dirt Cowboy sometimes too, which is a really good coffee shop in town.

13. Do stuff. Whatever you like, I’m sure we have it. I’ve joined some pretty random things myself. For example, I’ll be co-chair of the polar bear swim at Winter Carnival this February, a tradition that involves hundreds of students jumping into freezing water in a hole cut into the ice in a pond, one at a time. It’s gonna be cold. But fun.

14. Explore Hanover! Its pretty tiny, but it still has a lot to offer. Brunch at Lou’s, warm bread at Molly’s, gelato at Morano, $5 movies at the Nugget, and whatever else you want to do.

15. In your classes, work hard but remember people are there to help you. Go to office hours, make study groups with friends or go to official ones, get a tutor if you feel you need one, and order all the coffee you need at King Arthur Flour in the library.

16. CONGRATS AGAIN ’16’s!!! Really, you’re making me feel so old right now. But so excited! We all can’t wait to meet you!

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’16s: T Minus 276 Days!

 Posted by Asher Mayerson at 1:18 pm  1 Response »
Dec 092011
 

Welcome to Dartmouth, Class of 2016!  We are all so excited to have you coming to Hanover next year.  It’s really an amazing place, which you’ll begin to realize once you step foot on campus…the countdown begins today!  Now, it’s time to relax…the long college process is over, and you know where you’re going next year.  All you can do now is dream about how great the next four years of your life will be, but, even then, the Dartmouth experience will far surpass whatever you conjure up in the next 276 days as you wait to join the amazing Dartmouth family.

Just think…at this time next year, you will have completed a full term at Dartmouth.  You will have made a core group of friends, taken interesting classes, explore the quaint town of Hanover, gone on unforgettable first-year trips led by the Dartmouth Outing Club, and experienced Homecoming Weekend (maybe you’ll run around the bonfire on the Green all 116 times).  Get pumped, ’16s…because of experiences like these, the next four years of your life will be the best four years of your life.

But I realize that you might have some questions. or maybe even a few concerns..after all, it’s going to be a big change from high school, so feel free to e-mail me at asher.j.mayerson.15@dartmouth.edu.

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To the Sixteens

 Posted by Faizan Kanji at 12:29 am  3 Responses »
Dec 092011
 

You’ve done it! You’ve officially gotten into the best college in the world! You have such an awesome time in store for you! Soon you’ll be in Dartmouth, your home for the next few years. I, personally, cannot wait for all of you to arrive. You’ve made the right decision of choosing Dartmouth, and soon you’ll find out why.

I remember how excited and delighted I was when I found out I had been admitted to Dartmouth. Congratulations to all of you! Applying to Dartmouth was one of the best decisions of my life. This place is literally magical! The best thing about this place is the people you meet here, and now all of you have become part of why Dartmouth is so amazing!

As my personal gift, here’s a list of everything you should make sure you do from now till next September:

1. Start spending an hour a day hugging ice so that you’re ready for the New Hampshire winter. (Not really, at Dartmouth we simply take advantage of the cold. I’ll be skiing next term hopefully. Just bring jackets!)

2. Go Green! Literally paint yourself green. before coming, you need to know the color, love the color, BE THE COLOR.

3. Practice shouting “SIXTEENS!”. You’ll have to shout it as loud as you can while singing the alma mater.

4. Get ready to be “the worst class ever”. Unless you can prove yourselves………

5. Brag. You deserve to. Tell all of your friends that you’re going to the best college in the world!

6. But actually, remember to be supportive of friends who won’t hear back from colleges until the end of March. It can make the winter really stressful for them.

7. Get all kinds of accessories for your room. At Dartmouth you’ll get a dorm room, you’ll need to make it yours.

8. Ask questions. Ask about anything you want! Ask us, ask other upperclassmen, ask anyone at Dartmouth. We all are glad to help.

9. Get ready to challenge yourself, to try new things, to grow.

10. Be super excited! You’re coming to an awesome place! You’re about to start the best time of your life. Soon you’ll be in Dartmouth!!

Once again, congratulations on being a part of Dartmouth. You’ll love this place! Upperclassmen, feel free to add to this list. Sixteens, we know you must be super excited, tell us what excites you the most. Express your excitement. Or just say Dartmouth rocks!

Congratulations you lucky lucky bunch of people. Dartmouth awaits you.

Cheers!

 

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Congrats Future 16s!!!

 Posted by Ajay Kannan at 10:17 pm  No Responses »
Dec 082011
 

Before coming to Dartmouth as a ‘15 this past September, I never could have imagined that the upperclassmen would get so excited to see freshmen.  I get the sentiment now – I can’t wait to meet you and see the great things you bring to the future of this school.

I know the days leading up to the decision were especially difficult.  I can remember mine as if they were yesterday.  Counting down the minutes and seconds, not being able to concentrate in class, dealing with a mad rush of texts, chat messages, and phone calls – it all seemed so surreal.

That surreal feeling doesn’t really go away, though.  My first term at Dartmouth has been unreal, and I can’t believe that I’ve already finished a twelfth of my time here (I don’t want to leave!).  I can’t help but think how lucky I am to have chosen this school.  Dartmouth is better than I could have imagined, and I’m positive you will feel the same way!

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