The 305!! M.I.A. (aka Miami)

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY but after I finished elementary school my dad and I moved to Miami, FL, where I currently reside. These are 2 huge cities with millions of people, something completely different from Hanover, NH. When I applied to colleges I knew that I did not want to stay in Florida, and was looking for the "college town feel." When I visited Dartmouth, I knew I found what I was looking for.

Yes, Hanover is a small town in a state that many people haven't heard of before, but it's filled with lots of character, activities, and a sense of community that rivals other college towns and cities. It was the tight-knit community at Dartmouth, facilitated by it's location in Hanover, that prevented me from getting homesick. Of course I miss home-cooked meals, the beach, and most of all 80-degree weather almost every day of the year, but the opportunities and experiences at Dartmouth were well worth the move.

D.M.V!!!!

I was born and raised in Washington DC, and I now live in Silver Spring,MD. (We call it the DMV: DC, MD, VA). I was used to being in a city and honestly it was one of the reasons that I DIDN'T want go to Dartmouth initially. I quickly realized that I have the rest of my life to be in a city and that Hanover is what a college town is supposed to look like. I like that I don't spend as much money and that there are fewer distractions readily available. But still, I definitely miss home every now and then. My first year I was so caught up in the novelty of college that being away didn't get to me. After the terms away start to add up, you feel it. I now find myself missing my family a lot more...even my sister. I was so happy to chill with my mom this past Sophomore Family weekend. And I can tell that Dartmouth is starting be like a home to me because I showed her all of my favorite "spots," just as if I were showing off my city to out-of-towners.

Sophomore Family Weekend!

Unrelated to the question of the week

Last weekend was Sophomore Family Weekend and I had so much fun with my mom! We went to so many cook-outs and most importantly we went shopping :-). Sophomore Family Weekend is a time when parents can come and visit, just to check in. There is a similar weekend called First Year Family Weekend during the spring of your first year. I loved being able to take my mom to Collis Commonground and having her see all of the different student groups perform. She loved seeing Sheba dance! I miss her a lot, however, I am glad that she was able to come and check out what Dartmouth is like for me!

I'm a townie....

I am from Hanover, NH.

Yup, I go to college in my hometown. As expected, homesickness isn't something I have really had to deal with too much during my time at Dartmouth. Even when I traveled abroad to Spain, I never really felt homesick. Between email, instant messenger, Skype and Facebook, it is ridiculously easy to stay in touch with family and friends nowadays. Dartmouth is a whole new community that I didn't really know of before I was accepted. Now I feel like my hometown has expanded to include my 4,000 or so fellow Dartmouth students.

One great benefit of being from here: I know my way around way better than my classmates....and home-made cookies whenever I want.

B-more!

I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD, so coming to Hanover was a bit of a change for me. I was accustomed to the city life and going to the malls whenever I had free time. Of course you won't find that in Hanover, which turned out to be a good thing for me (no high credit card bills, whaa whoo!). I really wasn't that homesick when I first got here. My parents came up to help me move in, but as soon as orientation started, they went back to Baltimore. I didn't go on a DOC trip, but I already knew some people who were also going to be incoming freshman because we had gone to the same summer program.

Knowing people before hand definitely eased my transition into college and made me less homesick. Occasionally I miss a good home cooked meal, so when my friends and I have time we cook all of our favorite foods : )

H.O.U.S.T.O.N

I am from Houston, Texas so my Dartmouth experience has been extremely different from what I experience at home. Since Hanover, NH is very small college town and Houston, TX is a huge city, I did get homesick during my first term at Dartmouth. Everything and everyone was just so different! Also, I didn't have my twin sister to rely on anymore. However, my homesickness didn't last too long because my undergraduate adviser (UGA) held so many floor meetings that I started making friends. Additionally, I joined a couple student organizations and made lots of friends that way. Plus, now that I am so busy with the clubs that I am a part of, I sometimes forget about my homesickness. However, I still get homesick every so often for a good home-cooked meal :-).

What is your least favorite thing about Dartmouth?

The posts below are our responses to the question of the week:

What is your least favorite thing about Dartmouth?

The Dartmouth Bubble

What I like least about Dartmouth is the fact that sometimes we are surrounded by a bubble. It seems like new information, not about Dartmouth, very slowly finds its way on campus. When I go back home and listen to the radio, songs that I think are brand new, have been out for three months. In order to find out new information, my mom calls me and tells me exactly what is going on in the news that day. Unless you read the New York Times or Wall Street Journal every day, it is very hard to find out what is going on in the world. Because of this, I have made the New York Times website as my home page so that I do not lose sight of the fact that things are constantly happening around the world. During student organizational meetings, we try to make time for discussing new events. It is tough trying to not get caught up in the Dartmouth bubble, however, it is very much possible to not lose sight of all of the things that are happening around you, and not just at Dartmouth.

Least Favorite Thing= Dating Scene

I would have say that my least favorite aspect about Dartmouth is the dating scene. The D-Plan can make it challenging to keep a relationship because of the constant moving on and off campus that happens.

Since everyone is very busy with academics, extracurriculars, sports, and other commitments, it can be tough to spend a lot of time with a significant other. It's definitely a challenge, but it can be done.

Least and Most Favorite thing = D-Plan

My least favorite thing about Dartmouth is probably also my favorite thing about Dartmouth. The D-plan is definitely a defining characteristic of the Dartmouth experience, and I have taken full advantage of it's flexibility in traveling to Barcelona, Spain and working in the Dartmouth Admissions Office. That being said, the 10-week terms make the year go by incredibly fast. I am now a rising senior and can't believe how quickly I am 3/4 of the way through Dartmouth! I love how fresh and vibrant the D-plan keeps campus, but I wish I had more time in the day to do everything I wanted to, from going to shows to joining yet another organization.

Learn more about the D-Plan here!

My D-Plan:
R = In residence at Dartmouth
L = Leave term
O = Off-campus program (study abroad)

Let it Snow!

My least favorite thing about Dartmouth is the climate. I love being in this New England rural environment where the air is so fresh (especially coming from the city) and you can watch the leaves change colors. But with all these perks, there has to be a downside: the winter season. The New England weather is absolutely beautiful in the summer time, but the winters can be a little overwhelming. The best advice that I was given was to dress warm.

Despite all the cold weather and mounds of snow, there is an added bonus: Winter Activities! Dartmouth does a great job of keeping the fun going when there may not seem like anything else to do but walk from your dorm room, to class, to Thayer Food Court (one of the dining facilities), and back to your room (yes, that was my routine freshman winter). As a result, I was a bit dispirited and bummed out. So, I vowed that come my sophomore winter I was going to take advantage of all the activities Dartmouth had to offer.

My sophomore winter was great. I went skiing, ice skating on Occum Pond, and even sledding on the golf course. I wouldn't have known that the winter time could be so enjoyable if I had chosen to barricade myself in my room.

Lesson Learned- Don't let the seasons control you, you control the seasons!

Buses and Planes, Buses and Planes

My least favorite thing about Dartmouth is leaving...and coming back for that matter. The thing about being in Hanover is that there isn't a major airport nearby. If you're not from the New England area (which offers many different bus and train routes to other New England destinations) you have to fly out of Manchester, NH or Boston. There are buses from Dartmouth's campus to these airports, but it can get annoying to have to plan your flights around the bus schedules.

The buses are comfortable, though, especially the Dartmouth Coach to Boston. It now has WIFI and there's always a movie and snacks on it. The Coach comes about every two hours each day, so it's pretty convenient. My friends and I have hopped on the Coach to go to Boston for the day or weekend. It's also a pretty and peaceful ride, as you drive through the mountains and pass different rivers. I've gotten the chance to meet a lot of fellow students and professors during the rides.

Still, I just sometimes wish there were more options for transportation to and from Hanover. I propose a Dartmouth airport!

Want to see what Hanover looks like today?

Check out the Dartmouth web-cams here!

You can also find pictures of campus here!

I know when I was applying, I desperately tried to find ways of seeing what it was actually like to be a student. One good way is through the photo galleries and webcams. Check them out.

Feel free to shoot any of us your questions or comment on a post!

What is the coolest/most interesting arts/theater/performance show that you've seen at Dartmouth?

The following posts are our responses to the question of the week:

What is the coolest/most interesting arts/theater/performance show that you've seen at Dartmouth?

Classical Guitar Concert in Barcelona!

During my sophomore winter I traveled to Barcelona, Spain, to spend the term on our Spanish Language Study Abroad (LSA) program. Dartmouth is well known for the breadth and quality of its study abroad programs, and I am among the 50% of Dartmouth students who study abroad at some point before they graduate.

Of the performances I have seen as an undergraduate, my favorite was one I saw during my term in Barcelona. Our professor suggested we attend a concert at the Palau de la Musica Catalana. It's a stunning concert hall with world-famous decorations that exude the passion of the Catalonia region. It's even a World Heritage Site!

A small group of us were able to get tickets to a classical guitar concert in the Palau and it was by far the most moving classical concert I have attended. The combination of the astonishing acoustics of the hall, ornate setting (see the photo), and traditional guitar music really pulled me in. It was definitely a highlight of my term abroad and an experience I hope to repeat at some point.

More information about study abroad at Dartmouth.

More pictures of the Palau!