For some upperclassmen, the Dartmouth Plan can help to create a lonely term on campus -- seeing only strangers in crowds, having a missing roommate and eating alone at lunch.
As of Jan. 8, the Class of 1997 has the greatest proportion of students off this term, Associate Registrar Nancy Broadhead said.
Of its 1,054 members, just 602 students are on campus this winter, she said.
Of its 1,024 members, the Class of 1998 has 797 students on campus this term. Twenty-two percent of the class is off campus.
Just 43 of the 1,046 members of the Class of 1996 are off campus this winter.
All 1,032 members of the freshman class are required to be on campus this term.
While 43 percent of the junior class is away from Dartmouth participating in Language Study Abroad or Foreign Study Programs, internships or other activities off campus, those on campus this term must confront life without their friends.
Finding new friends
Some members of the Class of 1997 said they have difficulty adjusting to life on campus without the people they usually spend time with.
Paul Manger '97 said he "can't really deal" with not seeing his friends for as much as a year. But "you don't really have a choice," he noted.
When friends are off-campus for a term, students often respond by trying to make new acquaintances -- slowly.
"It gets a little harder [each term] to meet people," Manger said. "You get involved with your own circle of friends and it's a different atmosphere for meeting people than it was freshman year, especially since people live further from campus."
While Keshav Magge '97 said he is unhappy that his friends are gone, he said, "others pick up the slack."
But Stephanie Yu '97 said she is not making the effort to meet new people due to the weather and her busy schedule.
"I'm a hermit during Winter term," she explained.
A lack of continuity
Allison Brown '97 said she was on an FSP in London last term and is finding it difficult to adjust to life back on campus.
"When you reach a certain age, you are not looking for a friendship for just 10 weeks. You want something deeper," she said.
Catherine MacDonald '97 said she too was frustrated with the lack of continuity that results from the D-Plan.
She said living in a sorority improves the situation, however, because that way she will always know someone on campus.
But Edward Kim '98 has a more philosophical attitude towards off-terms. He said he is not affected by some of his friends being away.
"They are all going to come back eventually," he explained.
Students would prefer more D-Plan flexibility
Allison Brown '97 said she wants to "completely get rid of the D-Plan. You'll have closer friends in each class and better continuity with the school and community," she said.
Joshua Winterhalt '97 said he also thinks the semester system would be preferable to Dartmouth's current quarter system.
"It is tried and true," he said. "It works everywhere else."
Winterhalt complained specifically of the D-Plan's impact on friendships and relationships.
"The D-Plan is the biggest farce at Dartmouth," Winterhalt said. "It's a selling point with all of its options, but I hate it. It's rough on friendships and relationships."
Fewer friends worth opportunities
Some students said having fewer friends on-campus is worth the benefits the D-Plan's flexibility offers.
Lisa Prunty '97 noted some benefits of the flexible schedule of the D-Plan.
"You could work in an internship for six months straight and get a better experience," she said.
