As I tried to come up with a topic with which to enlighten incoming freshmen, having started writing my column about two hours before the deadline, I searched on thedartmouth.com (I suggest you frequent it over the summer, it will help excite and prepare you for Dartmouth) for the column I wrote for the Freshman Issue last summer to give myself some ideas, or, should the need arise, repeat myself completely. What I found (and what you will find should you be bored enough to look) was a column dripping with excessive sentimentality, self-reflection and praise of Dartmouth to the point that, in retrospect, I seemed about as sycophantic as Smithers is to Mr. Burns.
The last year has seen its share of trials and tribulations that have dampened the psychotic love I had for this school a year ago. Undoubtedly, you will face minor annoyances that pile up to the breaking point: paying exorbitant prices for Dartmouth Dining Services food, having to pick up your print-outs from about the most inconvenient place on earth, having to walk halfway across the world to find a tennis court or getting stuck in the River while your friends all live in Mass Row.
Most likely, you will also face annoyances that aren't so small. You may realize that, since everyone here is as smart as you, competition for everything from getting into certain classes to getting into FSPs to getting your artwork hung in the Hop is fierce. You'll find that the D-plan, with all its ostensible merits, means you may have to say goodbye to friends you won't see again for nine months. And you will definitely find that the freedom you think you will be getting in college is not all it was cracked up to be: big brother is watching you.
But the fact of the matter is that there truly is a mystique about Dartmouth that all of the frustrations you encounter will never be able to destroy. So what I really want to do, instead of just spouting off cliches that will accomplish nothing but to reinforce the excitement that you already damn well better have for coming here, is to give you the tools to appreciate this school on a level beyond the annoyances you find here everywhere, every day.
First, go on a DOC trip at all costs. And not just because it will be incredibly fun, or because it will give you amazing memories, or because you will make great friends or because you want to show off your mountaineering talents to impress your trippees and cement your reputation. Do it because it is the single best way to be introduced to Dartmouth. When you make it to Moosilauke with all the other sweaty, smelly trip groups, you'll really feel that you belong. You'll return to campus for orientation feeling like you're home, appreciating how special it is to be a student here and knowing you made the right decision in attending Dartmouth.
There are many places you can go on campus to get some perspective, to rise above the problems you may encounter in being a student here. Make sure that you go to College Park early and often. It is the locus of Dartmouth tradition, featuring the statue of Robert Frost, Bartlett Tower and the Lone Pine. It marks the highest point on campus, so it gives you a view you can't find elsewhere; looking down on the campus, you will gain renewed appreciation for this school's beauty and history and you will hopefully be able to put whatever troubles you in perspective. Be thankful that you're here at all.
When you study, don't automatically go to Novack Caf or the stark white study lounge in the basement of whichever dorm you're in. Instead, drop by the Tower Room, Sanborn Library or the Top of the Hop occasionally. One of my most prominent freshman fall memories was when I took Homer's Odyssey, which I was reading for Humanities (which I highly recommend to those eligible), to the Tower Room. I had a hundred pages ahead of me and I was getting a little stressed. But then I glanced up and looked out at the panoramic view across the Green, and I thought to myself, "Wow, I'm so lucky to be stressing out at Dartmouth!" Hopefully you will find places of your own that make you put stressful days in the context of what it means to be a student here.Some pragmatic advice too, now that I've spilled my guts about how happy I am to be here even when I am frustrated beyond belief. Explore. Do not fall into cliques right away, or get stuck in the same daily pattern, because you might find two or even four years have gone by and you've only done a tiny fraction of everything you wanted to do. This means taking random classes just because they sound interesting -- distributive requirements will take care of themselves. It means studying in different places, going to different clubs' meetings, meeting people outside your dorm and keeping an open mind. You'll probably end up learning more from your classmates than your classes if you give everyone a chance. There are so many people to meet, so many things to experience, so many classes to take, so many games of pong to play.
Network. Start now. I presume lots of you have already found each other online, which is wonderful because it means you'll already feel you have friends on campus when you get here. If you haven't, start with me: ChisteVivo on AOL Instant Messenger. I can't stress enough how invaluable a source upperclassmen will be for you. They'll teach you tricks like how to get all your textbooks for a term for free, and they'll give you all the dirt on professors and classes. Do not leave your course selections up to chance: 10 weeks spent with a dull topic and a great professor will be so much more enjoyable than 10 weeks spent with a fascinating topic and a terrible professor. Befriend upperclassmen early and often.
Don't obsess over things you can't change because you'll waste some of the greatest days of your life, but do all you can to change what you can. Things won't always go your way here, but that doesn't mean you have to sit still and accept something you don't like. Come ready to voice your opinions, but, far more important, come ready to put your opinions into action. Don't let others make decisions about your life for you: this is your college experience and you have every right to make it what you want. You can feel the winds of change blowing, so the only way you'll make the most out of your time here is if you get that wind blowing in the right direction to fill your sails.
Most importantly, don't be afraid to be different. Saying "pop" instead of "soda" will reveal how truly unique you are, and your individuality will be greatly valued. I'm done rambling. Now start getting psyched to make the next four years the best in your lives!
