A Guide to the Best and Worst of Dartmouth

Welcome to Dartmouth. Now that you’ve all had so much time to form impressions of the campus, here’s the best and the worst of Dartmouth.

The Best

Office of Admissions

Quite possibly one of the best ways to impact Dartmouth. Guiding tours does wonders for public speaking skills. Although the exact amount of influence you have is debatable, the Senior Interviewer program is one of the most intriguing jobs on campus—a true gem in the bureaucratic mess that is Dartmouth.

Departmental Hiring Committees

Meet and possibly interview new professors; particularly beneficial if you’re interested in pursuing a career in high education. However, your ability to get involved with these and the degree to which your input is considered, if at all, depends on the department.

Civic Skills Training

Particularly if you’re interested in public policy or non-profits, this program is for you. Even if you are still figuring out your career path, still do it. If selected, you go to Washington D.C. for about a week with other Dartmouth students. There, you are drilled everyday about how to be the best intern you can be, the basics of how the public policy world works, and what Dartmouth alum speakers discussed in their presentation to your group—not to mention that you also learn how to write press releases and policy briefs, the latter which you submit to a congressman or senator of your choice. You also get to eat some extremely delicious food over the course of the week.

The Hopkins Center

Even the least jaded activists need to take some time off. From the Dartmouth Film Series to the student workshops (jewelry, woodshop, and pottery studios) to amazing performing arts opportunities, this should be on everyone’s “take advantage of before graduating” list. None of this is as expensive as you might think.

Student-run Shows

The AREA art show, Acapella performances, student theatre productions, and student dance performances are always a lot of fun. Plus, they’re very inexpensive, and when they aren’t, they’re usually free.

Paddock Music Library

While you’re making your jewelry/chair/ceramics at the Hop, do check out the variety of music at the Paddock Music Library. There is some great music to be found there if you take the time to look.

Local restaurants and coffee houses

The atmosphere off campus—even if it’s not far from campus—can help you relax and get rid of some stress. Plus, a lot of the food is delicious. If you happen to become as addicted to Dirt Cowboy as the rest of us, be prepared for Starbucks to never suffice again.

The Worst

Apathy/ignorance

Self explanatory and a mass pandemic. The question is: is this better or worse than the below? People who claim/pretend/think that they “get diversity” but really don’t – Just because someone is of a certain ethnicity/gender/sexuality/religion/ability doesn’t mean that he or she involved in that community. And if you are of a certain “historically underrepresented group,” you don’t need to be the president of an organization or the community intern to prove that you understand diversity, so long as you don’t ignore your heritage.

Green Key Society

While I understand its traditional value, it’s devolved into quite possibly one of the most useless groups ever. To this day, I’m still meeting people who were purportedly in my Green Key delegation, and I’ve never seen them before. Ever.

Getting stuck in the Dartmouth “bubble”

Don’t narrow your entire existence to campus life and campus activities. There’s fun to be had right across the street in Hanover. Make some time to get off campus one day or weekend with friends—whether that be in Boston, New York, or Montreal. This is especially good if you’re new to New England, since New England has a lot of interesting, diverse places to visit.

Meetings

Ever consider that this influx of programming and student organizations is actually keeping us from actually getting anything done?

Study outside of the Stacks

There are other places to study besides the library stacks. Find some of the hidden places on and off campus that are great study locations for a couple of hours. However, don’t be that person who finds a public place to study (like B&N café) who glares and shushes everyone around them. That’s not cool.

Leaving laundry in the laundry room

Also don’t be that person who leaves their laundry in the laundry room for hours or days after its finished. Remember, the laundry room is communal, and the ratio of washers and dryers to residents is over 20 people to every single set of washers and dryers. Plus, you probably don’t want other people to touch your underwear—and we don’t want to touch it either.

The Jury’s Still Out

Palaeopitus Senior Society

What do you get when you put a group of twenty “leaders” from all over the Dartmouth campus in one room with the support and open pockets of the administration? General chaos and a lack of productivity.

The Senior Thesis

Yes, you’ll have a true culminating experience, get to know a professor really well, and can get access to school funds to do what you want (even if that’s hanging out in strip clubs in San Francisco and interviewing sex workers!). But don’t do it unless you’re really excited about your topic and are willing to sign over your ability to enjoy your senior year.