Ask a Dartmouth Student

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<p>spf40: if that’s a serious question pm me. I have the feeling there’s some ■■■■■■■■ going on though.</p>

<p>lizdarcy/xkrnbebe: Study abroad is one of the main things that brought me to Dartmouth. I have not yet gone on a trip, but have talked to countless people who have (I’d say there are more seniors here who have studied abroad then there are who haven’t). In terms of ease, the technicalities are very easy. Set your D-plan to an Off campus term, apply, get accepted and go. We offer 3 “main” types of study abroad which I’ll outline below.</p>

<p>The LSA (language study abroad): Dartmouth has a language proficiency requirement, so why not use this to help? After taking the “1 and 2” numbered classes in a language you can go on an LSA to fulfill the “3” as well as 2 other classes in that language. These are offered for almost every language.</p>

<p>The LSA+: This is like an LSA but taken after the “3” is fulfilled (either from testing out or taking 3 terms of the language at D) and instead has 3 advanced classes in the language.</p>

<p>The FSP( Foreign Study Program): Almost every department at D offers an FSP, which have classes taught in English and are 3 courses from that department.</p>

<p>In addition to these you are also free to design your own study abroad and get it approved through administration if you so desire(although I think there are few things you could want that D doesn’t already offer)</p>

<p>As far as studying abroad 3 times… well that would be VERY difficult and require alot of planning and AP credit, but I know it has been done. 2 is much more realistic, and 1 is the standard.(which is still much improved over most schools none as the standard :P) In terms of cost, the study abroad at Dartmouth is actually very affordable(you just pay normal Dartmouth costs+airfare and of course you’ll probably want to bring spending money for souvenirs)</p>

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<p>spunaugle, thanks for all your help! I also have another question: does campus ever get boring? I’m sure that as a freshman, everything is still new and exciting, but have you ever heard upperclassmen complain about the variety of activities at Dartmouth? Also, I’m not a drinker at all (like, I’ve literally never tried the stuff). I don’t care if other people drink and I don’t think that there is anything wrong with the practice in general, but it’s not for me. I know one of the other posters said that it was possible to find things to do outside of the Greek scene, but do you think you could expand upon that?</p>

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<p>I would say there is always something going on at Dartmouth should you get involved and I have yet to meet any upperclassmen with any serious complaints. The honest truth is as long as you take the initiative to get involved you’re not going to be bored on campus.
In terms of drinking I am actually a non-drinker as well and have found a sizable number of fellow non-drinkers on campus. Here’s the main thing though, you’ll be fine as a non-drinker as long as you don’t judge those who do. It is true it’s part of the culture here, but you’re also free to play pong with water if you so chose. And apart from the frat scene there’s TONS of campus organizations to get involved in. DOC is one that stands out the most, but there are literally too many things to list. (not to mention the occasional class work… :P)</p>

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<p>I’ll try to address the last couple questions, I’ve been here a little longer than spunaugle, who has a pretty good handle on things for a '13.</p>

<p>Studying abroad is very common, and relatively easy to do. Yes, you have to apply to get into the programs, but if you’re a major, you’re given a huge leg up. Expenses are more for a study abroad program than a normal term, usually there’s an extra fee for the program (relatively minor), but travel, souvenirs, etc. will also probably increase your bottom line. That being said, I know quite a few of my classmates and friends have been away from campus more than once, and it’s definitely been a big part of their Dartmouth experiences.</p>

<p>lizdarcy, campus never gets “boring”, though sometimes (usually after your first year) you feel the need to get away once in a while, like you do pretty much anywhere. Very few people complain about “not liking it” here on campus, but sometimes you want to get off campus for a weekend or an afternoon or something. For these purposes, as well as sometimes needing to go to west leb, it’s beneficial to have a car around (or have a friend who has one…)</p>

<p>Are there things to do outside the greek system? of course. the DOC functions as a huge social organization, with feeds 2-3 times a week, and meetings/easy things to do almost every day. There are just so many organizations on campus that form their own social groups that you will, definitely, find people like you (or interesting to you) with whom you can hang out with whenever you want. </p>

<p>That being said, you are going to be seriously lacking options if you are not open to being around others who are drinking.</p>

<p>If you have any more pointed, specific questions, it would probably be easier to answer … feel free to put them here and others will expound upon them, or PM me or anyone else.</p>

<p>Hope that helps a little.</p>

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<p>Thanks spunaugle and rightnotleft! I’m glad to hear that there are options outside of the Greek scene because I’d rather not spend every Friday night doing work while everyone else is having fun (if I get in). That said, I never mentioned that I have a problem with people who drink-I just said that I’d rather not drink. Spunaugle’s picture of the parties makes it seem like there is no pressure to drink, so I’m sure I’ll be fine. The DOC sounds amazing so I’m sure that between that, schoolwork, and clubs I’ll be busy. Thanks again for the reassurances! =)</p>

<p>Since you’ve basically given me a free pass to ask questions, I think I’m going to bother you a little more. What are your classes like? I’ve heard that there is a lot of professor-student interaction (as opposed to TA-student interaction), but is that claim really true? That was one of the first things that drew me to Dartmouth, so I hope that it’s true. And, is the workload really hard to handle because of the quarter system? Also, do you think you could describe a typical week there? And here comes the most important question: How’s the food? </p>

<p>Thanks in advance. =)</p>

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<p>Ahh, this is actually giving me ample reason to procrastinate ;).</p>

<p>On the no pressure to drink, this is in general true. I would say there are a few select places where there is pressure, but these are easy enough to identify and avoid. </p>

<p>As far as classes go, I love them. You’re interaction with TA’s will be almost non-existent because every Dartmouth course is taught by a prof (pretty cool eh?). Where you’ll run in to TA’s is in study sessions or the infamous drill’s. And the profs here seem very accessible, even in the few “huge” (By Dartmouth standards) classes like math 3, bio 11 and pych 1. As far as workload, it seems to largely vary by what classes you’re taking, but in general it is intense, but not overwhelmingly so, especially if you keep on top of things. (as a note this is if you’re reasonable. if you take chem 10, math 12 and physics 13 your freshman fall you’ll probably end up hating yourself)
As far as a typical week, I’d say that’s something relatively hard to do since it varies so much from person to person. I’d say expect to spend 10ish hours in class, another 10-20 outside of class on school work (could be more of less depending on your class load) and the rest of the time doing organizational activities, hanging out, and partying on certain nights if you so desire. </p>

<p>As for the food, personally I think it is awesome, especially for college food. We have alot of options on campus (including a place that serves only kosher and halal meals). The up/down to our food system here is it is all a la carte. This means you always get what you’re in the mood for and it’s fresh, but it also means it can get expensive, depending on your eating habits (and our food is quite overpriced…) But you do get in excess of $1,000/term for dining, so as long as you’re not eating 3 meals a day 7 days a week you should be fine. (plus there are usually a good amount of free food opportunities, including lots of weekly one’s via organizations and the DOC feeds)</p>

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<p>lizdarcy … i know you didn’t say anything, but i know there are tons of lurkers around who might :).</p>

<p>I’m going to 2nd spunaugle’s claim that there <em>can</em> be pressure to drink in certain spaces, but it’s not hard to either stand up to that pressure or simply avoid those spaces.</p>

<p>Your interaction with TAs will depend very highly on what classes you take. You will see TAs in basically any lab, study group, review session, etc. you go to. Furthermore, TAs are almost always a fantastic resource when you have a specific question about your coursework, as they a) have taken the course before and done well (in the case of undergrad TAs), or b) generally are studying similar material in their graduate work and usually, c) have the answer key, so can help you out there. Oftentimes, too, they are more approachable (if you’re shy) than a professor, and can be better at explaining “simpler” concepts - one thing you’ll realize is that professors are ridiculously smart, and sometimes they see things as “obvious” that are not so clear to us as students. Also, if you take a lower level math course, you may be taught by a non-faculty member, as there is a required teaching component to the Ph.D. in Mathematics.</p>

<p>That being said, professors are very very very open and available to help you (some exceptions if the prof is extremely busy), but in almost all cases are willing. It’s easy (common even) to do research with a professor in a capacity usually reserved for grad students, and these opportunities can start as early as your first term, if you go out of your way to make contacts.</p>

<p>There have been very few classes at Dartmouth that I have disliked. I don’t want to get into specific classes in the public forum, but if you PM me I will say more. I would say that your workload should increase after freshman year as you delve into your major(s) and/or minor(s), and that you should expect to spend a majority of your evenings (ok, at least 3/week) studying … though of course people with better time management than me can avoid that too, once term starts. One thing about Dartmouth … you don’t spend very much time in class, but you had better spend time outside of class doing work of some sort or you will quickly be VERY behind and have a paper due or midterm in a week. Terms are short. They are intense. But you learn a lot.</p>

<p>The food … is really quite good for being cafeteria food, which is still what it is. You probably will not want to eat on campus every meal. DDS … is a complicated matter which I don’t want to go over here … a lot of people complain about it without really seeing/understanding all pieces of the puzzle. Anyway, the food is pretty good. It’s sort of pricey, yes, but it’s generally cheaper than eating in town, and you probably don’t want to be cooking all your meals either … or maybe you do, but good luck finding the time.</p>

<p>That being said, you could probably go through a term at Dartmouth and never pay for food, just going to meetings and such that give out free food. </p>

<p>That was really long. I hope it made some sense.</p>

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<p>Hey guys, I just have a few quick questions:</p>

<p>How many classes do students typically take per season (not sure what else to call it lol)? I did the math and it seems like you only need to take around 2.92 classes at a time to graduate.</p>

<p>Are any departments notably strong?</p>

<p>What is the language score needed on an SAT II subject test for credit?</p>

<p>About what percentage of your class could you identify by name or face?</p>

<p>What is the downhill skiing like? For instance, how many mountains are there in the general area, how many students ski? etc.</p>

<p>What are the pizza options around campus? :P</p>

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<p>Can anyone comment on the philosophy and physics departments? Do they prepare you well enough for top graduate programs?</p>

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<p>Dunbar: haha okay I’ll cover these best I can</p>

<ul>
<li>Dartmouth students usually take 3 classes/term. you can take up to 4 or as few as 2 but 3 is the standard fair</li>
</ul>

<p>-We are known to be very strong in our humanities But 3 departments that stand out in my mind are government, philosophy, and econ.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Individual departments set their own regulations, if you ask about a specific language I can probably be of more help.</p></li>
<li><p>I’d say I could recognize the face of about 10-20% of my class. name probably >2-3%. It’s a small campus, but not too small.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>-I know we have one of the top ski teams in the nation and we own our own ski slope… So I would guess it’s at least okay. lol. I have no personal experience with it though.</p>

<p>-haha your main pizza options are EBAs(which you will learn VERY fast once here… they deliver, for free, up until 2:10 AM and have about any kind of food you could want, but pizza is their main thing) and C&A’s, which I actually prefer over EBAs, but doesn’t have the amazing delivery times of EBAs. Both are pretty good overall.</p>

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<p>i’ll touch on the skiing … </p>

<p>there are several options within a couple hours of campus. The bigger names within a couple-2.5 hours are Jay Peak, Sugarbush, Stratton, Killington (~45 mins), Stowe (~90 mins), Loon, Wildcat, Attitash (might be pushing 3 hrs).</p>

<p>Of course, there are many smaller areas a bit closer (and cheaper!) like Magic, Bromley, Whaleback, the Dartmouth Skiway, Ascutney, and Sunapee, just to name a few.</p>

<p>I have no idea how to gauge the number of students who ski, but I would say most people don’t, and it’s a shame. That being said, a LOT of people do, and after a big dump you’ll see quite a few people looking for good snow in the woods, and usually there’ll be a couple trips up to Mad River for some of the best skiing you can get.</p>

<p>Our varsity ski teams are among the best in the nation, but we also have club teams in both disciplines (XC and alpine) for those who wish to compete at lower levels.</p>

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<p>Also for pizza is Ramuntos, which is more thin-crust variety, probably the best pizza in town, though it is also more pricey. They’re open till midnight. Ramuntos also has the best ambiance for hanging out/chilling with a group of friends, in my opinion.</p>

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<p>hey! thanks for the reply and its funny you posted because i had just read this entire thread! you answered pretty much all of my questions already, but i thought of some others: what is the typical class size? and if i got into dartmouth, would i have to worry about being in a huge class (like 100+ students)?</p>

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<p>Alright, first I’ll give you the stats from the admissions website
“Median class size at the College is 16, down from 17 in 1998 when we first began to collect data in this way. In 2006, more than 65 percent of classes had fewer than 20 students and many classes are capped to ensure that they are small. These include first-year seminars, senior seminars, introductory language and writing classes, among others. These exclude classes with one student, including independent studies.”</p>

<p>Now in my experience, this is widely true. And I can only think of 1 (maybe 2) classes off the top of my head that has more than 100 students in it. (which in case you’re curious is bio 11, which is the intro bio class.) I will say as a freshman I also have a class with 8 students in it, including me. I would say the latter is far more normal at Dartmouth than the huge classes, especially once you’re past the intro courses.</p>

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<p>well jbeanerie, just to enforce what spunaugle said, it really depends on the department/level. For example the Bio 11 class is huge with over 100 people because it’s a prerequisite for all other biology courses, and lots of people here want to do premed. (as a side note, I heard that the profs to that class were good.) </p>

<p>But if you’re not taking one of the prereq classes, classes should be small. I’m a freshmen here in my very first fall term, and my biggest class is 20 people. That is I think more likely the norm here. It’s niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. :)</p>

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<p>intro classes will tend to be bigger (especially in the sciences), as will popular pre-med classes (hi, organic chemistry) and “easy” distribs (engs 3, astr 2, etc) especially during sophomore summer, when people are looking for an easy way to knock off distributive requirements.</p>

<p>The largest class I’ve been in has been around 180 students, but that’s also the only class I’ve been in that’s had more than 80 students. I’ve also been in classes of 5. I would say a majority of my classes are either in the 25-40 or 8-12 range.</p>

<p>So it’ll vary a lot depending on department, term, and class. But the chances of you having more than a few large classes is very rare.</p>

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<p>Yayy. I like small class size. :slight_smile:
Ok. I have another question… about foreign languages. I know Dartmouth requires all its students to take a foreign language, but is it possible to take three different foreign languages during the school year? Or is it too much to fit into the tight schedule?</p>

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<p>Adding onto xkrnbebe’s question, is the foreign language requirement difficult? I have heard that it is very intense (Rassias Method?), but I would like to know the students’ perspective.</p>

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<p>I don’t have any firsthand experience w/ the Rassias Method, having tested out of my language requirement, but I do have friends who have taken/learned 3+ languages in their time at Dartmouth. That being said, I don’t know that they’ve taken classes in all three during the same year. I think it would depend on the languages, and at what levels you were looking to take classes at.</p>

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<p>thank you rightnotleft. That helped a lot.</p>