As we pass the midpoint of fall term, many freshmen like myself may find themselves reflecting on their time on campus thus far. Perhaps the excitement of the first few weeks has faded and been replaced by routine: the same familiar club meetings, ’53 Commons booths and library tables week in and week out. It’s all too easy to settle into our comfort zones, sticking with what feels safe and natural. We might try to rationalize this by appealing to convenience or reminding ourselves of our busy schedules. No matter the justification we come up with, it’s hard to deny that our reliance on routine can cause us to miss some of the most distinctive parts of Dartmouth life — the spontaneous, spirited and often-bizarre experiences that define this school’s culture.
From unconventional, just-for-fun clubs like the Sudoku Society to beginner-friendly sessions at the rock-climbing gym, the College offers countless opportunities to explore the unfamiliar, and the students who take advantage of this will find that their time here becomes richer, more memorable and more fully lived. In other words, leaning into Dartmouth’s unique culture, even when it feels inconvenient, is not just a chance to try something new. It’s a way to transform our daily routine into a truly remarkable Dartmouth experience.
Dartmouth students have trouble taking advantage of these opportunities, treating them as time-consuming luxuries and waiting for a freer week that never comes. This tendency reflects a deeper flaw in the culture we’ve built at Dartmouth: We tend to focus so intently on the constant cycle of work that we deem everything optional as less valuable.
However, the students I’ve met who make time to try out new hobbies seem to enjoy their time here more. They seem to be able to balance this adventuresome spirit with their workload and a generous sleep schedule. The difference, of course, isn’t that they have more hours in the day or that their workload is lesser. It appears that they have chosen to value balance over absolute perfection. Dartmouth students should take inspiration from this subset of the population, giving ourselves time to relax and to explore.
This intention can begin with small, deliberate choices. Taking a post-class walk around Occom Pond before heading to the library, dropping in for an hour-long jewelry workshop at the Hopkins Center for the Arts or even just carving out time for a trip to the farmer’s market with friends are simple ways to reintroduce novelty into the monotony of our routines. These moments may seem trivial or unproductive compared to another hour of reading or problem sets, but the positive impact they have on our mental health, creativity and sense of belonging is too great to ignore. When we give ourselves permission to break from routine, we can return to our normal workload more energized and with a broader perspective.
It’s easy to get caught up in the river of work that never seems to stop flowing. Dartmouth will always give us another essay, another exam or another email to write. Yet it also gives us the opportunity to make our time here truly meaningful. We have endless chances to lean into spontaneity here, and as we creep closer to finals week, I encourage everyone at Dartmouth to make time for something new: an odd club meeting, an afternoon on the river or a drop-in dance class. After all, at graduation, we won’t be reminiscing on the hours we spent in the library, but the experiences unique to Dartmouth that we took the time to pursue.
Opinion articles represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
