Cal Shin, a Dartmouth College student in the Class of 2027 double-majoring in Economics and Philosophy, shares insights into campus life, academics, and the flexible D-Plan. Cal’s academic journey at Dartmouth highlights various courses taken across multiple terms, demonstrating how undergraduate students design their unique schedules using Ivy League strategies to balance rigorous coursework with extracurricular interests.

During the first year on campus, the fall term featured PHIL 1.08, The Philosophy of Time and Time Travel, taught by Professor James Binkoski. This introductory course combined philosophy with media depictions of time travel, breaking down complex theories into understandable concepts. In the winter term, Cal took ECON 1, The Price System: Analysis, Problems, and Policies, with Professor Ha Yan Lee. Despite having no prior background in economics, Cal appreciated Professor Lee’s approachable teaching style and even shared lunch with her through the Take a Faculty Member to Lunch program. The spring term included RUSS 7.07-01, Monster Trafficking, taught by Professor Jasmina Savic, where students explored the evolution of the vampire figure from Slavic literature to modern political figures, culminating in a final research paper comparing the Korean gumiho to Western vampires. The summer term involved a trip to New York City for networking events and visiting friends.

During sophomore year, the fall term featured ECON 10, Introduction to Statistical Methods, taught once again by Professor Ha Yan Lee. The winter term included PHIL 37, Ethical Theory, focusing on normative and applied ethics, consequentialism, utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. The spring term brought PHIL 22, Feminism and Philosophy, introducing Cal to feminist philosophy and broadening perspectives beyond traditional European thinkers. In the summer term, Cal enrolled in ECON 20, Econometrics, a fast-paced and rigorous course providing a solid foundation in statistical knowledge, research practices, and hands-on data exercises using Stata.

Entering the junior year, the fall term in Hanover featured PHIL 11, Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, focusing heavily on Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Categories. Students participated in small team discussions, drafts, peer reviews, and final papers. For the junior winter off-term, Cal served as a Rockefeller Center Judicial Fellow, working under Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald in Concord, New Hampshire. Returning to Hanover for the spring term, Cal enrolled in PHIL 26, Philosophy and Computers. Co-taught by two professors at the birthplace of artificial intelligence, the course explored ethical implications, trustworthiness, and personal relationships with artificial intelligence.

Reflecting on returning to campus for spring 2026 after the winter off-term, Cal embraced a busy schedule by taking two Economics courses simultaneously for the first time. ECON 24, Development Economics, focused on challenges in developing countries such as poverty, hunger, global health, and slums. Instead of traditional problem sets or research papers, students produced concise one-page policy briefs advocating for specific solutions and responding to counterarguments. Meanwhile, ECON 57, Data Analysis for Economic Policy – Economics of Career and Family, utilized messy data to investigate gender-related issues in the labor market, including wage differences, bargaining power, childcare, and the underlying causes of the gender gap.

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