Hello ’18s! Welcome to Dartmouth. I remember well when I first found out I had been accepted to the Dartmouth and the feeling of happiness and relief that accompanied it. You had to work hard to get where you are now. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished.
I also remember having no idea what I was getting myself into. I’m a bit older than most students (I did a couple of “study abroads” in the Marines), and I am the first person in my family to go to college. Seeing as we all come from diverse backgrounds, I am sure that most of you are looking at your welcome materials and trying to learn as much as you can before the crazy sprint that is each term at Dartmouth starts in the fall. Here’s a little advice that you will hopefully find useful for the first big step on your own.
First, let’s get some practical things out of the way. Don’t bring a printer. Yes, Green Print sucks sometimes, but professors will understand that. You have scant room and after freshman year, you will be moving almost every term. Save yourself the headache and leave the printer at home.
Next, do bring an iron. I’ve rarely used mine, but I’ve been glad to have one when needed. Most students don’t dress up often, but when you do, you want be sure to look fresh.
Finally, as far as practical advice, go to the sustainability sale. I wasted money on a brand new mini-fridge when the ones at the sale do the trick for last money. Also, you can usually get a decent bike if you get there early. Then you’ll feel less ripped off when it is inevitably stolen during your winter term. Oh, it’s gonna happen.
Now for a little more serious advice. First, you have an amazing opportunity to effect real change on campus. At the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge as a trip leader, I heard this advice from an engineering professor and Dartmouth alumnus, and he was right. It’s not easy, but you have four years at the College to do it. Once you’re out of Hanover, Dartmouth won’t be a part of your everyday life. Your so-called “Dartmouth experience” is largely on yourself.
Which brings me to another point. Don’t be overly concerned about having some quintessential Dartmouth experience: you might hate freshman trips, you might not make the best friends ever in your group or you might not click with your freshman floor. I even had a friend who hated sophomore summer (I did two). That’s okay. My point here is not to get too worried about missing out or thinking that you have to do everything.
In fact, you may take some time to find what you like and adjust to it, and that’s okay. It’s no secret that the Greek scene is a large part of social life. However, it’s not the only part. Whether you hate or love the Greek system, you will find that there is much more to life on campus. If you’re crunchy, the DOC offers programs for almost any outdoor activity you can imagine. If you want to get involved in social issues, the Tucker Foundation has many ways to get started. Dartmouth has a group for about every possible interest you can think of. We even have a Super Smash Brothers club.
However, some of you might hate it here, and that’s okay too. Your college experience is your own to determine. I had a very close freshman floor, and one of our friends still chose to transfer to another college. He’s happier where he is now, and though I miss him, I’m glad he found the place where he feels he belongs. So while some of you won’t make it to graduation, make the most of your time here and help us out by making Dartmouth a better place.
I hope you all have the best four years here possible. I’ve been blessed to have wonderful three years and am hoping to have the best year thus far when we meet in the fall. When my friend and trip leader graduated, he wrote an article where he said that college wasn’t the best four years of his life. But looking back, he felt that was okay. His four years were formative, and that’s what was most important to him. If these four years help make you a better person, I think that’s best outcome of all. See you soon.
This column has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction appended (8/13/14):
The parenthetical statement "I did too" has been changed to "I did two" to reflect the author's meaning. Brooks spent two summers in Hanover.
