Tomorrow is March? / Finals Are Coming

When did this happen? We have about two weeks left in this term (including finals!) and I can't believe I'll soon be done with my second term at Dartmouth. And then, I'll begin the last term of my freshmen year! It saddens me.

But this is the time when the last midterms are being stuffed in (I have a test on Wednesday, though technically there shouldn't be any more tests given after this past Friday) and the last papers are assigned. This is our last full week of classes, and next Wednesday is the beginning of Reading Period. Reading period is the time in between classes and finals (usually around 2 days) that you have to study and begin those dreaded final papers before testing begins. It's a nice time without classes, but the large amount of studying left to do can seem overwhelming and requires a lot of planning (unless you decide to wing the final, which I HIGHLY discourage). It's the last bump before finals and academic freedom for a few weeks, and I'm preparing myself for the occasion.

I've included a picture of a book in case you've stopped using/looking at them (second semester senior year is tough, I know). It was my calc book from last term:


Enjoy!

Have you taken a tour of Dartmouth?

You should if you haven't! During my college application process, I found the tour to be one of the most influential parts of a college visit (and visiting a college is usually the best way to know if you feel you'd belong there or not). Going through the tour guide training process (I'm a Tour guide now!) has reminded me of all of the things I loved when visiting Dartmouth and the excitement in seeing colleges for the first time and discovering new colleges and the things you love about them. While I do not envy the waiting and the actual application process, I was always excited to see new colleges and all the opportunities I had waiting for me after high school. Here's where to plan your visit to Dartmouth, and the times of info sessions and tours; the campus is generally accessible as well if you'd like to poke your head into a classroom so feel free to look around!

I just realized...

...that there are only three weeks left in this term. WHERE DID THE WINTER GO?? While I'm extremely excited for the spring and the warm weather, I can't believe that I'm so quickly approaching my final term as a freshmen...I actually really enjoy being a freshmen. We don't have to worry about majors, D-plans, real jobs, post-college realities, and have plenty of opportunities to try new things! Next year will kind of be the end of that...but I'm trying not to focus on that now!

Anyway, random event of the weekend: I went to the Barbary Coast Ensemble show on Saturday! Barbary Coast is a jazz group that does all types of jazz-related music, from blues to swing to more contemporary stuff. It was a really excellent show, and not something I get to hear everyday! It was also awesome finally realizing that I could go to a semi-professional show five minutes away from my dorm. That's so cool!

It's Winter Carnival!

Happy Winter Carnival! There's no school today, which is GREAT (though of COURSE one of my professors decides that having a midterm essay due by noon today is fair and just) and it's a beautiful day outside!

Also, I just participated in the Polar Bear Plunge!! It's as it sounds: The school cuts a chunk of ice out of Occom Pond and students line up to jump in, in just a bathing suit, swim across and get out! Completely normal, right? (Welcome to Dartmouth.)

It's been a tradition for almost a century (Winter Carnival centennial -100th anniversary - is next year!) and is a lot of fun. Standing, waiting with my friends, signing a waiver for the activity - and it is HEAVILY patrolled; EMS, S&S, etc. - and finally having the "leash" put around me (some rope in a slip knot around you basically) all leads up to that fateful jump with everyone watching you--

AND THEN FREEZING. My body went into overdrive and immediately started paddling to the other side. I was cold and numb all over, but five minutes after felt so refreshed and relaxed! And the beautiful day made it all better.

Moral of the blog post: Do the Polar Bear Plunge.

Study Abroad!

I'm sure that many of you are looking at study abroad programs during this drawn out college process, so I just wanted to talk about a program I applied for next year!

At Dartmouth we have different types of study abroad programs: LSA (Language Study Abroad) and FSP (Foreign Study Program), along with exchange programs to other schools. LSAs are programs created specifically for studying a language in their native country. For example, there are LSAs for Spanish to Barcelona, Spain or Pueblo, Mexico, a Russian LSA to St. Petersburg, Russia, and a Portugese LSA to Buenos Aries, Brazil. I applied for the LSA+ (the plus just means it's at a more advanced level than the LSA) for Italian to Rome, Italy. I applied for next Winter or Spring (Winter or Spring 2011), and would be in Italy for about ten weeks.

I took Italian in high school and will be taking Italian 3 next fall in preparation for the trip (every trip has prerequisites) and am excited to restart my Italian education. Since we have a language requirement (every student has to take the 1,2,3 sequence of classes in any language) everyone basically fufills the prereqs for the LSAs (which require the 2 class, i.e. Italian 2, as a prereq, and you take 3 on the trip) or LSA+ (with 3 as a pre req). The applications for programs in the next year's fall, winter, and spring term are all due in the first week of february, and you find out in early March if you've been accepted, waitlisted, or declined from the program. I really hope it works out, because I'd love to be in Italy for a term and speak Italian as my main language for that time!

Oh, and here's a list of all the study abroad and foreign exchange programs (FS means foreign study)! Enjoy.


 (Lower: Urquhart Castle on the Shores of Loch Ness; Upper: South Africa's Kosi Bay on the 2006 Environmental Studies Foreign Study Program in   Southern Africa.)

Lower: http://ocp-prod.dartmouth.edu/ocp/prod/
Upper: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2007/11/16.html

One Wheelock

I'm currently trying to write an essay for my bio class (yeah, it's essay based, which has it's positives and negatives) but am pretty unfocused. SO I thought I'd talk about one of my favorite places on campus!

Right now I'm sitting in 'One Wheelock,' a cafe-inspired lounge located in the Collis Center on campus. It's a hang out zone, study area, and performance space on various occasions for student bands or groups. Until this past spring this space used to be the Lone Pine Tavern, but had to be closed because of budget cuts. Somehow, though, the money was found to renovate the space into a lounge and, thanks to Collis Governing Board (the organization that oversees all activities that occur in Collis) provide free coffees and teas to students. Along with the free drinks, comfortable couches and chairs, and cafe-atmosphere, soft jazz/r&b music is played throughout the day to the pleasure of our ears.

This is one of my favorite spaces because of all of the above, and because this sort of space can't be found anywhere else on campus! While living up here in New Hampshire surrounded by nature is serene and beautiful, there are some things lost to the trees. A cafe to sit, eat, drink, study, and socialize in is one of them. Of course, we have the Dirt Cowboy right across the street from the green that has some of the best coffees and teas I've ever had, but:

1. It's pretty tiny, and even if you do find some space to sit it's far from ideal for studying or reading a book and 
2. The drinks cost REAL money. When you're used to using DDS money, which is prepaid, it's not very attractive to have to drop some dough for something you could get on campus (not to mention One Wheelock's drinks are free).

The cafe atmosphere has always been very relaxing to me, and I love being able to listen to some nice music while calmly attempting some work. So, sitting here in One Wheelock, even though I still have a bunch left to write in my paper, I'm glad I have the smooth tunes and free caffine to help me through it (the later only if necessary!).

 Recently Heard in One Wheelock:

• Michael Buble - A bunch of his covers
• Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To the Moon
• Coldplay - Clocks
• Sara Borelis- Many the Miles
• Ella Fitzgerald
• U2
• & Many other jazz, r&b, and soft rock artists