Welcome to Dartmouth. This column is intended to give you some advice on how best to enjoy your Dartmouth experience. Of course, before you take my word for it, I suppose I should tell you a little about myself, so you will know where I'm coming from. I'm a rising senior. I'm a member of a fraternity, the rugby team, The Dartmouth's columnist staff, and I am the treasurer of the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council. I'm a Spanish and Government double major, I work for Dartmouth Dining Services,and I spend the majority of my time interacting with people rather than studying. I have been one of the leading advocates for the preservation of the Greek system as is, and if you read my columns during the year, you will very quickly pick up on that. I'm writing this from an office in Washington DC, my hometown, and I'm currently very disillusioned with the real world that awaits me in offices such as this one once I complete my last year at Dartmouth, but I'm usually very friendly and nice. So here's my advice.
1) Take Humanities as your seminar if you are eligible. It is one of the best courses offered at this school. I also think that all students should take Education 20 early in their college career.
2) Get involved in some sort of organization. During orientation week, every campus organization (including the rugby team) will try to recruit you for one thing or another, and while it may seem overwhelming, all the organizations are worthwhile, and you'll meet wonderful people in any of them. The main thing is to make sure that you don't spend all your college time studying. There are billions of lessons that simply cannot be taught in the classroom. That said, don't overextend yourself and get too involved, or you'll fail out. Many students spend their whole academic career trying to lift their grade point average after getting terrible grades their first two terms.
3) Be open and honest. As you will quickly learn, Dartmouth is split along many lines: racial, gender, sexual orientation, athletic affiliation, Greek affiliation, socioeconomic status, etc. Don't prejudge. Many of you must have observed in high school that you unwittingly became part of a clique and shut yourself off to other people who did not meet the criteria of that clique. Sadly, Dartmouth is no different. I hope you don't want to find out your senior year that you shut yourself off from people unwittingly because they were different. If you're white, it doesn't mean you can't be friends with minorities. If you're a minority, that doesn't mean that all Caucasians at Dartmouth are out to get you. Men, respect women. Women, don't allow yourselves to be disrespected. If you're an athlete, you don't have to be a beer-swilling moron. These stereotypes are just plain false, yet you will all be led to believe they are true at one time or another. If you're from a wealthy family, please please don't think you're above everyone else. Your roommates and hallmates may not be quite as well off as you are. Don't assume that the only people worth talking to are the people in your category, or you won't learn a thing at college except exclusivism.
4) Regarding the Greek system, please don't judge the whole on the basis of one trip to one house for one party. Most houses do not view their parties as a good snapshot of what they contribute to Dartmouth. Yet the parties are the only social option right now, so they continue. Take advantage of the non-alcoholic events (community service, programs, lectures) as well as the alcoholic ones as opportunities to get to know the Greek system. Disregard stereotypes (football house, geek house, etc.) because there are always people in every house who defy those stereotypes. I swear to you it's true.
5) Work for DDS if you need a job. While it may not be the most glorious job out there, the pay is the highest on campus, the people are nice, and DDS is the single most diverse organization on campus. Everyone who works there is motivated purely by capitalism, which wonderfully excludes all other prejudices from entering into the equation.
6) Take diverse courses, unless you know you're going to be an engineer. One of my biggest regrets is getting too focused on my majors and not exploring other departments.
7) Use the resources available to you. Your Undergraduate Advisors are powerful resources. The Academic Skills Center can help you if you simply cannot seem to study well. Go to movies at the Hop, go on camping trips, visit the gym, visit Kmart and Walmart, don't spend your days surfing the web for porn.
8) Lastly, make sure you have fun. I've only got one year left. I'm exceedingly jealous of you because you have four years to have fun before you have to get a little more serious like me. Do whatever it is that makes you happy, try different things, and meet different people, because four years from now, you may not have that opportunity quite as much. Good luck.
