2011: Hopkins Freshman Blog

Looking Forward

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! 

A Reflection

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).

Here comes the sun...

I would love to write a long, long blog right now, but unfortunately I am a bit caught up. This week is the final week of classes, meaning it begins the final stretch. I have five finals which start this Wednesday and end on May 14th. This is good for me because it's hard for me to deal with things if they aren't spread out. However, it means that I will have something on mine until I head home. I have had a wonderful weekend full of procrastination. This weekend was Spring Fair which meant fireworks on Thursday night, a concert on Friday night, and eating, wandering, and tanning yesterday. I really came into Spring Fair having little expectations and WOW was I impressed by the three days of activities.

 

The weather at Hopkins is definitely a selling point. And no, I did not take the picture below (but it has looked that beautiful thes last couple of weeks!). We have had a mild winter and are now having an amazing Spring: the sunshine, and even the thunderstorm last night, have all made me happy. Anyway, right now I'm in the library. Yeah, it's not exactly what I want to be doing, but I'm also not upset that I am. I have had a lot of motivation today to do well on these upcoming tests and I don't mind studying for any of my classes either. I definitely should be thankful for finding a major that I enjoy early on. On top of all of this, I'm feeling a bit sick as well (with an array of symptoms). So although I adore all of my readers, I think it is best for me to focus on studying, sleeping, and taking my vitamins, and not so much blogging. I hope that all of the prospective students have finally decided on the school that is right for them. It makes me happy that I have done my job this past month in promoting Hopkins and what Hopkins has to offer through message boards, answering questions on the Facebook groups, hosting four awesome admits, answering questions at our Ask A Student table, and participating in a Student Life Panel. And I know in the back of my mind that the work has paid off. Luckily those of you who have decided to enroll will provide me with productive study breaks, as I'm the lucky one who gets to approve all of you into the Facebook group!

Best wishes! And I can't wait until I am able to reflect on my year!

Open House Questions

Hey guys! Well it's two in the morning and I should be heading off to bed. My life has been busy, but I'm loving it. I really can't believe I only have a month left.

We have begun to have a few warm days here on campus: the flowers are blooming and tons of people are out on all of the quads playing around. I love seeing people enjoying themselves and my walks throughout campus have been even happier than usual because we have all come out of our shells to enjoy the sunshine.

I have been keeping my weekends busy. Last weekend I enjoyed some of the Cherry Blossom Festival on a trip to D.C. This weekend was Homecoming weekend. I got the chance of going to an alumni lunch with my boyfriend's family. It is nice to see how many people are still connected to this school. On top of eating a lot this past weekend, I also got to watch Hopkins beat Maryland in the Homecoming game (finally!) Today I participated in a two-game club soccer tournament, we played Towson and American. One of the games was played on the lacrosse field. Let me just say, the field definitely looks smaller from the stands!

My weekdays have been plenty busy too. The last few weeks have been light in terms of workload, but starting this week it begins to be piled on again. Last weekend my roommate and I both hosted prospective students in overnights. I host again on Tuesday night and again next week. Like I said, it doesn't look as though the action-packed days are stopping.

Next weekend my brother and mother are visiting. We will be going to the Hopkins vs. Navy game at Navy and then to the Yankees vs. Orioles game at Camden Yards. I hope I come back in one-piece, after cheering for the visiting team in two games. I am also going to the Yankees game on Friday night...yay $6 student tickets! The following weekend is Spring Fair, full of concerts, prizes, venues, food, etc. I have heard great things about Spring Fair and can't wait to experience it first hand. And you know what is after that...oh no, please don't say it...the dreaded F-word....FINALS.

Anyway, like I said, I SHOULD be going to bed. And sitting here with my roommate asleep next to me only makes me want to go to sleep more. However, I thought that I would start a post with questions and answers that I have been getting at open houses. Some of the questions I will answer because they are being frequently asked, while others I will be answering because I think they are random and funny. (Thanks Admissions Daniel for the blogging idea!) This post will continue to be updated in the next two weeks with more questions from the next two admitted student open houses.
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Questions:

1. What do you do on the weekends?
This is a REALLY tough question to answer, but one that I was asked three times last week. I explained my DC weekend to the students that answered. As you can see from above, my weekends usually get filled up with activities on and off campus. However, every weekend goes by quicker than they ever did in high school. The best answer to this question, would be to ask the student: What do you do on weekends now? Chances are that the same things that you do now for fun on the weekends, you can also do here! So, you're into debate? Then do that on your weekends! Like going to movies? Baseball games? You can do that too. However, your weekends will probably be even better than your weekends in high school because your friends are right HERE. There is very little planning needed to hang out with your friends.

2. How tall are the ceilings in Building A?
For the mother who wanted to know how tall the ceilings are in a typical room in Building A, I will get back to you. I'm still looking for my tape measure.

3. What is the weather like?
For those that came to the past open house, I honestly will say that you guys got an atypical day in terms of weather. The day started off REALLY cold and foggy, and then finally cleared up. However, I must say, most days in April aren't in the 50s. The weather here, compared to my home state (New Jersey), is just a tad bit milder. That means that we missed out on some of the snow that New Jersey got, but still got a little. It also means that the flowers are blooming earlier. I love the weather here. I wanted a place that was warmer than home, and I got it (but not by much.) Please go to this link to check out the weather statistics for Baltimore, MD. In conclusion, please don't judge the Hopkins weather based on your one day here last week...it was fifteen degrees cooler than the month's typical temperature.

4. How does the workload compare to your high school?
Every high school is different. However, no high school completely prepares you for college academics. College academics are different--there are fewer tests, usually less one-on-one interaction, etc. With all of this being said, I find the workload pretty much the same. However, it is definitely higher when a test is coming up. What people don't realize is how much more time is in your schedule in college. I only have fifteen hours of class a week. Yes, I spend another few hours in meetings. And yes, I spend another ten hours working in the admissions office. However, it doesn't compare to the LONG days of high school. So, although I may be spending more time studying, it doesn't feel like it just because of how my days are set up.

5. What do you like most about Hopkins?
I love that I have yet to come up with a "typical" college student. Anyone who visits here will be able to find someone else like them. There is no stereotype, okay, maybe a love for learning...but that's it! I was worried when I was looking at schools that the school would change me because of the type of people that I would be around. However, at Hopkins I have been able to hold on to my values and my personality because there is no typical student.

6. Is there a break dancing team?
Yup!

7. What other schools were you picking between?
Ugh, I hate this question. Seriously every person has different college choices and a lot of it depends on who you are: what you want to be, what you want to major in, where you're from, etc. To answer it simply, I applied early decision here, but the summer before I was deciding between Vassar, Georgetown, and Hopkins to apply early to.

8. Why did you pick to live in Building A?
I knew I wanted suite-style living and I really liked the location of Building A. I like looking out the window and seeing students and the sculpture garden. I wanted to be actually on the campus and close to the FFC and the gym. Plus, I like that Building A is small (only about 120 students) and that I am able to study in my room without many disturbances.

9. Why do the birds chirp at 3 a.m. here?
I have no idea, but I'm hoping my roommate asks in her Animal Behavior class.

*Edit*
MORE QUESTIONS:

10. Is there a pep band on campus?
Yup, we may not have official cheerleaders...but we do have a pep band! Our pep band performs at all the lacrosse games and they do some traveling to. I have never been the musically talented one, but if you were part of this in high school, you definitely can continue in college.

11. Do you need a car on campus?
I did not bring a car on campus and personally I don't think you need one...especially as a freshman. Our campus is very centralized. There have only been a couple of times when I've wanted to go somewhere that wasn't really convenient by walking, escort van, JHMI shutle, and the Collegetown Shuttle. Taxis are expensive here, so I try to avoid them. However, these times I have been able to call an upperclassman who I knew had a car to bring me to wherever. So, my words of advice, well it's up to you, but I would suggest being environmentally friendly and not bringing a car...you'll be surprised by how far you can go without one. Lastly, our campus has a few zipcars on campus which cost $35 to register for and then after that $9 per hour. The great thing about this is you don't have to be 21 to use one of these cars and gas is paid for. Although it may sound expensive now, it's cheaper than parking.

12. Do BMEs have lives?
Yup...I'm not BME, but I've been able to socialize with quite a few. You'll learn quickly that the people who are selected for the BME program are remarkably human, well and remarkably intelligent too. Please read Tanmay's and Liny's student profiles and feel free to ask them any questions about this: http://apply.jhu.edu/hi/profiles/profiles.html.

13. What myth do you want to bust about Hopkins?
I hate this idea that there is only one type of kid at Hopkins. Maybe it was like that at one time, but we can thank the current admissions body for forming a diverse student body, in every type of way, year after year.  We have top and unique programs that you may not even know about. You'll be surprised by how few pre-meds you'll find on campus and how many writing seminars majors you'll find instead. There really is no Hopkins type; I don't care what your viewbooks tell you. Once you get on campus you'll look around and see that it would be hard to find person that would not be able to fit in on this campus. I wanted a school that would allow me to be who I am without peer pressure and I have found that at this campus. On a side note, I just want to mention that my suite in Building A consists of four different people of different ethnicities, from different states, and with different majors...and that is why I love Hopkins!

14. Do you feel safe on campus?
Yes! First check out this to see why Reader's Digest rated Hopkins number 1 security: http://www.rd.com/family/parenting/parenting-and-education/is-your-college-student-safe-at-school/article53695.html.
I live in Building A which is on the freshmen quad, so even though I'm on a city campus I don't have to cross any streets to get back to my room. It's amaing how lit-up campus is at night. There are always people on campus on guard. Even with our motion-detecting cameras and blue lights, it's important to have your cell phone, to make sure someone knows where you are, and to have the Hopkins police number in your phone.

15. How large are the typical Public Health classes?
There are only four main classes that all public health majors have to take: Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, and Environment and Your Health. All four of these classes are lecture courses with around 100 people in them. However, both Biostatistics and Health Policy and Management are broken up into sections, so the size is not overwhelming.

16. I still don't know where to go...what should I do?
This is definitely not my decision! But pro/con lists wouldn't hurt. Pick the place where you feel like you'll fit-in and be happy. Just remember that a lot of people think they know what they want to be in high school and then find another interest in college. Hopkins doesn't have a core curriculum and your advisers will encourage you to explore classes. We will have 50 majors next year (I think we're adding archeology)...that gives you a lot of choices if you decide to switch your intended path. We only have two schools (Arts & Sciences and Engineering) and you are free to move between these schools without applying. Also, people change in college. As I said above, Hopkins also has diversity, you'll be able to find a group of friends for you in a student body that isn't too small that you know everyone, but that isn't too big that you feel like nothing.

Lastly, best of luck in making your decision and feel free to ask me any more questions on my personal thread.

 

Hopkins CRIBS: Building A

To the RD Admits--CONGRATULATIONS! Now to our blogging topic..housing! The freshmen dorms at Hopkins, in comparison to other school's, really are nothing to complain about. I live in Building A. It was my first choice on my housing survey and I'm glad that I got it.

THE BUILDING:
Building A is built above the FFC {Fresh Food Cafeteria} it is also right next to Building B. Both dorms are closest to this cafeteria {where you end up using most of your freshmen meals} and closest to the gym. Building A/B are suite-style freshmen dormitories. There are a mix of single, double, and, occasionally, triple rooms. However, the triples are the same size as the doubles, and usually are "forced" triples and are cheaper than the doubles. However, if you are "forced" into a rare triple, you can get a room change later on in the year. Most of the rooms are doubles. The two rooms are linked by a little entryway and a bathroom. The bathroom is shared by the three, four, or five people in the suite. The rooms in the basement of Building A are handicap accessible and have bathtubs and really high ceilings. Both Building A and B are 4 stories high, have a full-sized kitchen for the building, a small lounge room {with a cable TV}, laundry room, A/C, and vending machines. Building B does not have rooms in the basement and instead has a game room area. Building A is bigger than Building B and has over 100 residents. A and B are the smallest of the three freshmen residential buildings...making it possible to recognize all of the people in your building and making it easy to bond with your floor. Both Buildings have two RAs.

MY VIDEO:

MORE ABOUT HOUSING/MY ROOM:

I hope my video provided a good idea of what my room in Building A is like. There are some things that I would like to add on:

1] Go for RANDOM selection. I know some of you may know people coming into Hopkins, but going random not only left me with an amazingly compatible roommate, but with suitemates who I may not have met if I hadn't. Because of them, I have learned about being a Baltimore Scholar, being a BME, and what it is like to be from other parts of the country.

2] Our view...I love my room because it views the sculpture garden on campus. Do you know what this means? No street noise or 3am screaming.

3] I love my roommate's signs that she puts up.

4] I love the two doors that separate my room from the hallway. It definitely allows me to have silence to read. However, that doesn't mean that the hallways aren't social.

5] Here are photos of more essentials in my room {a rug, febreze, cleaning supplies, a dustbuster, photos, lists/dry erase board, a bathmat}

6] Although, I must say, my room has been able to hold all that I need. One suggestion I have is to make sure you use the space on top of your wardrobe.

From Laughing to Applauding

HOME. After ten weeks away from my home and family...I'm back! I must say that even though at times I had wanted to designate a weekend to go home, I am glad that I didn't. There is a big difference between not being home for four weeks and not being home for ten. I'm happy I was able to get through the long haul. This past week has made me tired because of studying, and sometimes, over studying. The excess terms and facts are not bombarding my every thought and are beginning to settle down in my head. Now that my mind is organized, I've realized that I've learned a lot more than just my course material recently...

The primary thought trail that I've experienced recently is major related. I have begun to think a lot between public health vs. medicine. This is for a number of reasons, one being my general readings in courses, another has been Phil C.'s blog--he talks a lot about this as a Public Health Natural Science major, and finally, a reading that I had to do for Intro. to Public Health, which was called "Antagonism and and Accommodation: Interpreting the Relationship Between Public Health and Medicine in the United States During the 20th Century." All of these sources have pondered the highly developed dichotomy between public health and medicine. And though the two developed hand and hand, both have split at a fork and have gone into different directions.

The fork has been due to a solidifying of definition and values between two groups of people: the public health people and the medicine/doctor people. The public health people believe in prevention for the community and the medical professionals believe in treatment for the person. At first those that were in medicine studied public health as well or studied next to those that were. However, now the post-undergraduate education has split: there's the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. This split is perfectly public and just over this year I've learned how strong it is. In 1942 it was written in an article by J.A. Miller, George Baehr, and E.H.I Corwin that:

"Because of the advances of medical knowledge, the medical school curriculum has become so crowded that the social importance of preventative medicine and public health is seldom emphasized. This creates a blind spot which often persists throughout professional life and results at times in misunderstanding between the practice physicians and the constituted health authorities of the community."

Okay, so what? According to this "Antagonism and and Accommodation" article, now medical professionals think of public health as a "politically corrupted field populated with individuals who are intellectually incapable of medicine and science. And those in public health believe those in medicine "have characterized medicine as a field dominated by arrogance, self-interest, and economic aggrandizement."

Well, this could be a problem. Without cooperation from both sides, we don't use our medical system to its full beneficence. We have the worst life expectancy and deaths per 1,000 births of any industrialized country. Yet we spend the most per person on health services and we are known for having the best medical technology. This all makes me mad and I could go on and on. The thing is both sides are to blame, including the divide in the center.

So, at the beginning of this year I was very clear to distinguish myself as a Social Science Public Health major. I was quick to say that I wasn't natural science, because natural science nearly always means pre-med. I found it funny that these people that were going into MEDICINE were in a PUBLIC HEALTH major. And so far I've learned over and over to point fingers at doctors who seem to be overusing their fancy technology, spending research in getting new gadgets, but not seeing what could happen if that money was diverted to preventative care. From the public health standpoint it makes me mad to see a fall in primary-care physicians ... those family doctors and general pediatric doctors that we love ... and instead a rise in specialty physicians.

Okay, so by now you've gotten that there is a barrier between public health and medicine and that I'm laughing at all those that are taking public health courses, but then will end up going to medical school and becoming doctors.

Well, over the last week or so I've stopped laughing and have almost come to the point of APPLAUDING those that are on the natural science track. Why? Well because they are making a step to merge this barrier that divides us. They are learning about just how important preventative medicine is. They are learning how the facts are backed up through epi and biostats. I'm certainly not about to step into Organic Chemistry to see what those crazy natural science majors are learning about. And truthfully those in Public Health natural science can take that knowledge and apply it to their profession. This barrier is hurting our health outcomes and, luckily for us, these natural science majors are exposing themselves to both sides. THANK YOU GUYS!

...And that, Mom and Dad, is what I've learned at school. It may not have helped me on my midterms, but I'm glad I'm beginning to think and ponder what I am learning and being tested on in class.

JHU_Jessica: FAVORITES

As you've seen from Josh's post, this week, the students of Hopkins Interactive have decided to change things up a bit and all write a common blog topic. I hope that through our blogs and message boards {and Facebook groups!}, we've provided you with a glimpse of our lives at Hopkins and revealed to you what might lie in store for you if you decide to become a Blue Jay. We really enjoy providing this information for your use, but we also enjoy getting to talk about the totally random things that we love {see our Off-Topic Discussion Forum of the message boards if you don’t believe me}. So we're taking a break {the word break makes me happy} from Hopkins talks and discussing our favorite things. So here are my personal answers to a common survey.... Be warned, I’m about to get random. Also be warned that I have trouble picking a favorite.

Who is your favorite author?: I do enjoy reading, but I honestly don't tend to stick with one author. However I’ve enjoyed reading works by the following writers…

• Novelist: John Irving
• Short Story: Stephen Dixon, Philip Roth
• Poetry: William Carlos Williams
• Non-Fiction: Rachel Carson {she’ll be brought up again later}

Two of these writers have Hopkins connections? Can you guess which? I guess I’ll just tell you the answer…Dixon and Carson!

What is your favorite website?: Honestly, www.google.com. The first website I go to when I wake up is my Gmail account website … where all my Hopkins e-mail is forwarded to. This is a cheap answer, because from Google I can get to any other website …. but then again that’s why I love it!

What is your favorite item in your bedroom?: One item! That really isn’t fair…I’m making it four. In my bedroom at Hopkins…

• I have a strand of twelve Chinese kites that I got in China this past summer.  I couldn’t imagine my wall without them … they liven it up and bring back memories.
• I have a painted rock next to my bed, which before had been next to my bed at home. I wrote on the rock … “Think of the Sea”. I got this rock at a marine biology camp at least four summers ago. We were told to paint a rock. Not only is the rock especially smooth, but the message on it reminds me to think of the sea: a place that, for a number of reasons, brings relaxing thoughts.
• My desk light with its energy-efficient bulb. I couldn’t imagine living without it. My roommate tends to go to sleep before me and wake up later. Luckily I’m still able to study and procrastinate with it on while she sleeps. It has saved me on so many nights.
• My “college blanket.” Before my boyfriend left to go to Hopkins, a year before I did, he got a “college blanket” that is hand-made from two blankets. I was extremely jealous of it. And then what happened? The next year I left for Hopkins and got a “college blanket” from his parents.

What, in your opinion, has been the greatest invention of your time?:  This would be so much easier if it just said greatest invention…because then I could just say the printing press. There is also the difference between invention and discovery that makes this a hard question. I’m going to say the Internet, which is again a cheap answer, because it was technically invented before I was born. However, it did not make its impact until the 90s. The Internet has made its impact in just about everything — from public health to college admissions. And although there have been many drawbacks to it, I really think it has done wonders for our society.

What is your favorite news source?: The New York Times—I’m not about to defend it and start a fight with someone. Let’s just say, I’ve grown up with it, and it hasn’t failed me yet.

What is your favorite movie series?: Movie SERIES, I don’t even know what my favorite movie is! However, we can’t eliminate nor disregard any of the questions. I’m going to embarrassingly say Harry Potter. I’m not going to lie, I think I would faint if I met Daniel Radcliffe.

What is your favorite time of day? Why?: I wish the morning could go on forever. In the morning you can be lazy and use “well it’s still early” as an excuse or you can be productive, and if you’re able to be productive in the morning then you’ll feel great for the rest of the day. When I say mornings I mean the mornings I mean the mornings where you can wake-up without having to rush off to somewhere like class. This semester I have the mornings free on Tuesday and Thursday and I absolutely love them, even if I don’t always take advantage of the blocks of time.

Who is your favorite one-hit wonder?: Oh gosh definitely not the “Macarena” or “Who Let the Dogs Out?”… those just got annoying! So I’m going to go with “Come on Eileen” by the Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Although, I must say “Barbie Girl” is up there. This survey is so embarrassing.

Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to have a cup of tea with?: Rachel Carson because after reading about her I know that she had to be an overall good person. I don’t understand how she was able to have such a strong viewpoint and sell it to the rest of the United States. I want to see her in person and try to figure out how she can be so kind and yet so convincing. She is truly an inspirational person of mine.

What is your favorite quote?: I’m a strong believer that a quote can be a quote from lyrics…

“Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right” ~The Beatles

Are you a dog person? Cat person? An “other” person? Why?: I’m a dog person without a doubt. I feel like all cats hate me. And though I haven’t had either, I feel like dogs are just more people-friendly and animate.

What is your favorite game?:
Sport-Soccer
Card Game- Uno …haha
Other- Puzzles or Life

Who is your favorite TV villain?: I really don’t have an answer to this question. I’m going to say Mr. Burns in The Simpsons. He just makes me mad, like any good villain should.

Where is the one place in the world you would want to visit?: I really need to get to Europe sometime … England and Italy are calling my name, however Japan is calling my name louder. So Japan is my final answer. Japan is just such a unique country in Asia, how it has managed to come so far blows my mine, and its history is so unlike ours.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?: See Facebook is not a guilty pleasure, because everyone is doing it. Usually people have a TV show they watch as an answer to this question. However, you won’t see me spending much time in front of the TV. I’m going to say listening to songs on repeat a million times in a row.

To finish this survey, we will be stealing questions uses at the end of every broadcast of Inside the Actor’s Studio {a show I’ve never watched}. But in this show, James Lipton, the host of the show, always finishes each interview with a questionnaire invented by Bernard Pebo. Here goes:

-What is your favorite word?
Lily…I just decided it was. Or maybe plethora. Or hmm, right now I think it would be break {two more weeks until Spring BREAK!}

-What is your least favorite word?
Shot—I don’t like getting shots at the doctor’s, alcohol shots are no good either for the body, and gunshots are far from good. What a terrible word.

-What turns you on {creatively, spiritually or emotionally}?
A person crying, especially a guy, will definitely turn me on emotionally.

-What turns you off?
An unnecessary amount of cursing…it’s just not necessary in my mind.

-What sound or noise do you love?
Birds chirping in the morning have made me very happy this past week…but not annoying bird’s and their chirping.

-What sound or noise do you hate?
Too many. I really don’t like scratching on the chalkboard, grinding of teeth, or loud noises…like fog horns!

-What profession would you like to attempt?
Being an ambassador would be a crazy profession to attempt. Being a doctor is admirable, but not attemptable on my part.

-What profession would you absolutely not like to attempt?
President…being a student is overwhelming enough.

-Finally, if Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
“Welcome! Think of Heaven like the Build-A-Bear store, you can design your own heaven and share it with others.”

To comment or debate any of my answers, or just to share your views and continue your discussion with me, be sure to head over to my personal message board thread! I look forward to hearing from my reader. And as always, if you have any Hopkins-related questions, don’t hesitate to ask them there as well.

BEST WEEKS AT HOPKINS

Though the past weeks have possibly been the best weeks here at Hopkins, they have left me behind in just about everything from summer applications to homework to hanging out with people. Therefore, instead of my usual essay style blogs, I would like to leave you with 19 {hopefully you'll understand why 19 by the end of this blog} little reasons why the weeks since my last entry have stood out compared to my other weeks. Plus, by doing this I can send out a lot of kudos to people:

1. A few days before my birthday my roommate and friends made me the most amazing cake with mint chocolate cookies and M&Ms on it. What could be a better reminder that your 19th birthday is coming up than getting a cake early?

2. My mother surprised me with Begonias {a very nice type of flower}...with dark chocolate pretzels attached! The great thing about these flowers are that they aren't cut...I get to take care of them, and hopefully they'll last a while!

3. My dad sent me a book clip that keeps your book open on a desk when you're studying ... so handy, and nearly a motivation to hit the books!

4. I got a surprise ice cream cake on my birthday! Unfortunately, we had no utensils ... so I had to eat it with my hands, but I guess that was half the excitement right there!

5. Although I wasn't able to see Obama speak in Baltimore, I was able to have the chance to hear Paul Ruseasbagina speak on campus. He is supposedly the inspiration behind Hotel Rwanda. Click here to read more about this event.

6. I was fortunate enough to be able to pull applications on the weekend. I love bombarding the admissions readers with completed applications {it's like a scavenger hunt!}, so what could be better than doing this on a weekend.

7. I got more of my favorite juice ... cranberry grape juice! What a great way to start my mornings.

8. Though there was a horribly icy night here, the worst weather I may have ever been in {leading to a delay in classes the next day}, the weather here has been comfortably warm. I haven't had to pull out my winter coat.

9. I made a pecan pie with my friend Jason in his apartment. His family has a pecan orchard in Arkansas, so he, over all of the other people I know, knows how to make pecan pie. It was my first pecan pie I've ever had ... and I must say, I felt so satisfied!

10. My roommate and I had an intense cleaning day today. Although it was partially because both of us had no interest in doing school work on a Saturday, having a clean room just gives off a happy vibe.

11. I got my third Gardasil vaccine and didn't faint. Anyone that knows me knows that this is a big accomplishment, because I'm known to faint from shots, blood, hospitals, and scary drunk driving movies!

12. I finished my resume and am finally motivated to look into summer opportunities!

13. Hopkins was rated as having the safest campus by Reader's Digest...and my brother's school, Northeastern, was ranked second best!
Click here to see the rankings, and click here to read the article.

14. My grandparents and aunt sent me the most varied food package I've ever gotten: from jelly beans to chocolate covered sunflower seeds!

15. The FFC's tomato sauce has improved recently. There have also been fake meat tacos ... it's a treat for a vegetarian! haha

16. I had a great time coming up with a very personal Valentine's day present for my boyfriend. The end result was buying 31 diet Pepsi's {his favorite soda}, 31 Reese's, getting dozens of photos printed of us, a nice tie, and a princess card {as a joke}. I sneaked over to Charles Commons at 1:30 in the morning, while he was asleep {his roommate let me in}, and set up the Pepsi's and Reese's in a heart and scattered the photos on the table. The 31 was for the 31 months we've been together. I know I've done well when I myself am proud of my present. {The picture is an abbreviated version of the present.}

17. I had a wonderful Valentine's day: got more flowers personally delivered to my building, had a date in an Italian restaurant {with a guy singing Frank Sinatra music...what could be better?!}, after we watched the Futurama movie, shared a canolli. I really have never been one to celebrate Valentine's Day, but after this year, I may reconsider making it an annual holiday to celebrate.

18. I suggest all of you sign-up for free ice cream on your birthday at www.coldstones.com. I had my free birthday ice cream {Love It size!} today ... free stuff is amazing, especially when there aren't any hidden fees.

19. My card collection has grown in my room. Though my celebrations may be over in my room, it's a friendly reminder of all the love I've gotten recently!

And even after out of all of this  my roommate, Rachel's, birthday is tomorrow leading to more celebrations!

Not the Typical Blog

So usually I blog about a main topic that I think a prospective student, or an admitted student, would like to hear about--broad topics like intersession, extracurricular activities, being back at home, etc. Well, I can't think of a main topic to really talk about. The past week, instead, has been rant worthy. Why is this? Well, I blame it on the new scheduling and having a flexible major.

When I planned out my schedule a couple of months ago it turned out that all but one of my classes that I was interested in were scheduled on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. At first I thought that this would be a problem, but then realized that perhaps it could be good; I would be able to work on the other days, I would have two nights to do my homework for my classes, etc.

So, with all of my nice new notebooks and tote bag, I was off to my beastly {beastly meaning full of classes} Monday, by my third class of the day I realized that all of my midterms were on the same day {the Wednesday before Spring break} and my finals were also piled  up one another. Even Labor and Globalizations, a class with two midterms, still happened to have the first midterm with the rest. I am not one that particularly is able to act under pressure, and in the back of my mind, I knew this meant having to redo my schedule. I e-mailed my academic adviser to make sure that there wasn't any midterm policy, he e-mailed me back saying that there wasn't and that it would be best to change my schedule.

To keep it short, my week has been full of looking through every department for S {Social Science} credit classes. There were plenty of choices available. However, I personally wanted a class that wasn't a large lecture, and didn't have too much weight on one particular test {the more grades the better is my stand point}. My week included e-mailing professors for courses I was interested in for the syllabus and going to classes hoping to be able to add it.  I also am not one to miss a class, so I made sure to go to as much class as possible, and take notes in those that I wasn't even enrolled in, just in case I decided to enroll. Basically by the end of it my head wanted to explode and I was doing reading for classes before hand because I didn't want to get behind in that either.

I think my roommate and my closest of friends thought I was insane. In fact this whole ordeal became humorous even to me, especially when people approached me saying, "I think you're in my pre-history class!", which usually ended in me  saying, "Oh yes, I was there today, but I'm not going to be in it...the midterm was on the same day as my others."

I don't know if this was just my luck...but most of the classes I went to ended up still having a midterm or a paper due on that terrible Wednesday. I went to one class that had the midterm on the Thursday before Spring Break, getting me excited...one more day to study! But then that class resulted in me having all my finals in two days. I think the most annoying thing out of this was that I liked my original schedule, if it just wasn't for the tests! I had never experienced this difficulty in the first semester. Though usually I never think about becoming a natural science major, last week I wanted to, so that my freshmen course schedule would be more structured for me {a complaint I never thought I would make}.

There were some positives out of all of this. I found an upper-level class that was closed that I want to take next year. I looked into other departments that I wouldn't have normally, and really got a sense of the variety of classes that Hopkins has to offer. I also learned that professors are really quick in e-mailing back with the syllabus. I learned that lectures don't always involve a final worth 50%. And that sometimes professors are willing to go over the limit and let you into a closed class...and adding a closed class via the registrar's office isn't that horrible either.

The best advice I got from this was from a sophomore who told me, "Just pick a class and go with it." This made me think that I should be able to handle any 100-level class, with no pre-prerequisites, even if it was a lecture...right? I also promised myself that I needed to have a schedule by this weekend. I really just couldn't go through the second, and final week, of add/drop by continuing to go to extra classes and taking extra notes and doing extra readings.

My schedule ends up being:
-Health Policy and Management
-Intro. to Public Health
-Intro. Fiction and Poetry {IFP} II
-Climate Change: Science & Policy
-Intro. to Social Psych

I'm taking two three-hundred level classes, but do not yet have any worries about that. Although I do miss my math classes from last semester {math classes=less reading}, I must realize that it's time to focus on my public health major. With all of this I got back into the swing of things with a Public Health Student Forum meeting, an Admissions Advisory Board meeting, and work. I also have figured out that February is the month to figure out summer plans, or at least apply for possible summer plans, another stressful task that I need to conquer.

Next week should be full of anticipation...for my new classes, the Super Bowl result, my birthday on Friday, and, more importantly, Super Tuesday results!

However the anticipation of Groundhog's Day is over. I really love how weird of a holiday it is, and to think it has been going on for 122 years!

Intersession

Just before I left to go back to school I got bombarded with this question: "Are you excited to go back?" I really had no good answer for this. Yes, I had my intersession all planned out. But, at the same time, reading and lounging around at home had been fun for two weeks...and I definitely could have continued it for three more weeks. Now that I think about it questions about the unknown, the future, are always hard to answer. Of course, after you experience the "future" you then know the right answer for it. So, looking back what should my answer to this have been? I'm REALLY excited to go back.

Some people I know decided not to come back because they thought they would get bored over these three weeks. I can relate to them; I love, love, love to keep busy. So, because of this, I  planned my intersession so I would be able to keep unstressfully busy....hence why I decided to break this blog into sections.

I. Classes
Since Tuesday I have been done with classes, before the halfway mark in intersession too! I decided to pack my Mondays and Tuesdays for the first two weeks, this way I could work the rest of the week. So, I'm done with Vaccine Development and Sex and Sexuality in the 17th Century. Having 14 hours of classes in two days for these past two weeks has still left me with plenty of free time...keep reading to find out!

Now...let me talk about both of my classes:

Vaccine Development was taught by a 1977 graduate of Hopkins, Dr. Lew Schrager. He works with the FDA now and thought it would be nice to come back to his school and teach us! It's great to see an alum who wants to give back to his school. He took intersession classes here and now he's teaching an intersession class, pretty cool! The course had over fifty people in it from all majors. Anyway, Dr. Schrager was so enthusiastic about this topic, and really packed the classes in to share with us all the most recent information he humanly could. He also was able to bring in two guest speakers. One speaker was his freshman roommate at Hopkins, Dr. Michael Lenardo, and the other was invited to come, Dr. D.A. Henderson. Having interesting guest speakers in this class definitely helped getting through the long 3.5 hour class. My favorite part of this course was Dr. D.A. Henderson's lecture which was on his role in the smallpox eradication and the differences between smallpox eradication and  polio eradication. {To read more about this incredible man: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Henderson}

Sex and Sexuality in the 17th Century was also not taught by a Hopkins professor, but she also knew her stuff! I'm so glad I took this class so I could experience a little of what a History of Science, Medicine, and Technology course is like. The class was very well organized and covered the main topic through many different aspects: homosexuality, sexual diseases, childbearing, etc. My favorite part of this class was learning about how people viewed sexual differences and diseases. Theses views led to learning about treatment through the belief that the body is made out of humors.

As you can tell I had no background information on both of these courses...and came out with some! Intersession has done its job in the sense that I've learned about things I otherwise wouldn't have.

II. Work
I decided to work in the office of admissions over intersession! I mentioned in my previous blog that I have an interest in admissions. I have been working the remaining three days of the week in the office working partially as a student worker for Admissions Daniel and also as a worker for the applicants aka for the thousands, thousands, and thousands of applications. I have really enjoyed my time doing this...not only has my work sped up our Video Blog development, but also because it has led me to realize just how many people want to come to this school. Sometimes my days have meant just seven hours listening to my ipod pulling out completed applications, but even this task is rewarding knowing that the earlier the files get pulled the better it is for everyone. Being around admissions representatives/readers has also made me respect our school's admissions process better. I can tell just from being around this team that thought, and time, is given to each applicant; they really are trying to build the best '12 team possible. Well, yes, numbers do count {GPA, scores, rank}, but the readers do see past the numbers. This has to be done because just having been around the files for a couple of days has made me realize that if you just look at numbers, the whole pool pretty much looks the same. Anyway, I'm so glad I have had this experience to glance into the process...if only prospective students understood the process.

{Please note the picture is from last year.}

III. Other
Intersession means far less time spent in the library, if any. Intersession also means no group meetings, well for me it does. What does this lead to? Three weeks of plenty of recess time! Tomorrow I'm going to DC, on Monday I'm going to the Walters museum. Last weekend I went to the Baltimore Museum of Art {by the way, the Matisse sculpture exhibit is worth seeing}. Plus, I definitely have also been making time to enjoy our rec center. Not only this, but though there were only 25 people in my 100+ building, I have still been able to spend tons of time with friends. I really hope to make a short video of intersession pictures, but because intersession isn't over, you will just have to deal with the pictures sprinkled throughout this post. Anyway, hanging out in dorm rooms, cooking dinner, birthday baking, playing lots of solitaire on my new ipod.....what more is there to say?!

IV. Conclusion
Yes, intersession has proven to be a good experience, or a pile of good experiences, at Hopkins.