You're probably a know-it-all. Hopkins is full of 'em.
Well at least the News-Letter is. Count the times we condescendingly refer to you as "dear freshman," and even "young grasshopper."
But seriously, although we are pretty smart, the only thing we've really got on you is experience.
We've seen things change in our time at Hopkins. We know what, if the chance presented itself, we would do differently, what we would do instead, and what we'd still do even though it turned out pretty badly.
Something we don't know, however, is you. You could be the stereotypical pre-med from New Jersey who, despite our urging, will not get off campus nearly enough and who will, at the same time, complain that there is nothing to do. You could be the all-too-common type that works too hard, plays too little and makes the rest of us feel bad that we can't keep up. Or you could do something different. You could be something Hopkins hasn't seen. And we kind of hope you are.
More than to preach to you, we hope to motivate you. To encourage you to find your niche at Hopkins, but also to shake things up.
The thing is, we're actually jealous of you. Freshman year is, of course, a fresh start. It's an excuse to take risks, challenge yourself and prove that you can hack it on your own. It's a year full of unparalleled excitement, and we want you to take advantage.
Everyone's experience at Hopkins will be different. The ratio of love to hate varies by individual. What we're presenting to you are personal anecdotes and a lot of general consensus, but you certainly don't have to take our word. Hey, we don't even always agree with each other. Sorority life is not for every girl, not everyone will miss RoFo chicken, and some of us love our job at the Phonathon.
But no matter who you are and what you think of us, welcome and enjoy. Get a few laughs. Make a few terrified faces. Then put the Cover-Letter down. You've got a lot to do.
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