Morning at Dartmouth

I woke up at 5:20 AM this morning to the sounds and sights of pitch blackness outside my window. As I stepped outside (noting the balmy 45 degree weather, a pleasant surprise for mid-november) I saw the silhouette of Baker Tower rising over the campus, everpresent in one's view. Taking in the sights, I set off. By 6:05 I was breaking a sweat.

I row, but I am not a recuited athlete. I was not even a true varsity athlete in high school. I am not in incredibly good shape or really built. All I had coming into crew was a desire to learn the sport. Taking part in the only D1 sport that allows walk-ons, or unexperienced members, has provided me with a completely new experience I never expected to have here at Dartmouth. Coming from high school I was extremely excited about all of the opportunities available here. I was bored with the childish routines and wanted a lot more from my education and schooling experience. I wanted to be part of groups and organizations that really achieved great things, but crew had never been on the radar for me.

On a whim I attended the informational meeting, and decided to go to a few practices to see how it went. They were pretty tough, but I felt great afterwards and energized me for the rest of the day. Soon enough I began getting closer to the other guys on the team, recruited athlete or walk-on like me. This new group of friends came in a setting far different from others. I was not sitting in a classroom alongside my peers, speaking and discussing our thoughts. I wasn't singing or playing in a band like I had for so many years (though they provide their own experiences). I was physically pushing my limits and working with the other guys to achieve a common goal. This brought us together more than a regular classroom might.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that so many of the best experiences you might have at Dartmouth - challenging they may be- may come from unexepected places. Don't stick to what you're used to and what you did in high school. Sure, I was never the best athelete but why couldn't I work on that here? In deciding to persue a completely unknown path I uncovered new skills and ideas I hadn't encountered or known of before. Along with that I found a great group of friends who take you for who you are and assist you in improving yourself. Whether these experiences come in a research lab, a concert hall, a place of employment or internship, or out on the field (or water), they will help to define your unique Dartmouth experience. Even more importantly, they will begin to show you just a few of the opportunities available here, and the rich rewards you can obtain through them.