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February 2010
February 15, 2010
February 04, 2010
Something for Everyone
Name: Natalie Berkman
Year: Class of 2011
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Major: Writing Seminars and Mathematics, minor in French Literature
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Since I always say, “I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure…”, when I was looking for a college, I tried to pick one that was a reasonable size. I had no idea what my major would be, or what I’d eventually want to do when I graduated, so it seemed like it would be a good idea to have lots of options. However, I’m from a little town outside Buffalo and I was used to that sort of life. That’s why I also wanted a college that wasn’t too big. As paradoxical as this seemed, this line of reasoning eventually led me to Hopkins, which is a city school with lots of options, but still has a reasonably secluded campus.
There are more majors than anyone could ever want, but if nothing appeals, you can always make your own. Still, I couldn’t decide (being indecisive and all…), so I’m a Writing Seminars and math double major who will hopefully get a French literature minor too. And honestly, it doesn’t seem like you can go wrong in choosing a major – every department at Hopkins seems to be one of the top in the country. For me, the math program is highly respected, the Writing Seminars department is generally considered one of the top in the country, and the French classes are all run by the French!
Aside from schoolwork, being at Hopkins has other benefits that make it a dream college for the indecisive people like me. For example, I play flute and I didn’t want to stop just because I was going to a different school in a different state. So, I take lessons at Peabody, a world class conservatory which is actually part of Hopkins! Even without lessons, though, it’s definitely worth a trip: there are millions of concerts, Peabody has the most gorgeous library, and the area is really nice. My roommate has an internship at the Johns Hopkins hospital, which is also an advantage of going to Hopkins – if you get sick, the number one hospital in the country is right there! The proximity to Washington D.C. is also useful. When I had to get a visa to study abroad in Paris this semester, being only 40 minutes away by train made the whole process much easier than if I had been in Buffalo (about seven hours from New York City, which is where the consulate is in New York). And the Baltimore Museum of Art is right next store to Hopkins, if that appeals.
There are also plenty of clubs to join, adding more options. I write for the Newsletter every week. They sometimes get me free tickets to concerts or musicals to see and review, so I get to learn a little more about Baltimore. I’m also in the band and the orchestra, so I can play for fun outside of my lessons. There are two clubs for tutoring little kids as far as I know – I’m in Refugee Action Project and we tutor Turkish refugees. And there are plenty more – I learned to twirl fire in Entertainer’s Club, I learned about Caribbean Culture with CCS, and I even saw the belly dancers club, Egyptian Sun!
Right now, I’m taking advantage of another great option that Hopkins offers: I’m studying abroad. I’ve been in Paris for a few days now, and the ability to be completely immersed in French culture is hard, but certainly worth doing (as I’m sure it would be for any culture). I feel as though my French has already improved a lot, and I’m living with a host family, which means I get to see how a French family lives up close. Soon, I’ll start taking classes at French universities, but right now, it’s orientation. Right now, what I’m most excited for is the l’OuLiPo meeting on Thursday. L’OuLiPo is an organization of French writers/mathematicians who write while imposing constraints on themselves (more
troubled individuals who can’t make up their minds…). For example, Georges Perec wrote a book called “La disparition” (“A Void” is the English title) entirely without the letter E. Every month, they have an open meeting at La Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and luckily, my host family is practically next door!
Basically, I’m a completely different person now than I was when I applied to colleges. Back then, I was looking for a university with a lot of options so I could learn the most, and I definitely found one! The reason I’m so different now is because of all that I’ve learned. I never thought I would ever feel comfortable writing about math in French, not that I ever knew that I’d want to do that. Through taking all of these different classes and participating in a variety of activities, I was able to learn that none of them are really separate. There’s a way to combine everything, and the creativity to do so is really encouraged at Hopkins from what I can see. L’OuLiPo combines math and writing in French; there are so many French mathematicians who developed new theorems in all branches of the subject; French literature is some of the best writing in the world. I think the education I’m receiving at Hopkins is incredible, even if the only thing I’ll be able to do when I graduate is write math textbooks in French.
February 01, 2010
From a New Freshman
Name: Martin Kelly
Year: Class of 2013
Hometown: Eugene, OR
Major: Computer Science
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Like most freshmen, I came to Hopkins with a mixture of emotions. Although I was excited – I had been looking forward to college for as long as I could remember – I was also very nervous. In fact, the very things that made me excited also made me nervous. Although I was eager to choose what I studied rather than having it dictated to me, I also wasn't sure what my classes would be like or how hard they would be. Although I was eager to live in a new city very different from my own, I had lived in Eugene my whole life and didn't really know what Baltimore would be like. Although I was eager to meet new friends from all over the country, I started out all alone on campus desperate to make friends like I had in high school. In short, like most other freshmen, I could sense that my life at Hopkins would be very different than my previous 18 years, and whether that difference was good or bad would depend entirely upon myself. Although this freedom was exhilarating, it was also profoundly terrifying.
Luckily, like most freshmen, this new world of Hopkins is turning out to be much more exhilarating
than terrifying. Although my courses have been challenging, they have also been very rewarding. Unlike in high school, when I work hard here, I nearly always feel like I'm learning something valuable rather than completing busy work for a grade. And although it can be frustrating when professors have high standards – I've had to rewrite several essays in order to improve my thesis – I think my classes are teaching critical thinking much better than high school did. For example, in my philosophy class here, my teacher forces us to find holes in our own arguments; if we fail to do so, he will find them for us. In contrast, high school teachers usually gave me a good grade as long as I could understand and regurgitate the material.
I have also been getting used to Baltimore and adjusting to a big city. Before Hopkins, I lived in a town of 150,000, so moving to a big city on the east coast was obviously a big adjustment for me. That said, I've become comfortable with Baltimore and had some fun in it. My friends and I have been on some adventures in the city, and these trips often uncover a new restaurant or a part of
the city we had never seen. Although they're not Eugene, Hopkins and Baltimore are starting to feel more like second homes.
Finally, I've also been happy with social life here. Contrary to the Hopkins reputation, the people I've met here are not the cutthroat pre-meds that supposedly fill this school. Instead, it's been really easy finding nice people, and I now have many good friends who make my college experience a lot more than four years of intense studying. We like to watch movies, cook, or just hang out. Because of them, finals week was actually one of the most fun all semester. Although we had lots of studying to do, we took a break most nights. One night during Hanukkah, we cooked latkes. Most of our hall helped us eat them as they followed the smell downstairs to the kitchen!
Obviously, not every day at Hopkins is perfect, but all in all, I'm quite happy here. My freshman worries turned out to be ill-founded, and I'm really happy I decided to come here.
Year: Class of 2013
Hometown: Eugene, OR
Major: Computer Science
************************************************************************************************
Like most freshmen, I came to Hopkins with a mixture of emotions. Although I was excited – I had been looking forward to college for as long as I could remember – I was also very nervous. In fact, the very things that made me excited also made me nervous. Although I was eager to choose what I studied rather than having it dictated to me, I also wasn't sure what my classes would be like or how hard they would be. Although I was eager to live in a new city very different from my own, I had lived in Eugene my whole life and didn't really know what Baltimore would be like. Although I was eager to meet new friends from all over the country, I started out all alone on campus desperate to make friends like I had in high school. In short, like most other freshmen, I could sense that my life at Hopkins would be very different than my previous 18 years, and whether that difference was good or bad would depend entirely upon myself. Although this freedom was exhilarating, it was also profoundly terrifying.
Luckily, like most freshmen, this new world of Hopkins is turning out to be much more exhilarating
than terrifying. Although my courses have been challenging, they have also been very rewarding. Unlike in high school, when I work hard here, I nearly always feel like I'm learning something valuable rather than completing busy work for a grade. And although it can be frustrating when professors have high standards – I've had to rewrite several essays in order to improve my thesis – I think my classes are teaching critical thinking much better than high school did. For example, in my philosophy class here, my teacher forces us to find holes in our own arguments; if we fail to do so, he will find them for us. In contrast, high school teachers usually gave me a good grade as long as I could understand and regurgitate the material.
I have also been getting used to Baltimore and adjusting to a big city. Before Hopkins, I lived in a town of 150,000, so moving to a big city on the east coast was obviously a big adjustment for me. That said, I've become comfortable with Baltimore and had some fun in it. My friends and I have been on some adventures in the city, and these trips often uncover a new restaurant or a part of
Finally, I've also been happy with social life here. Contrary to the Hopkins reputation, the people I've met here are not the cutthroat pre-meds that supposedly fill this school. Instead, it's been really easy finding nice people, and I now have many good friends who make my college experience a lot more than four years of intense studying. We like to watch movies, cook, or just hang out. Because of them, finals week was actually one of the most fun all semester. Although we had lots of studying to do, we took a break most nights. One night during Hanukkah, we cooked latkes. Most of our hall helped us eat them as they followed the smell downstairs to the kitchen!
Obviously, not every day at Hopkins is perfect, but all in all, I'm quite happy here. My freshman worries turned out to be ill-founded, and I'm really happy I decided to come here.
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- We've Moved!Our blogs have moved! Keep up with the newest updates and changes to the Hopkins Interactive blogs at our new blog central: http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/guest/.
