Hi everyone, I’m an incoming '20 coming to Dartmouth from the West Coast. I’m also a first-generation college student, so I’m really unfamiliar with everything that comes with dorming and college life. I would appreciate any tips about what to bring, important things to remember, specific Dartmouth tips/advice, and just anything you would like to share (especially from a parent’s perspective, since my own are not too experienced and are currently understandably freaking out.) Good old threads to read through will be great as well!
I am currently: planning to double-major in a STEM and a humanities, rooming in a two-room corner triple in Wheeler, and taking Humanities 1&2. I’m pretty set for winter clothing (I think) and am staying away from black North Face jackets (I’ve read through some threads here!) I bought bedding that will ship to Hinman and am planning on buying all the small things in Lebanon once I get there (will the stores be open on Labor Day?)
Flipflops for shower shoes. Hinman can get backed up with packages & boxes at the start of term, so you might to tuck a sheet in your luggage just to have something to wrap yourself at night in case your bedding is delayed. If you’re flying into Logan and taking the Dartmouth Coach, it can be a good idea to walk around to terminal B or even A if you have time since the buses fill up as they go around. That’s not all bad news, however, and it can also be a better strategy to stay put, since the company adds buses as needed and, if you wind up on a overflow bus that only has people going to Hanover, the driver may be able to skip the interim stops and get you there even quicker. I would be astounded if the big West Leb stores weren’t open on Labor Day, but the Advance Transit buses won’t be running (http://www.advancetransit.com/holidays.htm). If your parents want to chat with the California parent of a 13, feel free to PM me and I’ll send my phone number. ATS
Congratulations Lovechemistry as a first-generation college student, and Dartmouth at that. You sound proactive so at this point just relax (parents too) - whatever you find you need you can get in Hanover, Lebanon, or shipped via Amazon. Stores are open Labor day. CVS a short walk away that caters to college kids. Dorm rooms can still be warm into September without AC so a fan might be in order before warm bedding.
@AboutTheSame, thank you so much! I am arriving a few days before move-in day for my trip, so I hope to pick up my packages and boxes before the storm arrives. I may rely off of my trip sleeping bag, and I will definitely keep an eye out for the Dartmouth Coach. It’s a relief to hear that the shops will be open (definitely buying some flip-flops there) and I really appreciate the offer to talk, but my parents are not very skilled with English (I usually translate for them otherwise.)
@Outofthenest Thank you!! I will definitely take the time to relax a little before the next four years hit me. I will for sure make a fan a priority.
And, as @Outofthenest points out, CVS carries a lot [all?] of what you might need. We went out to West Leb and bought a fan that proved to be defective. Walked down to CVS and got one [identical model] that worked. Returned the other one. Waste of gas.
Between the fall and winter quarters, can they leave their stuff (bike, towels, sheets, clothes, etc.) in their dorm rooms or do they have to bring everything home?
If you’re not changing rooms (and I expect there will be less and less of that with the new communities) and will on campus the next term, yes – just leave the stuff. They may want under-bed bins moved onto the bed if cleaning the carpets is planned. Summer is a different story. Limited storage on campus. Again, I don’t know of the promised continuity via the housing communities will change that. We used Hanover Transfer & Storage, and the service was excellent. U-Haul Moving & Storage in Lebanon appears to offer the service as well, and prior posts have recommended the True Value hardware store on South Street.
I posted to another thread about Math. Mods, I hope it is ok to repost, here, as the advice is broadly applicable to tips and advice for 20’s. I suggest that 20’s substitute for Math whatever is their area of interest and then follow the advice to an incoming student requesting guidance on first year fall course selection:
Why have you chosen Dartmouth? For many, it is the accessibility of the faculty.
Browse the Math department faculty to determine if there is anyone, by virtue of their background and research interests, that resonate with you. Reach out to them, now, to ask if you could stop by their office to discuss your course selection strategy.
Now, certainly, if you have current students that you trust that can guide you to faculty, that is great, too. Even if you are one of the few that have a relationship with current Math students before arriving in Hanover, use this as an opportunity to meet faculty. Although research is important at a college like Dartmouth, you are just as important which is not true at most research institutions. Faculty are there for you, and this is a great time to start to build relationships. If it were me (with the luxury of hindsight), I would reach out to 3 faculty (hoping to yield at least 2) with whom I could benefit from their experience in strategizing course selection. Further, once I settled on a major, I would try to meet with 4-8 professors in the department over the course of a year to find 1-2 with whom I could build a long term relationship.
It goes without saying, make sure to send a thank you note to any faculty that do meet with you, and follow up with the outcome even if it is counter to their recommendation. I would go so far as to follow up again at the end of the quarter to share your experience and plans going forward, especially with those with whom you feel a connection.
Conclusion: Invest early and often in faculty relationships at Dartmouth. That is why you and they are there.