I was just wondering what sophomore summer is like. Is it amazing being at Dartmouth over the summer? Does it suck having classes or are they more chill in the summer? Are there more parties than usual because its the summer? Also, when you take an off term during the year, can you really get a good internship, good enough so that you wouldn’t need one for the summer going into senior year?
It’s been a lot of years since my sophomore summer, so keep that in mind. But I can say it was my best term there. A more relaxed and casual environment academically, and being able to enjoy the beauty of Occom Pond and the Connecticut River and the campus in general was wonderful (while being warm and not freezing to death!) I seem to remember more hanging out with friends than big parties, which worked for me. And yes, getting a great internship during an off-term is easier because the competition is so much less. Dartmouth in summer time was absolutely magic for me.
Putting my two cents in about the internship aspect. I’m the parent of a Dartmouth student who had a great internship this past Spring, and is now on campus for Sophomore Summer.
Completely agree with @TTdd16. Sophomore summer was my favorite term as well. I had friends in all my classes, and the professors were relaxed. As for parties? Don’t forget that the vast majority of sophomores are under 21, so you can imagine how that’s an issue for people hosting them. And IMHO, once Tubestock was killed off about a decade ago, nothing of comparison has really replaced it.
Whether or not you get a good internship depends on how much effort you put into acquiring one. Great internships will not fall into your lap because just because you took junior fall off. As for junior summer, it’s up to you if you want to do an internship. Most people I knew did an internship, worked or did research that summer.