Anything Not To Like?!

<p>To any current students, dartmouth grads (or those who've visited the campus), is there anything you don't or didn't like about dartmouth? I know there's many good aspects of the school, but it's always interesting to hear the other side of the story, so to speak.</p>

<p>NOPE...Well, It could be a <em>little</em> cold in the winter..</p>

<p>I am only a rising senior so I certainly can't speak as an insider. There is a LOT that I really like about Dartmouth. One thing that I don't like, though, is the course requirements which seem really bizarre and cumbersome to me. It seems that Brown is at one end of the spectrum with no requirements and Dartmouth is at the other with everyone else in between.</p>

<p>I've pasted the "extra" requirements below. Be warned, it makes for lengthy reading! And this doesn't even include the English requirement, the freshman seminar requirement, the foregin language requirement and the requiremnts for each particular major. If someone with experience could make sense of them for me I'd appreciate it.</p>

<p>D. General Education Requirements (Class of 2008 and later classes): There are two separate requirements under this heading: World Culture Requirement, and Distributive Requirement. These requirements are outlined below, and are explained in detail (including the codes used to designate which courses fall into which categories) beginning on page 77.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>World Culture Requirement. Each student must take and pass one course in each of three areas: Western Cultures, Non-Western Cultures, and Culture and Identity.</p></li>
<li><p>Distributive Requirement. Each student must take and pass ten courses, as follows:</p></li>
</ol>

<p>one in the Arts;</p>

<p>one in Literature;</p>

<p>one in Systems and Traditions of Thought, Meaning, and Value;</p>

<p>one in International or Comparative Study;</p>

<p>two in Social Analysis;</p>

<p>one in Quantitative and Deductive Sciences;</p>

<p>two in the Natural Sciences;</p>

<p>one in Technology or Applied Science.</p>

<p>One of the courses in the Natural Science or Technology categories must have a laboratory, field, or experimental component.</p>

<p>Actually I didn't really mind the requirements, it is much less intensive than Columbia, where I transferred from.</p>

<p>My biggest issue with Dartmouth was the social dominance of a few jock fraternities (I was in one btw).</p>

<p>Coldcomfort,</p>

<p>While readling about the distribution requirements, they may seem bizzare. However, if you chose your classes well you will find that there are a number of classes that fulfill more than one distribution requirement so you would definitely take less than 10 courses. For example if you look at the thread on first year seminars:</p>

<p>the course: GOVT-007-01 FS-Virtues Teaching&Learning
fultills the following requirements :
World Culture requirement: Western and a
Distrib: TMV</p>

<p>hope this helps</p>

<p>Thanks, Sybbie, that's really interesting. If I understand you correctly, one class could actually cover 3 requirements -- the freshman seminar, western world culture, and thought meaing and value. Do I have that right?</p>

<p>Yes, you have that right :)</p>

<p>Sybbie, where can one find which requirements a particular course satisfies? I looked at the online listing of courses, and it does not say what requirements it covers. Some requirements, such as "systems and traditions of thought, meaning, and value" are a little hard to definitively figure out which classes would fulfill it. Thanks again for all the info, you are invaluable.</p>

<p>There is no exact listing stating if you want to take a course to fulfill your TVM requirement you take a,b or c. </p>

<p>Basically you check the ORC</p>

<p><a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Ereg/courses/desc/index.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dartmouth.edu/~reg/courses/desc/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>From what I have seen most of the TVM course (are in religion and philosophy). Overall take what you are interested in, keep a little spread sheet so you can knock out your dist requirements. </p>

<p>If you are able to log in check out the student assembly guide (you log in the same way you would your blitzmail account</p>

<p><a href="http://sa.dartmouth.edu/guide/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://sa.dartmouth.edu/guide/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>p.s. don't forget the physical education requirements as you need 3 in addition to being able to swim 50 yards. it hasn't been updated for the fall yet. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.dartmouth.edu/%7Ephysed/html/courses.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dartmouth.edu/~physed/html/courses.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Thank you so much Sybbie! Especially the student review site!</p>

<p>the river dorm is very much a disappointment (ugly, far and have to walk pass construction) .... dartmouth is addressing their lack of quality dorms with two new dorm complexes which will be ready next fall 2006..not that my son did not have a great time and the freshman always look at it as a right of passage
but the 09 will still suffer and dorm life will improve for everyone a year from now</p>

<p>are the choates nice?</p>

<p>I got EW!!!!!!!! lol</p>

<p>isaacc-
have you seen other schools? dartmouth certainly does not have a "lack of quality dorms." Our dorms are much nicer than other schools. there are three room doubles in the river, something you wouldn't find for freshmen at other schools.</p>

<p>i guess if i had to pick something i don't like about dartmouth it would be the food. (although again, this is relative.)</p>

<p>the choates are pretty nice- aside from the fact that when you walk to them it feels like you're entering east communist europe, they have been entirely redone (the last two having been done over this summer...i lived in one of the worst ones last year...soon to be great...). they are clean with nice bathrooms and adequate space. they're also right behind frat row!</p>

<p>How hard is it to fulfill the 3 credit for PE? The website says that club members can receive a max of 2 credits, how can the other be fulfilled? Would joining two clubs fulfill it or would you have to go into another course like martial arts, flip, ice sports, etc?</p>

<p>You can fulfill the PE requirement very easily in a number of ways, you can join a dance troup, you can ski, do horseback riding , swim etc. if you ski for the term, you must complete the term. If you do a tem activity there are a minimum number of hours you must participate. once the schedules are posted, you will see the meeting times and dates, and you register for an activity just like a class.</p>

<p>Appro - DD is moving into Cohen - was it redone this summer, or last? And I didn't think it looked like East Germany, it looks like much of my own college - 70s idea of timeless architecture ;), of course with the distinct overtone of hamster run! The blue shower math building is my favorite - just like the background architecture on the "planets" in the original Star Trek episodes - what were they thinking! I understand it will eventually be torn down - someone should preserve part of the wall - just to say never again.</p>

<p>Cohen was renovated this summer.</p>

<p>athena or someone i was just wondering if the rooms in brown first floor are big enough to have a futon? i need to order one online soon.. please let me know</p>