<p>I just visited dartmouth not expecting to like it to much and suddenly it is at the top of my college list- i'm even considering early decision. However, I do have one major concern.. the campus is very outdoors-oriented. I am not a big hiker or kayaker or into things like that. Will I be shunned? I am not totally against trying new things but I am not good at either. Also for the preorientation trip.. are there beginner trips for those sort of things that I could go on? I do enjoy skiing however.</p>
<p>Don't worry at all. I'm not big into nature at all either! (I'm an '09) I've spent a grand total of one night camping, and have never kayaked/skied/etc. When I visited, I got the sense that a lot of people just appreciated the beauty of their surroundings, and appreciated the easy opportunities to learn new things, which aren't available at most colleges. (And with skiing you will be right at home, the college owns its own hill about 20 minutes from campus.) The preorientation trips range from leisurely hiking all the way up to strenous hiking; other trips include nature writing/nature photography, which don't even do hikes, to kayaking and fishing, all of which don't require previous experience, just that you know how to swim.</p>
<p>i always wanted to go kayaking....but i can't swim haha</p>
<p>thanks saila! that's reassuring. i also had one other question. when at the information session/tour they talked a lot about the dartmouth plan. when they talked about it the plan sounded ideal but thinking about it now it seems almost like a disadvantage. it seems like i would never have vacations when the rest of my high school does so i would never get to see my old friends, which i guess is trivial in the long term but still important. also are people always stressed and studying for finals because of the 10 week terms?</p>
<p>hello-
I am the least outdoorsy person you will ever meet. I hate hiking, swimming in anything other than pools or the oceans, skiing, camping, etc. People are surprised by this at Dartmouth, but they don't shun you for it.</p>
<p>The D paln is a tremendous advantage! Face it, your high school friends will be off doing their own things and are unlikely to just be hanging out summers. You'll keep in touch in many ways. Meanwhile, the D plan will allow you to get internships your high school friends probably can't because you're available when they are not! Combine your availability with the incredible network Dartmouth has and you will be so prepared after college by having had some amazing jobs few college kids can touch.</p>
<p>Yep, the D plan definitely helps out with jobs/internships. Another fun plus is being able to go on a mini roadtrip and visit your friends at local schools who are on the semester plan. You get to hang out at their parties and meet new people all without the stress of classes! One of my best friends will be sophomore at a college with a trimemester system, and she does a lot with her friends from college during the breaks. She still sees most of her high school buds, but you might be surprised how important your Dartmouth friendships become. Of course, their is some overlap as well. The spring breaks of trimester and semester colleges are almost identical (with the exception that ours is a few days longer!) And it is stressful with finals 3 times a year instead of twice, but with only 3 classes, it feels a little more manageable because the material isn't as spread out, so you retain it better, and there is less material to focus on at one time. Trimester also makes it much easier to study abroad, because you only miss 1/3 of a year on campus instead of 1/2.</p>
<p>Don't worry about the outdoor stuff, many people are into it but it is in no way what everyone does at all.</p>
<p>hello32 - definitely do not worry about the outdoors stuff. you can get involved in whatever you like and stay out of stuff you don't like...there's plenty to do on campus and you will not feel pressured - i have friends that range from very outdoorsy to those who complain about walking to their fridge across the room. also, the people who run the pre-orientation trips plan very carefully to meet your needs/wishes. remember, those trips are for YOU to have fun and to meet people in your class, as well as upperclassment. so if you don't want to do anything too outdoorsy, they have plenty of options available for you. the DOC also lend out equipment for the trips if you don't have it/can't afford it/don't want to buy it. if you love skiing, dmouth is a great place for the sport - we have our own skiway, and we're not too far from some really good mountains on the east coast. you'll find that many upperclassmen will blitz out (dmouth lingo for email) to friends offering rides to nearby skiing. </p>
<p>as for the dplan, it has its advantages and disadvantages. sometimes, you will not be able to see some of your dmouth friends for awhile because you'll have different dplans. but, for me, i found that it was a nice way to meet new people when my close friends were not on, and it helped me keep in touch with others really well. and, the vacations are really not that much more different - there are plenty of overlaps, and the dplan is most DEFINITELY an advantage for internships/jobs. i mean, how many college students can say that they can start a job/internship in january and work from 9-5? </p>
<p>10 weeks may seem a bit short, but keep in mind you're taking 3-4 classes..so more intense and concentrated work, but also fewer classes...and if you end up not liking a class, you spend less time in it!</p>
<p>i agree with saila..roadtripping is awesome - i've done it a couple of times, and it's been fun to visit my hs friends from home. the dplan is REALLY awesome for studying abroad/exchange programs - because of the trimester system, i was able to do 3 programs through dmouth while only being away for the equivalent of 2 semesters.</p>
<p>good luck with your decision! i'm glad dmouth made it to the top of your list!!</p>
<p>You won't really be shunned, no. In fact I think they like it when people without very much experience have an interest.</p>
<p>i just wanna say that i have absolutely NO relationship with the outdoors and i have NO desire to forge one....that being said, i never enven considered that in my decision making process bc it didnt seem to matter (dmouth 09)</p>
<p>Hello32 --</p>
<p>What you have to realize is that here at Dartmouth, no one is "shunned." There are so many wonderful people who do all sorts of things - hike, program, play sports, draw, write, etc. - that everyone will find a niche for him or herself. As someone who doesn't hike or do much of "nature-stuff" I have to tell you that Dartmouth is a beautiful place. The scenery..wow. We do have a DOC (Dartmouth Outing Club) here, and it's one of the best nature clubs, primarily because of our location, but don't expect 40%+ percent of the student body, or some crazy percentage like that, to be "into nature"! We are all kinds of people, and there is no "most" anything that can stereotype the campus (as much as people try).</p>
<p>I hope that helps,
Mike '08, a Dartmouth student.</p>
<p>Actually - having gone there for 4 years, I can say with a straight face that 40%, probably even more, is "into nature" and a majority of the remainder are close enough. Heck, one out of four students is officially a member of the DOC and there are more that do that kind of stuff. Though I will say that those people are generally welcoming to people that want to get involved in it.</p>
<p>That being said, "everyone will find a niche for him or herself" is a stretch. It may seem like that during your first year, but after that people shrink back into their comfort zones and a very unlucky few are left out. The majority of people find a niche, yes, and they are very happy with it. But there's a very few that try as hard as they might, they didn't.</p>
<p>The above happens at every college, though. It is not unique to Dartmouth, so that really can't be a factor in your decision. And I think you are far less likely to fall through the cracks at Dartmouth than at most other schools. Spend a weekend there, and then decide: you will see that the sense of community is amazing. I have visited a lot of colleges, but none came close to what I experienced at Dartmouth. You said you enjoy skiiing, and that is probably enough to put you in the group of people that like the outdoors. I agree completely with SANGEL, the topic didn't even factor into my decision because, even after spending 3 days there, I never got the impression that everyone was super 'outdoorsy'.</p>