Although Dartmouth is one of the premier liberal arts schools in the country, there are some things that students just can't learn in the classroom.
For instance, many students graduate without knowing how to fix an automobile, how to administer Cardial Pulmonary Resuscitation or why you should never order pasta at a business lunch.
To fill in the gaps, the 1996 Class Council is sponsoring a series of informational sessions, titled "Life 101: What I didn't learn in college," designed to prepare seniors for life after graduation.
The purpose of the program is to teach seniors "things that you don't know but are expected to know when you get in the real world," according to Carrie Kuss '96, one of the program's organizers and a member of the council.
The free hour-long courses will be held on Thursday nights starting at 7.
According to Senior Class Treasurer Chris Marston, two sessions will be held this term and five sessions will be offered in winter.
Senior Class Vice President Tom Caputo will teach the first session -- "Surfing the Web" -- in Silsby Hall this Thursday.
The series will include advice on interviewing etiquette, dressing for success, how to find an apartment, how to buy a car, basic auto repair, how to file income taxes, options for investment and adult CPR, Kuss said.
"Sometimes the enrollment will be limited, depending on the session," Kuss said. "The CPR class will have to be limited because it requires hands-on experience."
During the "Interviewing Tips: Dressing for Success, Etiquette for the Business World" session, "they might teach you things ... like: don't order pasta if they take you out for lunch," Marston said.
According to Kuss, the instructors for the sessions will be students, administrators and guests from local businesses.
"We are hoping to invite someone from a local car dealership to come speak with us at the car buying session," Kuss said.
The interviewing session will be conducted by a representative from Career Services, Marston said.
"In general, we might borrow some instructors from the Collis Miniversity program when appropriate ... We will also look for expertise around campus. If students can teach, we'll use them," Marston said.
Kuss said she believes there was a similar program in the past. But, she said, it was less comprehensive and lasted only one term.
