2011: Hopkins Freshman Blog

Follow Me

Posted by Jessica K.

Hi everyone! 

Thank you for reading about my first year at Johns Hopkins (and wow, what a year it was!)  I'm now a sophomore and have switched blogs.  To continue to follow me into my second year, please check out my new blog here: Caught in Between.

Movin' On Up

Posted by Josh G.

Hey everyone.  I've started sophomore year which makes me no longer a freshman.  So I'm going to be blogging this year under my own blog!

If you wanna stay up to date with my life here at Hopkins, keep tabs on my new blog The Reel Life of Josh.

So bon voyage, Freshman Blog!  And thanks to all of you who read.   

Surrounded by a Pile of T-Shirts

Posted by Jessica K.

Wow, the time has gone quickly since my last blog.  This past week I said goodbye to the three offices I've been interning in.  I began packing yesterday--and I am moving in in just TWO days.  I'm at that point where I keep thinking of another thing to bring or another thing to buy.  I have lists forming throughout the house: one list that says "things to do before I leave" another which says "things that still need to be packed."  (Of course one of those "things to do before I leave" is to blog, so I'm actually being productive right now).  Although this may sound organized, in no way do I feel as organized as last year.

Yesterday I went over to my friends house, she was packing up to leave to NYU today.  Even though school for her isn't far away at all, she was nervous beyond belief.  Last year, that feeling of nervousness made me start packing a month in advance. I needed to make sure everything was perfect.  This year I'm so much more laid back about it.  I now realize that it's not the end of the world if I forget something.

Nevertheless this recent feeling of being rushed and feeling the need to plan out my days has actually brought me back into my time managing self.  I think I'm ready for my action-packed days at Hopkins.  I know I've said this before, but I love being busy...and so does a large portion of the students at Hopkins.  After all, it is a great feeling to feel accomplished at the end of each day. Although us Hopkins students may only be in classes 15 hours a week, the days fill up with the 893982 diverse activities that students do.  For example, I have until next Thursday before classes start, but I've decided to begin working on Thursday, to spend an entire day helping out with orientation as a Building Coordinator, and to search/apply/interview for research.

I did become busy this summer, but nothing like I am at school.  I haven't had deadlines and meetings and work hours to live by.  I am so happy to have had this break, but so ready for busy days.  Well, at least until the first set of midterms.

I guess that is all on my end.  I know that everyone else in their blogs have been giving similar advice--to live up your college years--I suggest reading Admission Daniel's, Stephanie's, and Josh's latest posts.  There is a reason everyone seems to be repeating this same advice, because it's completely true.  This summer I've been thinking about how I can get more out of Hopkins, and I hope to try new things and explore more of what Hopkins has to offer.

So, instead, on more of a lighter note, I'll leave you with short-term advice.  Right now I'm sitting in what seems to be an ever-growing pile of t-shirts.  Many of my t-shirts I simply can't let go of.  All of them fit (and if they don't, I can always wear them to bed), most of them have sentimental ties (friends or family members may have given it to me, some remind me of the fundraisers we had in high school clubs, others remind me of all the sports teams I've been involved in, others remind me of places I've gone to).  Last year I weeded through my t-shirts and picked out my favorites to bring.  I arrived to Hopkins and got five more free t-shirts during the first week to add to my already large pile.  When I was packing back up in May I kept thinking, "Have I ever even worn half of these t-shirts this year?"  I'll be honest, besides for the gym and sleeping, I don't have much use for them, but I do feel connected to each of them.

So words of advice (that I hopefully will follow as well):  If you're looking for a way to cut down that giant pile of stuff that is building up next to your door, then don't be afraid to leave a few t-shirts from your high school days at home. Soon a pile of t-shirts from your college days will begin to form.

Oh, and of course, if you're from the NYC area, be sure to load up on bagels before you head down to Hopkins.  The bagels just aren't the same at Einstein's.  Bagels are one of the few things I constantly miss while in Baltimore. And even though I've been trying to get myself sick of them this summer by having them often, deep down I know that my carb-loving body will always be addicted to a NYC bagel.

Five Years' Time

Posted by Stephanie D.

I don't mean to steal Josh's thunder with his song-lyric-inspired blog entries, but for some reason, everything in the past week has seemed to relate back to this song called Five Years' Time. The song is all about fluidity and the possibility that in five years' time, you might not even know anyone you know now, you might not speak at all. That sounds pretty depressing, huh? But the song is surprisingly upbeat. If you turn the lyrics upside down, it's actually a really optimistic concept: five years ago, you might not have known anyone you care about today. As I'm packing (...or staring at my closet, willing itself to pack) for my second year at school, I've been thinking a lot about this.

Friendships can be the most fluid or the most stable things in the world. Most of the people I'm closest with from home have been by my side for a long, long time - middle school or even earlier than that. When you're young, you get thrown into friendships sometimes by sheer randomness or chance - your parents are friends, or you're on the same soccer team, or you sit next to each other in homeroom. Some of these friendships are strong enough to weather the awkward and insecure pre-pubescent years, and some aren't. So you grow, and things drift away, and eventually most of the people you're close to will have become incredibly different from you but will also have seen you through every one of those awkward stages. (Photo on the left: my friends from home, most of whom I've known since I was itty-bitty.) College friends are just the opposite. (Photo on the lower right: you get the picture.)You meet your college friends when you're a fully formed - or nearly fully formed - adult. By the time you ship off to college, you know so much more about who you are, what you look for in relationships, and what you would have done differently in high school. Because of this, the whole trial-and-error process of making friends is incredibly expedited in college. You meet EVERYONE, all at once. During Orientation and the first several weeks of school, you run around campus, get thrown into a million social situations, try out clubs, eat meals at odd hours, walk back to the dorms with one person or another - and while it's overwhelming for everything to happen so quickly, it's also amazing. In the end, most likely, you'll settle down with a group of people that you nearly hand-picked from an already self-selecting class of over 1000 smart, interesting, creative students. Wow. Just writing about it makes me so excited to get back to campus, and my own niche within it.

I was talking to my best friend and future roommate, Amy, about this phenomenon today while we had our daily phone chat. Her little brother had just come home from his first day of first grade. (Feels like yesterday, huh? No? Eh?). He came into her room and announced that he had made a new friend. Amy asked what this new friend was like. "Well, she IS a girl..." he said, frowning. "BUT she likes Star Wars! So it's okay." Oh, if it were still as simple as that! Cons: gender. Pros: appreciation of science fiction movies. Done deal.

But the thing that's both paralyzing and thrilling about shipping off to college is that it doesn't have to be that simple anymore. So, class of '12 - if any of you aren't too busy with packing and goodbyes to actually read this - TRY THINGS OUT. That goes for clubs, friendships, classes, footwear, whatever; try it all on for size. That doesn't mean you shouldn't get passionate about any of these things if they fit right away - and some things, from the right friend to the right Professor, will present themselves so quickly it's almost funny - but some of these things will take time. This is an anecdote I still laugh about: first semester, I was in a five-person Philosophy section that met on Wednesday afternoons. Two of the students were sophomore boys who rarely came to class, and the other two were freshman girls just like myself. We sat next to each other for months. We hardly ever talked to each other, but we each secretly thought that the other two were really cool, prime friend material. I know this now because those two girls are two of my very best friends, Amy Marco and Katie Osborn (they both wrote Guest Blogs this past year...just a sidenote). But we didn't become friends until DECEMBER. Because we were too shy/tired/whatever to approach each other. We laugh about it now, all those months we wasted, but really, the point is, it's OKAY that we didn't hang out right away - because whatever is supposed to happen will eventually happen, and in the meantime, you should try things on and really get a chance to meet as many people as possible, in whatever situations arise.

So this post has been pretty light on the what-I've-done-lately recap, but really, I haven't done too much of note. Still working, still enjoying the comforts of home and Delman family dinners at precisely 7 pm and the proximity of the beach and the time I've spent with those friends I know so well. At the same time, still ridiculously, anxiously, jumping-out-of-my-skin excited about going returning to Hopkins in less than a week (!!!) and greeting the class of 2012 and seeing all those wonderful friends I've missed so much. So, final words: GOOD LUCK! - and - more importantly - don't stress too much. Everything will fall right into place.

In Transit

Posted by Josh G.

Now summer is nearly over.  That means I’m done with my internship, done with IMing Jackie all day while we multitask during work, and almost done relaxing at home and writing on this blog.  Yes, it is my last time EVER writing a freshman blog for in a mere couple of days now I will be back in Baltimore preparing for my sophomore year.  I’ve looked back on Freshman year a few times over the course of the past few months, but now it’s time to look forward to what’s next. (And I apologize in advance for the random string of ideas sure to come)

This year I’m looking forward to some big things.  First off, I am going to be an Orientation Assistant so I am looking forward to moving in early and helping out the incoming freshman make their own transition.  I’m looking forward to living in Charles Commons this year.  It will be a whole new experience not living in a dorm and having more household responsibility (aka cleaning).  It will also be fun sharing a suite with 3 of my friends.  Another great thing about college is that you actually look forward to most of your classes.  Since you pick what you want to study, most of your classes involve learning about things you are actually interested in.  It’s great to love what you study.  This year I’m looking to keep myself busy with more Hopkins Interactive work and helping my film professor on his upcoming feature.  I will also be blogging some for the Film Department on their new “Hopkins CinemAddicts” blog.  I’m going to have to relearn time management skills that I have definitely lost this summer. 

It’s strange to no longer be a freshman.  I remember last summer.  I was excited about starting something completely new.  I was bored of being home all summer.  It was time for a change. I just wanted out.  I frantically scrambled to read every piece of mail Hopkins sent me and find out everything I could.  Reading the blogs for the Summer Blog Contest (or Context, as some mistakenly type it as) brought me back to that.  Just remembering what all that was like and the excitement surrounding it.  It’s a different feeling now.  I’ve been there before. I’m looking to pick up where I left off.  It’s amazing how quickly time flies.  I remember one of my high school teachers saying something that actually made sense.  The reason that time seems to go faster as we get older is because it’s a smaller fraction of our lives.  When you are 5, a year is 1/5 of your life.  When you are 18, a year is 1/18 of your life. 

And I am 1/4 of the way done with my college career.  I can’t believe it!  For all of those out there who are making their way to college now or in the future, here is my advice:  Live every moment of it:  The good, the bad, the funny, the tragic, the stressful, the hectic, the laid back, the romantic, the hopeless, the helpless, the triumphant, and the epic.  You may be nervous about going off to a new place and anxious about what is to come.  It won’t all be amazing.  It will be hardly like the movies.  But it’s life.  And it’s wonderful.  And it’s all yours now.  You choose who you are and who you will be and who you want to be.  Open yourself up to new people, opportunities, and possibilities.  A quote from possibly the greatest film of all time (A Bout de Souffle) sums up what I’m trying to say.  “I told you being afraid is the worst sin there is.”

Now it’s time to bid you adieu.  For everyone that has ever read my blog, I thank you and I hope that reading it gave you further insight into the college experience of a freshman at Hopkins.  So whoever you are, wherever you are, and whatever time it is, thank you and goodnight. 

Back to Hopkins

Posted by Rob A.

Hey everyone. I know I just posted last week, but I have a busy few weeks ahead of me so I will be a bit MIA for a while. I have a few things that I wanted to talk about this time: the rest of my summer (or the week I have been home since leaving Baltimore) and some last minute advice for the incoming class.

So if you have been reading my other blogs, you will see that I have spent the entire summer in Baltimore. I had actually been planning on doing this since leaving home freshmen year, but I had never imagined that my summer would end up like this. I will admit that it was an extremely difficult summer. Not just because of my long hours in the admissions office or the grueling work from my classes, but because of more emotional matters. It’s not like I broke down crying or was just really depressed, but being away from everything you know for an extremely long time takes its toll. Especially since this was the farthest and longest I have ever been away and also because my family is so close. I loved being in Baltimore, but when I stepped on the plane at BWI, I knew it was time for me to go home.

So when I finally did arrive in New Hampshire, I knew I wanted to spend as much time with my friends and family as possible. The highlight of my visit home has been by far this past weekend. Myself and three other friends have been talking about hiking Mount Washington for several months and so on Friday we finally put our words into action and headed up north. We ended up splitting the hike into two days and camped out on the mountain in between.

On the first day we did about 3 miles of hiking and stopped just before the trail started to ascend rapidly at a small pool of water underneath a waterfall. Unfortunately, it had been raining for several days so the trails were slick and the rivers high which made crossings pretty tricky. We ended up camping out right along a small stream in an awesome campsite. We hung out for the rest of the night and dined on some delicious cheese, crackers and meat stick.

The next day we woke up at 5am and got an early start. It was pretty chilly with a slight drizzle, but nothing too bad. The morning was filled with steep hikes and amazing views of…clouds. As we got close to the top, we stayed at an AMC hut to warm up and dry off. I love stopping in at huts along the Appalachian Trail since there are always so many interesting people. We talked with people who traveled around the world just to climb up Mt. Washington, home to the world’s worst weather.  And it stayed true to its name.

As I said, it rained for the majority of the trip and even hailed as we summated the 6,000+ ft mountain. Temps were only in the mid-30’s at the top with wind chills in the low-30’s. At the top we hung out at the summit building and warm up some more as well as enjoyed a lunch of Twinkies and bagels. As we were leaving the summit, the clouds broke and the sun appeared and it turned into an amazing day. We were able to see all around and it made the trip completely worth while. None the less, it was a great time and it allowed me to spend time with friends.

The final thing I wanted to talk about I actually just thought about today. I was talking with a friend of mine who is part of the incoming class this year about move-in and just about everything Hopkins. I reiterated to her and I wanted to remind all of you to have fun these last few weeks of summer.

As much as you hope that nothing will change, everything does and it will never be the same. Fortunately, everyone is changing together so when you do see your friends from home again it will be different but it will be a “good” different. But either way, get excited for Orientation. It is an awesome time!

Some of my most memorable moments from freshmen year come from my first week of orientation. So try new things and meet new people, you won’t regret it. You won’t necessarily stay friends with everyone you meet, but it makes your time at Hopkins so much more enjoyable knowing more people. Just about everyone I talk to says that Orientation is a highlight to their time at Hopkins, and the O-staff does an absolutely amazing job getting you ready for college.

So as I head off for Hopkins once again, I wish all of you incoming freshmen the best of luck. I hope you have as much fun as I did during Orientation and hope your first semester goes well. For those of you doing pre-o, get excited!

I'm Finally Home......

Posted by Rob A.

Well not really, but I did finally leave Baltimore.

After an absolutely insane month, I flew home Monday and headed straight to Maine to wind down for a few days. I still haven’t made it back to good ‘Ol New Hampshire, but the time will come soon.

So as I said, this past month has been absolutely INSANE. I have been able to do so much in such a little time, even I am impressed. As I mentioned in my last blog, for the second term of the summer semester I took Calc III. Lets just say it was pretty rough; I don’t think Calc III was meant to be taught in five weeks, but hey its over. Anyways, on top of class I continued to work in the admissions office and give tours for prospective families. I even lead a few canoe trips this month for alumni, both trips were great except it took a lot of work to organize everything. I also finally found a racquetball partner. I have been struggling to find someone interested/good to play, but thankfully my friend Jose tried it and I have been able to get in a lot of court time. We also have hosted a few more functions with my friends, including the first annual “Thanksgiving in July.” One night,all my friends got together and had a huge potluck dinner themed around Thanksgiving: pumpkin pies, turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, veggies, cornbread, and even some no-traditional foods like paella. Basically it was absolutely delicious and we were all stuffed.

Last weekend was the first weekend of restaurant week, tons of fancy restaurants feature a 3-course meal for only $30 bucks…such a great deal, which also coincided with my uncle’s visit. So I was able to try a whole bunch of restaurants. My friends also took advantage of restaurant week for our goodbye-dinner. We tried out a place called Sascha’s 527 in Mt. Vernon … it was SOOOOO good. This week also marked the end of my class and the final, which was stressful to say the least. When it was over, however, I was able to relax and enjoy myself. I tried a few more restaurants, including Babalu Grill, which is a Cuban restaurant near the Power Plant. I also packed up everything and moved out of my house.

Whew, that was a lot, but I am trying to get to the most important part of this blog … What I am looking forward to. Even though I just left Baltimore  yesterday, I am actually itching to get back. The main reason being pre-o; I recently found out that I would be leading canoeing and hiking and also my group of pre-frosh who will be on my trip. I am really excited for the trip, but also the week of training beforehand where all of the leaders get together and prepare for your arrival. I have been acquiring some new gear as well that I can’t wait to use.

After pre-o, I am pumped to have everyone back. The worst part about Hopkins is that all of my friends are spread around the world. So unlike in high school where the majority of your friends were just a short drive away, everyone is spread about and I am looking forward to be reunited with everyone after not seeing them for almost four months. I am also getting really excited about my new dorm, McCoy. Originally I was kind of disappointed about it, but after finding out that so many of my friends were close to me, I am pumped to live there. I am also planning on trying a few different things this semester, but more on that later this fall.

The last thing I am looking forward to is being back in Baltimore. After spending an entire summer there, I have finally realized all that it has to offer. There is so much I want to see and do when I get back it is overwhelming. I know I will continually be able to explore Baltimore for three more years, but it is such an incredible city I can’t get enough of it.

As you can tell, I am pretty excited to head back to Homewood, even though I just left. I know I left out tons of things I am looking forward to, but to tell you the truth I am looking forward to it all, including the class of 2012. Not only will it be nice to meet new people, but it will also be nice to no longer be the youngest class on campus!

Well, I will see you all in the fall! I hope you have a great conclusion to your summer.

Pictures-

1. All of us at Thanksgiving Dinner during our meal.

2. Some of my friends at Sascha's 527 during restaurant week.

3. At Artscape in Baltimore, which is this huge arts festival that takes over downtown Baltimore for a weekend.

Back East!

Posted by Stephanie D.

...For a week, at least. The past few weeks of my summer have probably been the busiest and most diverse. I flew out to New York to spend some time with my boyfriend and friends that live in the area, and then, last Sunday, I flew back home to California ... but not alone! My friend Amanda tagged along with me. She's here until this Sunday, so we've had a blast the past few weeks; first, I experienced her world, then she came to mine. I love that about Hopkins: I've been able to meet people from every part of the country, and  so it almost feels like I've been hand-picking my friends, not just from my town, but from all 50 states.

I never would have imagined, a year ago, that the highlight of my summer would be rushing back to the East Coast for a week. A whole summer in California, with nothing to worry about but a breezy hostess job? But I've realized that after becoming accustomed to bursting, challenging, 16-hour days at school, summer's lazy charm seemed to wear off quickly. So it came as a relief when I found myself at July 18, boarding a plane for New York City - a place I hadn't been since I was 10 years old and terrified of cities. For the first few days, I stayed with my boyfriend at his place on the lovely Upper East side. On Saturday, I got to see a whole slew of my friends; Chloe, John, Woody, and Amanda all came to the city to join Doug and me as we went to get dinner and see The Dark Knight. The movie was so incredible that we ended up seeing it again the very next night. Now, I've never been an avid comic-book reader, but even for the most ill-educated in the ways of Batman, this movie was mindblowing. Heath Ledger should really win a posthumous Oscar, I'll just leave it at that.

While Doug was at work, I filled my days in the city by pretending to be a native New Yorker (aka: never carrying a map and always getting lost), lounging in Central Park, trips to the Met, the Guggenheim, the MoMa. Since it was Restaurant Week - hundreds of high-end restaurants lower their prices for a three-course-meal to 35 dollars - Doug and I indulged ourselves one night and ate at a spectacular Japanese place. Mostly, though, we just  walked all over the city; to late-night diners, through the East Side, through St. Mark's, anywhere, really. It's such a walkable city. On Monday I skipped town and headed up to Westchester, where Amanda lives. I spent a few days getting introduced to the wonders of life above Manhattan: the Bronx zoo, lush forests and white-picket houses, and TJ Maxx (the latter will prove to become a major part of my life). On Thursday it was time to head back to the city for a few days, and then - after a three-hour layover - home again.

As much as my trip to New York was exciting and altogether different, it was my friends who made it that way - not necessarily the city itself. When we got back to California, Amanda and I started discussing the idea of small cities versus big ones. New York has a timeless reputation for being among the world's greatest cities, but honestly, I prefer Baltimore. I don't expect anyone who hasn't lived there to understand it. New York is glamorous, yes, and it's bright and busy and famous, but I couldn't picture staying there for more than a couple of weeks. Cities like San Francisco, Portland, Baltimore, though; these are liveable cities. Maybe they're less world-renowned. But that makes them feel that much more homey. By the time I had spent three months in Baltimore, I felt as if I could navigate the entire thing alone, and that I had developed great memories in places throughout the city. The first year of college has that challenge/reward thing going on in so many ways, but that's probably near the top of the list: the initial overwhelming feeling of a Totally New Place, and then, slowly, day by day, the realization that you can call it home.

So back here in my first home, that is, I've been loving the chance to see things from a tourist's perspective. Amanda and I have been filling up each day. We went to one of my favorite places, Haight Street, for vintage couture and hot sandwiches, to Berkeley for music, to the DeYoung Museum for the Chihuly exhibit, and to Stinson Beach for a day in the sun and seriously painful sunburns. We saved time yesterday to make cupcakes and watch Project Runway, of course. Tomorrow we're planning to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge - something I've never done in the 18 years I've lived here - and then on Sunday, she goes home. I'll have three weeks to kill, and then back to school. One of the upsides to the Slowest Summer Ever is that I know how much I have to look forward to in the coming year. Between moving into a great suite in Charles Commons with three friends, to throwing myself into long but rewarding hours at the News-Letter, to a class schedule that practically makes me drool: I'll be more than ready for the school year to start. And that's something I haven't said very often.