Per Dartmouth tradition, many members of the Class of 2026 are on campus and enrolled for sophomore summer — a time of sunshine and class bonding. Some sophomores, however, are spending the summer away from classes — or Hanover altogether.
The Dartmouth spoke with six students not enrolled in classes for their sophomore summer. Of the six, three students said their D-Plans called for an “off term,” or term away from academics, one wanted to study abroad and two — both international students — said visa regulations forced them to abstain from classes.
Audrey Marin ’26, a member of the Dartmouth women’s soccer team, said her athletic commitment and major requirements impacted her D-plan decision-making.
“We compete in the fall and spring, so the only terms [other than summer] I can take off are the winters,” she said. “I [plan] to major in chemistry and a lot of the requirements are in the winter, so it doesn’t leave me much flexibility.”
Avery Jones ’26 said she remained on campus without taking classes for a similar reason.
“As a biomedical engineering major trying to complete a [Bachelor of Engineering degree] in four years, it didn’t make sense to take classes during summer because of the time commitment and the lack of classes that are available right now,” she said.
Ian Moulton ’26 is spending the summer on campus but not enrolled in classes. He said he needed a break from school but wanted to be at Dartmouth to experience the social aspects of sophomore summer.
“I was so burnt out,” he said. “I’m lucky that I got to choose this as my off term. It’s nice to hang out in the summer without midterms and other academic responsibilities.”
Deha Kilickaya ’26, a student from Istanbul, took this term off because of visa limitations but remains on campus studying for the LSAT and working at Collis Cafe and the Jones Media Center.
“Being on campus is good because I can go into an academic environment and study after my job,” Kilickaya said. “I am also able to work on [the] poetry book [I am writing], which is nice.”
Kate Yin ’26, who has citizenship in Singapore and China, said she is not enrolled for summer term because of the limitations of her student visa. Still, she chose to remain on campus to participate in her clubs, work as a teaching assistant and hold an executive role in her Greek house.
For every three terms on campus, students on international visas are allowed one term off from classes, according to Yin. International students must consider this factor when planning on and off terms — otherwise, if they take an unwarranted off term, they are required to reapply for a student visa. This can get in the way of jobs, internships or even major requirements, according to Yin.
“When I first got to campus, I was excited for the D-Plan — and then realized that it doesn’t apply to international students,” Yin said. “[However, even] if I could alter my D-Plan, I still would have wanted to take the summer off because it aligns with my friends’ schedules and other terms that I need to be on.”
While some students chose to have their unconventional sophomore on campus, Lin Lin ’26 said they chose to take the summer away from Hanover entirely to participate on the Chinese LSA+ program in Beijing.
“A lot of my decision-making came from wanting to travel, and I felt like I had this great opportunity to do it,” they said.
While these sophomores are experiencing a slightly different sophomore summer, many said abstaining from classes has not meaningfully affected them socially.
Yin said sophomores tend to “care more about the social aspect than the academic aspect.” As a result, Yin said she doesn't feel like she is “missing out” on academics. Marin, meanwhile, said her work schedule corresponds well with her friends’ class schedules.
“Around the time I leave to go to work, my roommates are leaving to go to class, so it feels like we are on the same page,” Marin said.
Marin also noted that her class-less schedule has allowed her more flexibility for social outings.
“Not taking classes has allowed me to say yes to a lot more things because if I am not at work I can really do whatever I want,” she said.
Other students, however, said their unconventional sophomore summer has led them to experience FOMO, or fear of missing out.
“I think it is valid as a human and a person to feel FOMO — there will be a special event happening on campus and my friends are posting it, [and] of course, I will miss it,” Lin said.
Kilickaya said he has “definitely felt left out” at some points of sophomore summer, explaining that classes are a “nice community-building exercise.” Moulton also said he has to work to make sure his schedule aligns with his friends’.
“I miss the schedule of classes just because it’s so easy for me to sleep until 11 a.m.,” he said. “The afternoon is when my friends are free — so I just have to make sure I am free when they are.”
According to Kilickaya, financial constraints pose an additional obstacle for international students on campus during sophomore summer.
“I think a big limitation of the D-Plan is that — for students on financial aid, especially international students — when you are on your off term, even though you are on campus, financial aid doesn’t apply,” Kilickaya said. “In my case, I have to pay for housing and meals out of pocket — [which] has forced me to take a lot of shifts or jobs [when] otherwise I would have spent that time on my projects or just enjoying summer.”
Like their peers, students not enrolled in classes during sophomore summer are living through the ups and downs of the Dartmouth experience. Whether on campus or off, experiencing FOMO or not, sophomore summer is sure to leave a lasting impact on Dartmouth students.
