While Sophomore Summer means a higher percentage of familiar faces on campus for most people, exchange students see the summer from a different perspective.
From the Twelve-College Exchange to the University of Edinburgh's exchange program, students from all over the country and the world temporarily adjust to life as Dartmouth students for anywhere from one to three terms.
Across the Atlantic
The University of Edinburgh, Scotland exchange presented Neil Fraser '98 with the opportunity to study philosophy for his major -- law -- in a foreign setting. "We get a big wad of money to come here for fun, for intellectual stimulation and to travel," Fraser said.
One of the more notable differences between Dartmouth and the University of Edinburgh is the structure of classes and the resulting student-teacher interaction, according to Fraser.
Although the classes at Dartmouth are small, Fraser said he finds it strange that students are expected to have discussions with 30 strangers.
Fraser said in the last two years of school at the University of Edinburgh, classes are seminars with only three to eight students from the same department per class. Students get to know each other and the professors quite well and will "all go to the pub together and get a drink," Fraser said.
Fraser said Hanover is quite different from the city atmosphere of Edinburgh. Scotland has more restaurants and coffee-shops for meeting friends at, Fraser said. In addition, "Scotland is much more liberal, and alcohol is not a taboo for young people -- drinking at home is a much more social thing."
The arts at the College also impressed him. "Arts here are tremendous. We went to see 'Arcadia,' and the standard of acting and production are far superior to the University of Edinburgh. Some of the student actors were fantastic. That doesn't happen at home."
As a whole, Fraser said he considers Dartmouth a great place to be in the summer. He will return to Scotland in the fall.
Dartmouth from a dozen
The Twelve-College Exchange allows students to take their junior year at another college participating in the exchange.
O'Hara Tudor '99, a music major from Smith College, said she chose Dartmouth because of its unique music department.
"I'll be taking a grad-level electro-acoustic course, which you couldn't take at Smith," she said. "I wanted to try a new experience and Dartmouth is the antithesis of Smith."
Tudor said the hardest thing about being an exchange student "is being a first-year all over again."
Dartmouth has had both its ups and downs, she said.
"I find the accessibility and overall interest in the outdoors great, however, in terms of trimester, you don't have much time to get into things and Hanover's kind of a dead town," Tudor said.
Tudor said the residential life experience at Dartmouth is very different from Smith. At Smith, each of the dormitories has its own character, because the majority of students stay in the same houses during their four years, she said. Many friendships revolve around dorm interactions.
Tudor said she feels Dartmouth has been a great experience thus far and although she is "hella down to go back to Smith, I am at Dartmouth for an experience completely different from what Smith has to offer."
Susan Sanders '99, an exchange student from Wellesley College, said she strongly supports students coming to Dartmouth for the Summer term.
"I think being here in the summer is definitely beneficial -- there are fewer students and it's easier to adjust," she said.
Sanders said some of the different things at Dartmouth, such as dining buildings instead of dorm dining halls and the Greek system, make Dartmouth a more social place than Wellesley but the level of work is comparable to Wellesley.
For Smith sophomore Hillary Thomas, the outdoors are a particularly unique aspect of Dartmouth.
"People just love being athletic here and that is totally different in a great way," she said. "It's so much fun going to Moosilauke Lodge, going hiking or swimming in the river."
The social life at Dartmouth has been the greatest difference for Thomas.
"Smith is 100 percent focused on academics. Here people work hard and play hard," she said.
Thomas said she has had a positive experience at Dartmouth with only a few minor hitches.
"I haven't had problems with people being nasty except for when I went to [Chi] Heorot [fraternity] in my disco clothes," she said. "I got some funny looks."
Sophomore Gabrielle Hall, another exchange student from Smith, said she had wondered what classes with men would be like.
"I wasn't sure how I would react to having guys in my class, but it's no big deal," she said. "But women raise their hands and guys tend to talk out of turn instead of waiting to be called on."
"Not to be down on Dartmouth, but I'm psyched to go back to Smith," she said. "I just appreciate it more now."
