"Normal" people

On the ride back from a Cords show in Wayland, Massachusetts yesterday, the guys I was riding with had a conversation about the kinds of students that are here at Dartmouth. I didn't say too much because I've already drawn my own basic conclusions that I've shared with many prospective students in forums and through email, and I was interested to hear some new thoughts. On top of that, as a senior I've more or less forgotten my first impressions and I kind of just take things for granted. Two of the other Cords in the car were a freshman and a sophomore, so from the perspective of someone who shares information with prospective students, their opinions are probably more useful than my own.

The conversation ended up focusing on the seeming contradiction between the great minds that come to Dartmouth and how not-obvious it is that they're here. In other words, it is actually strange how normal it is here. Or maybe it just feels normal. Outside of the context of Dartmouth, its students' experiences and accomplishments would seem nothing short of remarkable. But here, you'd be hard pressed to find a Dartmouth student making a show of his/her credentials and accolades. I think that in general, Dartmouth students are very humble about their abilities and are way more down-to-earth than you might expect. At the same time, we maintain very high standards for ourselves and for each other, which leaves little room for complacency. All of this has combined to make a very enjoyable undergraduate experience for me. I'm friends with people who are going to be exceptionally successful at whatever it is they choose to do, but to me, they're just my friends - people I'll hang out at Lone Pine or work on an Arabic project with. And you know when you think about it, that's pretty cool.