Put yourself out there, baby

Early this past summer, I was driving through Baltimore with two friends, heading out to dinner in Baltimore's Canton neighborhood. As the Inner Harbor gave way to Little Italy, followed by blocks of tidy, well-kept Victorian row houses, one of my passengers expressed amazement.

I didn't know neighborhoods like this existed in Baltimore, he told me. This can be expected from a freshman who's just moved to Maryland.

However, my friend had just graduated. And, I know for a fact that he didn't like Baltimore. Well, no wonder. I'd be bored out of my mind if I spent my four years confined to an area the size of Charles Village, with an occasional excursion to the Inner Harbor (a.k.a. Anyplace, USA) for variety.

So, freshmen, as you move into the shoebox you'll be calling home for the next nine months, keep in mind that there's more to life than frat parties, Beast and D-Level, although I would recommend trying all of the above at least once. They're integral parts of the Hopkins experience.

Just don't overdo any of the above. Yes, first semester is pass/fail (or, to be precise, satisfactory/unsatisfactory), so go out, make friends and don't stress it too much, but you still do want to pass.

If you're lucky, you're living in an AMR double. Yes, that means you have the least amount of personal space the University could possibly afford you. But this also places you in the closest proximity to a large percentage of your class. But it also means you don't have to try too hard to go out and meet people -- they're practically living on top of you.

Eat in the dining halls -- at least once in a while. No one is pretending it's good. Nor are we pretending that it is good. However, like the AMRs, the dining halls are a great place to meet people. And, like the dorms, the "food" is a powerful bonding experience.

Join clubs. Join lots of them.

Once you've got on-campus life covered, pick up a copy of City Paper (free on street corners as well as in Wolman/McCoy) and flip to the calendar or the dining section. Pick a concert, a festival or a restaurant that sounds interesting and go there. You probably won't be going to a neighborhood that you know. But that's the point.

There are many ways to get around. One day, when the weather is nice, walk to the Inner Harbor. Just go straight south on Charles or St. Paul streets (beware: Charles St. detours in front of Penn Station) and you'll be there in an hour. Or, take a city bus somewhere.

Don't be afraid of the city. Yes, there's crime. Yes, there are bad neighborhoods. People get mugged. But it's not all bad. Baltimore has a fantastic arts scene, a wide variety of restaurants and a ton of bars. Just be aware of your surroundings, and when you're walking around after dark, go with a friend or two.

Spend a summer in Baltimore. Take a part-time class or get an internship. Or just get a job. You won't have the stresses of the semester keeping you busy, and you'll have more time to explore the city. You'll have no problem finding other students in town. And you'll probably find that you like Baltimore much better when you don't have to worry about passing 15 credits.

Speaking of getting off campus, spend a semester or two studying abroad. Later in life, it's going to be a lot harder to pack up and move to a foreign country for six months to a year. Your club/significant other/major can wait for you. I never studied abroad for all of the above reasons. You should.

You have four years here. Right now, that may seem like a lot of time. In some ways, it is. In four years, it won't be. Most people will tell you college is the best four years of your life. Just remember, they say that for a reason. Find it.