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This was another request from the ‘25s, but it applies to anyone wanting to expand their summer reading list. Just in case you had some free time this summer, we thought we would put together a list of books we recommend. These books offer perspectives from a diverse group of authors spanning different time periods.

1. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger

A classic coming-of-age story, the Catcher in the Rye tells the story of Holden Caulfield as he transitions into adulthood. Holden navigates New York City on his own after he leaves his prep school. His honesty and conviction appeal to readers all over the world. The classic explores themes of angst, alienation, and the painfulness of growing older. In my time at Dartmouth, this has been one of the most referenced novels by both students and professors.

2. Normal People, Sally Rooney

This novel was written by Sally Rooney and has been turned into a series on Hulu. The book has garnered massive praise since its release. Connell and Marianne pretend to not know each other at school. Connell is popular and the star of a soccer team while Marianne is socially isolated. Outside of school, a romance sparks. They reunite at Trinity College, Dublin a year later, but this time it is Marianne who is at the center of the social scene. The novel explores class subtleties and the complexities of family and friendships.

3. One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This is a classic written by Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It tells the story of the town of Macondo through the perspective of the Buendia family who founded the town. The magic realist style and themes of this novel have established it as an icon of the Latin American Boom of the 1960s and 1970s.

4. The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennet

President Obama remarked that this was one of his favorite reads of 2020. The Vanishing Half tells the story of two twins who grow up together. After disappearing from their small town at age 16, their paths diverge. One of the twins comes back to the town where she grew up with her black daughter. The other marries a white man and passes as white. The novel explores issues of race and the desire to belong. It showcases the history of passing in the US, and the implications and consequences associated with passing. It also explores how the past shapes our future choices and expectations.

5. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros

Sandra Cisneros wrote this story in a series of vignettes. The book tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, a 12-year old Chicana growing up in Chicago. The novel is based partly on Cisneros’s experiences, and it follows Esperanza during one year of her life. Esperanza navigates issues of race, poverty, and machismo among many others. The Mexican-American perspective is not often written about, and this book explores the nuances of navigating race, gender, and sexuality through the experiences of a Mexican-American girl.

We hope this summer reading list inspires you to keep reading. Let us know what you think about those books if you decide to read them. If you have further book recommendations, please share them with us via our Instagram @dartmouthacademicskills. Happy reading!

Productivity is sometimes seen as the ability to get multiple tasks done throughout the day. As finals approach, our to-do lists seem to be filled to the brim with assignments and extracurricular responsibilities. Hustle culture tells us that the more we do during the day, the better. It is more effective to get one crucial task done that has been on your mind for days than completing dozens of less important tasks off your to-do list.

 

How to Prioritize Tasks?

 

Technique 1: The Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower matrix is a four quadrant box that helps you separate the important from the urgent. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long-term goals and mission. Urgent tasks are those that have a strict deadline and need to get done right away. Once you fill in the matrix with the tasks you need to get done, you will see that your tasks fit into four categories:

• Urgent and important: Do these tasks first
• Important but not urgent: schedule a time to do these tasks
• Urgent, but not important: delegate these tasks or contribute less time to them
• Not urgent and not important: drop these tasks

The Eisenhower Matrix enables you to see which tasks need your utmost attention, but it can be overwhelming if there are many tasks you need to get done.

Technique 2: The Ivy Lee Method

There are four rules to the Ivy Lee Method:

1. At the end of the day write down the 6 most important things you need to get done the next day. 
2. Arrange the list in order of tasks that need to get done first.
3. Start with task #1. Do not move on to the next one until that one is finished.
4. Finish as many tasks as you can. Move the tasks that did not get done over to the next day.

The Ivy Lee Method is meant to curtail distractions, so you get done what you actually need to get done instead of spending time on insignificant tasks.

 

Technique 3: Prioritize Most Important Work during Most Productive Hours

Not everyone is productive at the same hours every day. Knowing what times you work best will allow you to schedule different tasks at your most convenient hours. The best way to schedule tasks is to place:

• High value work when energy is highest- this is the time for deep work on projects or longer assignments
• Shallow work during energy dips (afternoon slump for example)- this is the best time to accomplish tasks that don’t require a lot of mental energy like emails or phone calls
• Enough breaks- setting enough time for breaks during the day is crucial for optimal performance

Conclusion

1. Use the Eisenhower Matrix when you have relatively few tasks/things you need to get done.
2. Use the Ivy Lee Method if you have a hard time completing tasks or if there are tasks with strict due dates that you need to complete.
3. The Productive Hours technique can be used with any of the other techniques and is crucial to saving time by allocating your energy and attention in the most effective way.

Background:

I remember taking my first Economics class at Dartmouth and being terrified. I had heard rumors of the difficulty of the class even for students with prior Economics experience. As a low-income Latina, I was nervous I would not have the resources to succeed in the class. The learning curve was steep. I remember thinking how much easier it would be if I had a mentor or someone to guide me through the course.

In high school, I got exposed to tutoring. Every Wednesday, the math organization at my high school, Mu Alpha Theta, hosted math tutoring sessions for an hour after school. I attended several of those sessions, and that is where I discovered I had a passion for teaching and learning alongside other students. 

Positives: 

As soon as I started tutoring, I noticed that reviewing the material prior to each tutoring session reinforces your knowledge of the material. You forget a lot of important concepts when you don’t use them every day. This has been helpful in solidifying knowledge for other Economics classes as well. Group Tutoring exposes you to different learning styles and ways of thinking. The spark that ignites in a tutee after they understand a concept they had trouble with is such a privilege to watch. It keeps me coming back week after week.

The community aspect of Group Tutoring separates it from individual tutoring. The participation of other students allows for collaboration and learning opportunities that would be missed in Individual Tutoring. My favorite part of group tutoring is the relationships that form between the tutors and the tutees. The dynamic evolves from the first week of tutoring to the end of Group Tutoring. At the beginning, the environment is a little awkward as people get to know each other. Over time, tutees begin to engage and ask lots of questions about the course. I love to see tutees jumping in and answering their peer’s questions. 

I love helping people that have undergone similar struggles or have struggled with similar material in a class. It’s encouraging to be able to make their lives a little easier or to make them feel more understood and heard. 

Challenges:

My first time tutoring at Dartmouth was 21W, right in the middle of the pandemic. I was intimidated by the virtual component of tutoring at first. I didn’t want my tutees to experience the awkwardness that often comes with being on Zoom especially when you don’t know anyone. The social cues you pick up in normal conversation are harder to notice through a virtual platform. Thankfully, the Academic Skills Center supplied me with a Zoom guide, which made it easier for me to practice my Zoom skills prior to my first tutoring session. It’s different being on the other side of Zoom as a host. 

I would also advise working with the professor who is teaching the course. It might be helpful if you ask for access to Canvas so you can see what your tutees are learning that particular week. It has been helpful for me to look over the problem sets and exercises ahead of time. It allows me to familiarize myself with the questions before my tutees ask me questions about them.

Concluding thoughts:

My overall experience has been so rewarding. I’ve had the chance to connect with more of my peers and provide support. If you are considering being a group tutor, I would encourage you to apply. You could make a huge impact on a peer’s academic experience.