Me? Nada!

What would I change about my college experience…?


NOT A DAMN THING!!!!

I genuinely LOVED LOVED LOVED my time spent at Dartmouth. There were few, if any, moments that I regretted making that very hard decision to go there…ok…who am I kidding? It was an IVY!!! There was no way I was passing that up-no matter how much money Vanderbilt offered me. Although…Dartmouth gave me a tiny bit more moolah in the end anyway :).

If I HAD TO change anything about my experience/time spent etc… I would probably change the location. That’s how much fun I had…the only gripe is that I can possibly come up with was that it was in Hanover, F#*k@I( New Hampshire. Lol. I hate cold, I hate snow, but I’m so glad I decided in the end to go there. I have never had so much fun in my life! I guess I am partly glad it was in the middle of nowhere though. Would I have had as much fun or met the people I met if there were other social outlets off-campus in a city somewhere? High school friends talk about going out on the town and not seeing anyone from school. Or meeting some cute guy in a club and realizing they’re both students at the same school. Never happens in Hanover lol. First of all…Dartmouth is tiny! Maybe 6,000 students- MAYBE- and about 1/3 of those are graduate students (Med/Business/Engi) and you never see them really lol. So…you pretty much know everyone by face at least. Also, there’s NOTHING in the off-campus area to do (well you could ski/hike and crap like that- if you like the outdoors…). Any major events, attractions, etc. are brought in by Dartmouth and so the town seemingly relies on the College for entertainment.

Don’t let that deter you though- there was no lack of fun stuff to do, concerts, events or parties at Dartmouth. Dartmouth has a huge Greek scene and on any given night you can wander down “Frat Row” and find at least a few houses playing loud music and/or playing pong into the long hours of the night. My friends and I spent more than our fair share of time on Frat row lol. Whenever students came to visit from other colleges (Ny, Boston, Atlanta etc) they had nothing but good things to say and most lamented that they wished they had gone to Dartmouth. It may be in the middle of nowhere- but that seemed to foster a tight-knit and fun community. Plus, I had great friends. We could just meet up anywhere and have so much fun doing nothing. Some of my favorite times were in the Choates just hanging out, or down at the river swimming in the murky water, or working at Lone Pine with half the staff being my friends and the rest of my friends just hanging out with us while we worked. Such a tight group! Also…UJIMA and Collis Late-Night “study” sessions!

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I guess a secondary change I’d make- which I’m sure everyone would say about their own experiences- is to branch out more and try to make more friends. I had a pretty diverse group but there was always room for more and I don’t feel that I met everyone I could have and should have. But who can ever say that they have?! Once I got more comfortable and started branching out, I met some great people. I wish I had started that process sooner.

In the end- I know that Dartmouth was the best place for me and, though it wasn't my first choice, it was the only correct one (I'm sure of it!). If Dartmouth isn't on your list and you're looking for a College, definitely look into it. Good school, great people, and ...this...

Dartmouth Grads the Richest!!!