Hanover, NH. seems like it is in the middle of nowhere, far from the city lights, far from civilization. You may be wondering what in the world you are going to do here for four years.
Well, studying will take up a great deal of your time. The library is always beckoning.
If you play a sport or plan to join one of Dartmouth's many organizations, or if you want to get involved in drama or one of the a cappela groups, that should keep you pretty busy.
For many freshmen, the excitement of sneaking into a "forbidden" fraternity basement occupies student's weekend hours. More likely, however, '99s will flock in "shmobs" to the nearest freshman dorm party in Massachusetts Row or the Fayerweathers.
Other students will choose to hang out in their rooms with their new friends, which during the first few weeks of school are often your "tripees," those people who you spent every waking minute with as you hiked the granite hills of New Hampshire, or other '99s in your Undergraduate Adviser group.
But when you get tired of hanging out with your new friends or sneaking into fraternity basements, the exciting town of Hanover and its nearby surroundings await.
On a Friday or Saturday night in Hanover, you can enjoy a movie at the Nugget or spend a relaxing evening in a local restaurant.
If you're in an energetic mood, and winter hasn't yet kicked in, you can take a walk around Occom Pond, or hike up to the Shattuck Observatory and see the stars. If it's a nice day out (a rarity in Hanover until the spring), you can hike in the nearby wooded areas and in the winter, you can go to the Dartmouth Skiway.
The Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts always has something going on. Plays, musical performances, and exhibits provide a cultural alternative in Hanover.
A cappella singing groups are also very popular. They sing in dormitories, Greek houses, and the Hop, and provide entertainment.
When you get tired of Hanover, you can hop on a trolley and go to West Lebanon where a large shopping plaza awaits. You can even go bowling at Astrobowl.
If you crave city lights, and are feeling particulary adventurous, Boston and Montreal are only two hours away, and buses run from Hanover regularly.
As you spend your last weeks at home before coming to Dartmouth, don't feel like you will be leaving civilization forever. Even though we only get one major television channel in our dorm rooms, we are still connected to civilization, and boredom rarely kicks in here.
