In light of orientation, we asked our staff to reflect on freshman year.
I wish I knew freshman fall that it is okay to get rejected. So many of us enter our first term at Dartmouth having never experienced rejection — not from a club, school, professor, job or even a cute floormate.
My rejection virginity was rapidly taken from me within the first weeks of Dartmouth. In the next months, I was rejected many times over. For people who have never experienced failure, a first (and second and third) rejection can be an earth-shattering experience. It makes you feel inadequate and unworthy.
Sometimes, it even rocks your belief that you belong at a school like Dartmouth in the first place.
These reactions are common; however, they are utterly unnecessary, untrue and unhelpful. Regardless of how many a cappella groups turn you down, or how far you get in the ski patrol recruitment process before being heartbreakingly cut, or how many freshman programs seem to pass you over, you are no worse of a person.
There are always going to be 10 qualified applicants for one spot at Dartmouth. Decisions seem to be made for often arbitrary and occasionally even unrelated reasons. Not being selected for something — or even being selected for something — says nothing about you as a person. Don’t give up, and keep going after the things you’re interested in. Present yourself honestly and let your passion and worth shine through; by the time you start sophomore year, that one club that rejected you freshman fall (or those five) will be merely a step in the road that led you to being an engaged and passionate individual.
— Isaac Green ’17
You’re all very excited and ready to throw yourselves into fifth gear, but if you do that, you won’t be able to fully take in your surroundings. Don’t be afraid to get outside of your comfort zone. Take classes you are unfamiliar with (but interested in) or walk on to an athletic team. Join a club or activity you’ve always wanted to take part in. There are so many things to experience at Dartmouth — take the time to try them. Talk to your professors and talk to them early. Get to know them and the fields you are studying, and see what more you can get out of them. Ask upperclassmen about their experiences in and out of the classroom, and if you hear something negative, take it with a grain of salt. This is your Dartmouth, your experience, and you are in charge of what it becomes.
— William Peters ’15
Don’t try to enter Dartmouth Hall through the middle doors. They don’t open. Every fall, freshmen climb the middle steps of Dartmouth Hall only to realize that the center doors do not open. It is not only the easiest way for everyone else to realize that you are a freshman, but it is also embarrassing. Do yourself a favor, and use the side doors.
— Joseph Geller ’16
I would like the incoming ’18s to know that finding happiness and a sense of place at Dartmouth takes time, and that it’s unrealistic to expect to meet your best friends or discover your deepest passions right away. Additionally, I wish I had been told my freshman fall how essential it is, both academically and personally, to work toward establishing a strong relationship with at least one professor that transcends the boundaries of the classroom. It’s also crucial for incoming students to keep an open mind about the various elements of Dartmouth: the Greek scene, the ominous winter, the different dining options and meeting people of all different backgrounds from around the country and the world. It’s important for students to experience these elements firsthand before coming to any sort of conclusion, rather than relying upon rumors. Finally, I think it’s important to keep in mind that while Dartmouth is an amazing place, the world outside demands our attention. We must engage with the people and problems of national and global communities even as we absorb ourselves in those at Dartmouth.
— Spencer Blair ’17
If you didn’t hit it off with your tripees, don’t worry. While the fall will probably be full of FoCo dinners and trips (ha!) down memory lane, the reunions will dwindle in winter term and by spring you’ll forget who hogged the corn snacks.
— Florence Gonsalves ’15
The professors at Dartmouth can be your greatest assets, not only during your four years at school, but beyond them as well. It is well worth trying to make a lasting connection with at least one professor each term. Go to office hours, take them out to lunch, buy them KAF with your extra DBA. They truly are the best at what they do, and can help you not only in a traditional academic setting, but also when it comes to finding obscure internships, or exploring the professional world, or just being there as mentors — or better yet, as friends.
— Aylin Woodward ’15
