|
DOC First-Year Trips / Quotes QuotesAre Trips fun?! Wonder what your experience will be like? Not sure if Trips is even for you? See what other Dartmouth students say about their Trips experience!
Jon Hopper ’08, Greenwich, Connecticut “DOC Trips was my first time camping outdoors. I was a little worried about not having all the comforts of home, but a few hours into my trip I realized I could deal with the wilderness. I’m still not a fan of "outdoor bathrooms", but I got along fine and the meals were quite amazing. The only times my group wasn’t laughing or goofing off was during our naps. I even got to rock climb for the first time in my life. I never thought I would be sad to be indoors and clean, but I was. Thanks to Trips I got back to campus excited to be here and no longer scared to death about college.” Elsa Rodriguez ’09, Chicago, Illinois “DOC Trips are such an amazing and powerful experience that it seems kind of cheap to try and explain them simply. I was painfully awkward when I arrived in Hanover - I was nervous about coming to school in general, but was especially nervous about camping with total strangers because I’m not a particularly "outdoorsy" person. When I showed up on the Robo lawn, though, the enthusiasm and excitement of everyone waiting to welcome me to Dartmouth was totally contagious. Going on a trip and getting to know your trippees and trip leaders reminds you of why we all chose to come to Dartmouth in the first place - because it is a school full of passionate, interesting and fantastic people who can’t wait to welcome you to this community. Whether you’re hiking, biking, drawing or writing, Trips introduces you to a brand new family and makes you realize that Dartmouth really is your new home.” Katie Silberman ’09, Washington D.C. “My DOC trip made me feel like I was coming into something larger than myself. Coming to college I thought that I was here to explore who I already was, but seeing the leaders, my other classmates, and the beautiful country, I realized that this was some place different. It was here before me, will be a part of my life during, and will go on afterwards. It was so wonderfully powerful, the feeling has stayed with me ever since. The thing that makes Dartmouth from year to year is the people, and I could feel that already from freshman Trips.” Sam Haynor ’08, Seattle, Washington
Addie Smith ’07 “DOC trips should be mandatory for all incoming freshmen. After trips, before classes even started, the experience instilled in me the conviction that I had made the right college decision for myself. I had been on campus less than one day, and camped in the wilderness with people I had known less than a week, yet I knew Dartmouth was right for me. This is because Dartmouth is not about the campus, but about the people.” Andrew Flynn ’07, Sacramento, California “My freshman DOC Trip was an amazing way to be welcomed to Dartmouth. It went above and beyond everything that I expected. From arriving to Hanover, to backpacking in the White Mountains, to our final night spent at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, Trips made me realize that I had made the right choice in coming to Dartmouth. Even though I hadn’t even moved in yet, I already felt like a part of the Dartmouth Community.” Jeff Bate ’07, North Andover, Massachusetts
Sara Studebaker ’07 “My DOC Trip was a great way to begin my time at Dartmouth; in fact, I can’t think of a better way to get to know people and begin to feel comfortable in a new environment than hiking and camping together. I am still very good friends with many of my Trippees thanks to our great time together hiking the Presidentials. Everyone should do a DOC Trip!” Naomi Heindel ’07
Jonathan Kling ’04, TH ’06 “When I drove up to Dartmouth College one fateful day last summer and first saw everyone waiting around to go hiking, I was scared out of my mind! So take it from me, if I could have fun wheezing up a mountain with a bunch of near-professional athletes by my side, anyone can! I think I got the shock of my life when we finally descended the last leg of our journey: I was actually upset that it was over! Miraculous! Days ago I’d been terrified, near tears even. And for some reason, those three days up in calm mountain air, laughing and doing unimaginably embarrassing things (you might want to find out what that shovel is for before you need to use it) with some great, interesting people totally different than any I’d ever known was truly an awesome experience.” Jenna Krumminga ’06 “Trips was awesome. It was one of my first outdoors experiences. Being from New York City, the idea of being in the New Hampshire woods for four days sounded intimidating. However, Trips is what really got me psyched on Dartmouth, and it’s what started me climbing in the DMC.” Vivek Tata ’06, New York City, New York “From the first moment, I really felt like I was a part of something fun and exciting. My trippees and I bonded more in three days than I would have thought possible. My trip definitely rocked, and it got me psyched to be at Dartmouth.” Andrew Hoffman ’05 “No matter what trip you choose, you are sure to have a unique and awesome experience that will give you something to talk about those first weeks on campus when you are meeting all the other freshmen. But the other great thing about trips is that there are some things about the experience that are universal. I can guarantee that you will feel extraordinarily welcomed by the Dartmouth community. You will be amazed by the outpouring of energy, excitement, and advice from all the upperclassmen that give up the last weeks of their summers to make trips happen. No matter where you’re from, what you did in high school, or what you’re interested in, people will be psyched to meet you and hear your story. And I can guarantee you will meet amazing, interesting people that will be important to you for the rest of your time at Dartmouth. I can guarantee you will return from your trip 100 times more excited about Dartmouth than you already were. And I can guarantee that you won’t fully understand the amazingness of DOC trips until you go on one and experience it for yourself! It truly is one of the things that sets Dartmouth apart from other schools, and will stand out in your memories long after your trip is over.” Sara R. Schnitzer ’05 “I don’t really know why I chose to come to Dartmouth because in high school, I hated the outdoors. I hated being dirty and uncomfortable and most of all peeing in the woods. But my DOC Trip completely changed my perspective. There was no better way for me to get to know people I didn’t know at all than sharing a block of Vermont Cabot Cheese, playing mafia and Salty Dog Ragging. To top it off, the night I spent at Moosilauke Ravine Lodge is undoubtedly one of the best nights of my Dartmouth Career thus far. Apart from the all the traditions that go along with being at the Lodge that I love, it was where I met my closest friends here at Dartmouth. Going on my DOC Trip opened up a side of Dartmouth to me that I had no intention of exploring!” Betsy Hart ’05 “Going into my DOC trip, I was really psyched to meet my future classmates but also pretty scared to be out in the woods hiking and camping for the first time. My trippees and trip leaders were fabulous, supporting each other during a challenging trip. Afterwards, they provided me with a network of friends around Dartmouth, which is so comforting coming into a new school where you don’t know anyone. I also realized what an incredible opportunity we have here at Dartmouth—to be surrounded by the outdoors and to enjoy nature.” Haley Peckett ’05
Beth Rabbitt ’04 “My freshman trip did more to shape my Dartmouth experience than any one other event. The friends I made, the leaders I admired and, most of all, the impressive Dartmouth pride I witnessed shaped my freshman year and subsequently my following three. There is no better way to transition from the comforts of home to the sudden independence of college life than being plunked in the woods with 8-12 strangers. That’s why I keep coming back to be a trip leader!” Sara Carpenter ’03 |
“My DOC Trip felt like a dream. I was excited to come to Dartmouth, but extremely anxious about the transition into a new environment, away from everything I knew and was comfortable with. The very moment I arrived on campus, all of that changed. The enthusiasm that the upperclassmen had was so powerful that I instantly felt at home. My next few days were full of making friendships, coming out of my shell, and learning to be comfortable with myself - no matter where I was going. The friendships I made on Trips with my fellow "Tripees" remain strong to this day. Trips has helped me grow as an individual, and allowed me for the perfect transition into a Dartmouth student.”
“Prior to going on my DOC trip, I was extremely nervous about how I would make friends and find my niche at Dartmouth. My DOC trip immediately exposed me to a group of students who were extremely excited about Dartmouth, and that enthusiasm quickly caught on in me and among my "trippees." In addition, it provided me with a small community of people that substantially eased my transition into the Dartmouth social scene.”
“It was such a great experience. You get thrown into something that scares you to death (college) but going on a trip makes you realize what a great adventure it will be. All the people dancing and simply being crazy make you feel a little more comfortable right away ("at least I’m not dressed like that..."). Trips make college fun and exciting right from the get-go. It was great to have met people right away and be forced to "get to know" them...it makes you realize that this is something new and scary for everyone, not just you.”
“DOC Trips is one of those life altering experiences. Only it’s exciting and wonderful and new rather than traumatic in why it’s so en-grained in the hearts and souls of Dartmouth students. I would not be who I am today and Dartmouth wouldn’t be the amazing place it is without DOC Trips. If you try one new thing in your college career, DOC Trips is where it’s at, no better way to start a new era.”
“I felt at home. My Trip was one of those almost indescribable experiences that will always stick in my mind as a time of camaraderie, spirit, and plain old fun. I loved Dartmouth from the moment I visited, but this was the first time I felt like I was actually a part of it, I learned what it means to be green in a big way. The fear and anticipation I felt at first only made the final product even better.”
