2011: Hopkins Freshman Blog

Looking Forward

Posted by Jessica K.

The bloggers, including myself, this summer will post one blog about what we're doing this summer and another blog about what we're missing about Hopkins and what we're looking forward to in the fall. I'll be the first to admit that I have not had a great month since my last post. I have decided to hold off on the post about my summer until the end of July. I hope by then I will be able to reflect more on this past month....and will have good news to report. I will spend a lot of time on this next blog and hope that it turns out to be one of my best ones. So please check back.

I will admit that I have been missing Hopkins. I don't think I have appreciated how much Hopkins has to offer until now. Two weekends ago I actually went back to Hopkins to help my boyfriend move furniture into his new house. And although I still had no desire to visit the MSE library, being at the school made me happy. The school has already challenged me so much. After being home and talking to my friends who go to other schools, I have realized what makes Hopkins unique. I have realized that Hopkins students are hard on themselves and are determined. I also believe that Hopkins has a lot of opportunities for just about anyone who has the energy to participate. And although Hopkins may not have been financially the best college choice for my family, overall I am convinced think Hopkins is the school for me. I can't wait to use more of the resources Hopkins has to offer in the fall.

Anyway, I hope that this blog isn't TOO long. But after seeing Roxi's last post, I think that it won't be the longest of the week.

Top ten reasons why I miss Hopkins/why I am looking forward to the fall:

1. I miss being surrounded by people who are workaholics. I know, I know, this is a weird thing to miss. But being around workaholics pushes you to work also. I like hearing about people doing amazing things. And although lazy summer days are fun, they're not as rewarding as my Hopkins days.

2. I am looking forward to starting research at Hopkins or at least being a research assistant. I decided to wait until my sophomore year to start (yes, there are plenty of people  that start freshman year). But I wanted a year to decide on what my interests are. As someone who plans to do research as part of my future profession, I feel as though this will be a rewarding experience. I have heard from so many people about how easy it is to find research at Hopkins (especially if you show interest at the beginning of the year), so I hope that I have the same type of luck.

3. I miss the beach. The New Jersey Shore is not the same. The beach is an oasis when juxtaposed with the library. I miss having a field right there to fly a kite or throw a frisbee. Given I have never flown a kite on the beach, but I want to.

4. I am looking forward to the new members of Hopkins Interactive! Well I'm looking forward to the entire class of '12...but especially the unique kids that are chosen to be on the board!

5. I miss Mason Hall. Mason Hall became one of my "homes" last year. Yes, I spent my last hour in the spring working there. It's quite the office to be in and I am so lucky to have started working in admissions early on. I am really a proud supporter of work study and working while being a full-time student. I think it's great for time management. Hi Susan!

6. I am looking forward to my classes. Oh no, I didn't just say that. But I am taking environmental classes AND public health classes. What could be better?

7. I miss my roommate and dorm life. I like being able to have someone to talk to at the end of my day. I am even planning on visiting my roommate from last year this summer.

That brings me to my next point...

8. I am looking forward to Charles Commons next year! I am a bit worried on how much pasta I am going to end up cooking. But the idea of having my own room and a kitchen and having an awesome roommate, Lauren, will brighten up my days next year.

9. I miss walking from place to place. Anyone who has been to New Jersey knows that New Jersey is car-dependent. I am definitely a fan of the benefits of walking...especially on a beautiful campus.

10. I am looking forward to exploring Baltimore next year...and more trips to DC. I really want to go to the recently opened Newseum. I just went to Hampden for the first time two weeks ago. I definitely spent too much time on campus. I have a lot more to see...

So even though I think I made the right choice by coming home this summer--I definitely needed a break from being at school--I am glad that I have a lot to look forward to next year.

And I am looking forward to seeing WALL-E tonight! 

Sentimental Heart

Posted by Josh G.

It’s all over!  Freshman year is done and so I thought I’d provide some perspective to all of you about to embark on the same journey.

Last year at this time, I was full of mixed emotions. You can see some of how I passed the time by reading my blog entry that was one of four chosen in a contest run by Hopkins Interactive last summer.  (Strangely enough, 3 of the 4 winners of the contest are also on Hopkins Interactive and from NJ – Lauren and Jessica are the others.) 

But anyway…I was feeling anxious and excited to move on to college, but I was sad to leave high school.  Not that I particularly enjoyed high school so much that I didn’t want to get out, but more that it was a huge step of my life that was over.  Its just that feeling that comes over you after you look forward to something for so long and then it’s finally over.  It all happened too quickly. 

I remember sitting around watching the lacrosse final four games realizing that next year I’d actually be attending the school I was so adamantly rooting for.

The entire summer was a huge build up to go away to college.  The last few weeks were filled with goodbyes (or “see you laters” as I liked to call them since we’d all be back in a few months).  Everyone’s experience is a little different, but it’s mostly the same.  I think it’s one of the most incredible times. 

And then you finally get to Hopkins. I was going to get sentimental and walk you through my year, but I’ve decided to turn it into a sort of Survival Guide on how to get the most out of Freshman year. 

Step 1: Orientation.  Participate in as much as you can and be open to everything.  You will meet so many amazing people. 

Step 2: Get used to it.  You must learn to deal with being away from home, taking on lots of new responsibilities (everything from grocery shopping to dealing with the cable company to taking care of yourself when you are sick), getting used to the workload and how to manage your time, and learning how to live with other people.  It’s a lot of new freedom and responsibility that is much needed after so many years of being at home. 

Step 3: Explore. After you establish a group of friends and explore, you will begin to feel more comfortable and want to explore Baltimore…more.  Make sure to a) stay out of bad neighborhoods at night and b) find all the cool places in Charm City.

Step 4: Participate.  Get involved in stuff on campus.  And no, this isn’t like high school where you get involved in 50 different groups to put on a resume or application.  Do stuff you actually enjoy.  There are so many things I wanted to and did get involved with.  Make sure you have enough time to do the things you commit to, and try new things.  Go to the first few meetings of a club to see if you are interested.  You can always drop out if it’s not for you, but you still get to meet people and find out more about what you like and don’t.  And if you like blogging and feeling smarter than people by answering their questions, try applying for admissions groups like SAAB or Blue Key…or both.

Step 5: Work hard.  Yes Hopkins is hard.  But if you learn how to manage your time, it gets easier.  I never thought I’d be able to do it, but I did.  I even made Dean’s List second semester.  It’s ok to bitch a little about it, but don’t complain too much or people will start to get annoyed.  Especially if you complain about getting an A- instead of an A on something. 

Step 6: Enjoy.  Don’t get too caught up in things.  The days go by slowly, but the weeks go by so quickly.  Make sure to take it all in and enjoy every minute of it.

Freshman year is an exciting time.  It was one of the best year’s I’ve ever had and I’m sad that it’s over.  I’m hoping it just gets better from here, but another stage of my life is over.  Hopefully you all can feel these mixed emotions a year from now.  I can’t wait to go back.

On that note, here is a little music video I made of some brief footage I took the last few days of school and when I got home.  I was going to make it into something longer, but I just got caught up in moving out so this is the best I could do.  Hope you enjoy! (and if you can play it in high quality on YouTube go for it because it was shot in HD and looks amazing)

Doing the time-warp.

Posted by Stephanie D.

All I've been doing these past two weeks, ever since I got home, is working, catching up on sleep, and getting all nostalgic about my freshman year. Alright, maybe I shouldn't be nostalgic yet - after all, I was in Baltimore only a little over two weeks ago...hmm...but since most of my friends from home are still away at school, I've been given plenty of time to look back on what this year has meant.

It turned out so differently than I had expected, because you really can't predict what college will be like; you meet a million people and float around a bit until you figure out where your place is, and you try out activities until you see what fits. I didn't expect to join a sorority, or become an Editor for the News-Letter, or develop an interest in psychology. Everything just seems to sneak up on you and surprise you. Right now seems like the perfect time to show you guys (especially the class of 2012!) the highlights of my first year at Hopkins, and it should be a fun trip down memory lane for me as well.

Across the Universe (Or at Least the Country): This was my first, wide-eyed, too-long post of the year. Ah, I guess not much has changed. I introduced myself, gave a little biography on my years in California, and discussed the crazy dynamics of Orientation and the first month of school.

Trains, Planes, and a Big Yellow School Bus: I had just experienced my first taste of goings-on beyond the Hopkins campus. I discussed my weekend trip to Michigan and my exciting venture to D.C. to see the Dalai Lama (and Richard Gere) give inspiring speeches about the power of peace.

Hello, November!: The first signs of winter, the excitement of parents' weekend after not having seen my parents for so long (that first stretch is definitely the hardest), and starting to make friends from - gasp! - different dorms.

The Procrastination Game: Not MY procrastination, of course (...because I never do that...); the joys of having a roommate who bakes cookies when she's procrastinating, a ridiculous video clip of a puppet llama dancing to techno (this has context...well, sort of), and my first concert in Baltimore: Broken Social Scene. Read this if you're interested in the music scene around campus.

The Week of Thanksgiving AND Christmas: Pretty self-explanatory title. I went home for Thanksgiving and got to spend time with family, and then some friends and I threw an early holiday party.

Christmahannukwanzaka: (try saying that three times, fast): The holiday spirit continued, evidently. This was all about the seasonal frenzy that strikes Hopkins between Thanksgiving and winter break - and my first real snowball fight (thanks, Rob).

"I thought it didn't snow in California?": The first part of my winter break; a fantastic trip to Tahoe with my best friends from high school, and some reflections on my first semester of college. 

Good Decisions: That refers mainly to my decision to go back to Baltimore early for Intersession, the optional three-week period in January when you can take classes and generally just hang out in a pretty stress-free environment. This is all about when I really started to feel like I LIVED in Baltimore and didn't just take classes there; exploring the city and having little adventures.

Homesick? No, more like intersession-sick: Filled with nostalgia for intersession and the adjustment back to real school days, with five classes instead of two, and two weekend nights instead of five. Tough. Exciting things, too, though; my new classes for spring semester started up, and my good friend Lilah came to visit for a few days and I got to see Hopkins through an outsider's eyes.

The Unlikely Sorority Girl: Sort of a self-explanatory title. I wrote about (and justified) my out-of-the-blue decision to Rush, and how happy I was to end up in a great sorority, Alpha Phi.

FAVORITES: This was a common-blog post, where each Hopkins Interactive member reviewed his or her favorite moments, movies, guilty pleasures, exciting. Fun and random.

Greetings from California!: A little review and reflection from my sunny spot in California on spring break. I talked about the action-packed week leading up to break, my "surprise" birthday party, and how close I felt with all my Hopkins friends.

CRIBS: 5 East: Another common blog, but a VERY popular one: my video and [my friend Katie's] tour of my suite/floor, Wolman 5 East. An awkward video - I'm not great on camera - but you really do get a good feel for the suite and Wolman in general.

Go Outside!: The incredible weather and the amazing things it does to the campus; seriously, in spring, the campus transforms. Also about a fantastic night with my friend Chloe in DC, and a clip from my friend Giselle's modern dance performance.

Whoever invented fried oreos...: Wow, what a post to end the year on. Ah well. This was all about the end of school and the bittersweetness that comes with it, and, of course, the amazingness that is Spring Fair - the weekend when the school turns into a giant fair. I conclude with a clip from my friend Suzanne's a cappella performance - just a sample of the talent at Hopkins.

Anyway, so that's the year, condensed. I actually started this post quite a few days ago but just came back to it now, at home. It's still sort of sad to be writing about school because I miss it so much, even having been home only for about two and a half weeks.

My friend Katie (from Hopkins) is actually sitting across from me right now, though!: she only lives about two hours away, so she came to visit. Guess we're not so good at this "summer break" thing. More on summer later, though; for now, I'm going to go enjoy it.

A Reflection

Posted by Jessica K.

Well here I am back at home after my second semester at Hopkins. It's been over a month since I wrote an entry. A month that began with the stress of finals (partially due to the thoughts of knowing that these grades weren't "covered" and partially due to me just being paranoid that finals count a lot towards those final grades). I'm glad to say that I'm happy with how I did and could not have expected better from me. I was rewarded with a ten day trip to California where I spent the majority of my time in San Francisco, but also hopped around from relative to relative. Relatives are a big part of the idea of "home" and I was glad to spend time in my homes away from home. I will be spending the rest of my summer in humid New Jersey and will be stopping back in the blogosphere a couple of more times with some updates (...and don't worry now that I'm back from my trip, I will be back on Facebook answering students questions.) I have been getting myself in a reflection-type of mood by thinking about what I have done on other June 1sts: two years ago I was at a prom, a year-ago from today I ran a 5K,and this year I am writing to you. What has happened in that year? Let's go back in time and reflect on my first year at Hopkins through my blogs...

August 20th, 2007
Metamorphosis: (n) A transformation, as by magic or sorcery: This blog was a guest blog that I wrote before I even got on campus. It is about how I was handling the summer before college and how I felt as if I should be going through some type of metamorphosis.

October 6, 2007
If Disney World was a school...: This blog talked about how fortunate I felt after my first month at Hopkins and how I was adjusting to college and taking in the campus.

October 14, 2007
Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig: This blog talked about what I did over fall break (a three-day weekend in October) and the speaker events I had already gone to on-campus (wow, feels like forever ago).

October 27, 2007
Where will this school bring me next?: This blog was about a week I had in October which not only included seeing Bill Nye and a Building A event, but also going on a college field trip to Gettysburg (something that I never thought I would be doing in college).

November 10, 2007
Food.: This blog (quite possibly my favorite blog of the year) is about something that is very important to me, but that I'm known be very picky about...food! Read this blog if you want to know about food at Hopkins and what it is like to be a vegetarian that doesn't eat cooked vegetables (besides potatoes, of course).

November 21, 2007
Getting Back to Present Time: This blog was my "reflection" blog. It was written at home and is about returning back home and looking back at my days in high school as well as thinking about my future ahead.

December 6, 2007
What I Love About Hopkins: In this blog I wrote in list-form about the little things that make Hopkins an attractive school for me from the size of the student body to the walks between classes. There is also a short video of me playing Bingo!

December 20, 2007
Spring 2008, because I'm not really "done": So how was I feeling right after I took my first college finals? Read this blog to find out. In this blog I realize that I may be done with one semester...but I have plenty more ahead!

January 20, 2008
Intersession: A lot had happened between my last blog and this blog and I talk about it in this one. I am so glad that I came back to campus for intersession. In this blog I talk about my three-week semester known as intersession and the classes I took, the work I did, and the fun adventures I went on!

February 2, 2008
Not the Typical Blog: This blog was more of a rant about figuring out my schedule and how it had brought with it a lot of stress when I found out all my midterms were on the same day. I talk about the first week of Spring semester classes and how I sat in quite a few different classes. However, by the end of the blog I give some advice...just pick something that interests you and go with it!

February 16, 2008
Best Weeks at Hopkins: Usually I remember my birthday as a "cold day," but this year's birthday will be remembered differently. At first I was unhappy about spending my birthday away from home, but I managed to have a great birthday weekend (make that a birthday week) and following that a great Valentine's day!

March 1, 2008
JHU_Jessica: Favorites: A common blog done by all of Hopkins Interactive students about some of our favorite things...if you really want to get to know me, read this blog. But by the end of it you'll realize that I have a hard time picking a favorite anything.

March 15, 2008
From Laughing to Applauding: In my most "sophisticated" blog, I write about my views on public health that have been developed through my courses this year. I share my thoughts on the differences between the natural science and social science tracks of the major. And by the end, I realize that those pre-med public health majors may have made a wise choice in picking their major.

March 30, 2008
Hopkins Cribs: Building A: Curious about the room I was living in throughout the year? Or how my roommate and I made our room have a personality? Well check out room 404B in this cribs video! I hope that pre-freshmen can use this blog to see if Building A is right for them.

April 14, 2008
Open House Questions: April was a month filled with helping admitted students decide if Hopkins was the school for them. I hosted five girls throughout the three overnights, gave tours of Building A, participated in a student panel, and answered lots of questions not only at the "Ask a Student" table but on Facebook too. In this blog I write about common questions I got during the open houses...and the random ones too! Hopefully you'll find this blog entertaining.

April 27, 2008
Here comes the sun...: In this short blog, but last blog of the year I write about how busy the last few weeks of classes are between Spring Fair and lacrosse games. I also got sick for two weeks...not so fun! I write about how I was still able to enjoy the weather and how I like that the library is a social place (although let me tell you, by May 14th I needed a break from the good old MSE library).