"I really don't think I study enough," one of my closest friends here told me one late evening in the library. "You only get four years and we're almost halfway there."
Sure, I had touted around the fact that I chose to attend Dartmouth because of its unrivalled undergraduate education, as do most students here when asked the question, but two years in, had I really taken advantage of everything Dartmouth had to offer? Was my undergraduate education really "unrivalled," accounting for how many of the resources I had utilized and how much of my time I had invested into it since arriving here in Hanover? Probably not.
From the first day I set foot on campus, I spread myself thin and left little time to focus on my academics. I devoted as much time as I needed to get the grade I wanted in a class and then stopped. My education, in essence, was less important than the letters on my transcript.
It took me until the start of my sophomore year to begin tapping into the bottomless well of resources here at the College. From regular office hours with professors to countless study groups and research opportunities, to just about every book on Earth in one of the libraries here on campus, Dartmouth truly is the mecca of undergraduate studies. If I had to describe it in one word, I would use "access." Dartmouth affords all students the ability to take hold of their own education; what you put into it is what you get out of it. This clich could not be any truer. Take my advice the more you invest in your personal pursuit of knowledge, the stronger your passion will be toward your studies and the easier it will be to make time for your education in your soon-to-be very busy lives.
Dartmouth's course catalog is about as thick as the Bible. Never will a teaching assistant lecture beyond an introductory level course, and therefore the level of instruction at Dartmouth is much higher than that of some peer institutions. Professors at the College not only have dedicated their lives to the specific subject matter they are teaching, but are also some of the most accomplished scholars in their fields. Take advantage of the time they set aside for office hours each week, regardless of whether you are enrolled in their class that term. Afford them an opportunity to help you find direction in your own studies given their experience, ask professors to recommend you extended scholarship readings in whatever you might be interested in, or inquire about how to get involved in their own personal research.
Come to Dartmouth with a wide kaleidoscope of questions and use your time in Hanover to explore and experiment. Navigate through Dartmouth pursuing the meanderings of your intellectual curiosity, and take risks. Give each class the chance to shape you by pursuing your studies with the same zeal, excitement and diligence that gained you admittance to the College. Take hold of your Dartmouth education. You will develop a passion for your education by first finding what you love, and then continuing to approach what you love through new perspectives. It takes time, exposure and experience. Surround yourself with a diverse group of people, take a varied palette of courses and get involved in multiple student groups to inspire your intellectual journey.
There is no doubt that the "Dartmouth system" can be maneuvered through and that success can be achieved without going the extra mile in your classes. But remember, just as your Dartmouth experience will be shaped by the conversations you will soon have on the Green, the camaraderie you will soon share with your freshman floormates and the exhaustion that will soon overcome you after running around the Homecoming bonfire 117 times, in the end, so too will the unparalleled undergraduate education you now have at your fingertips.