It's amazing to me that over three months have passed since I last stepped foot in a classroom at Dartmouth. It's also hard to believe that it's been a year since I first walked into that gloomy lecture hall in Bradley for Math 11. These four (or five) years at Dartmouth will surely fly by. I doubt I'm the first person to mention that to the newly anointed Class of 2009.
I decided to take a look at the online archives in order to recall what columnists were writing about at this time last year. Two glaring topics jumped out at me -- the upcoming election and popped collars. The seemingly endless political banter would continue throughout much of the 2004 Fall term. The popped collar debate was more short-lived but equally intense. After completing my review of last year's columns, I made it my goal to produce something a bit more worthwhile than the popped collar rant. Thus, I've decided to offer my advice, for what it's worth, after only one year here, on how to correctly navigate academics at Dartmouth.
If you haven't already heard, the D-Plan system at Dartmouth is spectacular. Most college students have to take a minimum of four classes, often sitting through upwards of fifteen hours of class per week. We take three classes and spend around ten hours in the classroom each week. This means more time to participate in extracurricular activities, focus on specific academic interests and just have an overall good time at school. Say what you want about the D-Plan fragmenting the campus and putting strain on relationships, but the trimester system certainly provides a lot of flexibility and free time. Administrators try to claim that classes are more difficult and move faster, but I have not found that to be true. Basically, the sooner you recognize the fantastic benefits of the trimester system, the quicker you'll be able to manipulate it to your advantage.
Another poorly kept secret at Dartmouth is the opportunity to have class exclusively on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I neglected to realize this during my freshman fall, but quickly adjusted for the Winter and Spring terms. What student wouldn't love to have four days off every week? Except for the occasional x-hour, Tuesday and Thursday become much needed days to rest and recover from whatever might have happened the night before. They also offer a free day to focus on completing any work that has built up during the week. Some people argue that having three hours of class all in one day is too tough to handle. I, on the other hand, am still haunted by the seven hours of class that I attended every day in high school. Maybe you don't need to take three consecutive classes and want to have an hour and twenty-five minute break during the day -- that works too. No matter what your exact timetable is, don't underestimate the advantage of having a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule. In no way am I advocating that you choose your classes based entirely on establishing a "MWF" system, but if it comes down to selecting one of two equally interesting electives, it's something to be considered.
My third piece of advice is something that I need to practice more often myself: Get to know your professors as quickly as possible. Before you know it, it will be time to apply for summer project grants and off-campus programs. You'll need to obtain recommendations from multiple professors. I was lucky to be accepted to an LSA despite the fact that I had very little personal contact with the professors who wrote on my behalf. Others were not as fortunate. My primary goal for the three terms that I will spend on campus during my sophomore year is to get to know more professors. One of the best parts about going to a prestigious college is the access to brilliant and famous faculty members. Dartmouth prides itself on focusing special attention on undergraduates, but don't expect professors to come find you in your dorm room. Even if you couldn't care less about enhancing your educational experience by going to office hours and talking academics with professors, do it for the sake of making sure that you'll have qualified recommenders when the time inevitably comes.
Always understand that distractions will be a part of life at Dartmouth. The temptation to disregard school work in favor of more enjoyable activities like Monday evening pong or Halo 2 is a dangerous one. There is so much to do and so many worthwhile activities to participate in. Just make sure that you can manage the academics before delving too deeply into extracurriculars. Thankfully, Dartmouth's unique academic schedule and system provides every opportunity to succeed if used properly. Now, while there is still time to add and drop classes, make a point to get the most out of it.
