Being a college freshman is catapulting you one step closer to your future. While you should relax and enjoy these four years of freedom, you should also realize that there are plenty of opportunities out there for you to make use of. Whether you are seeking to build your resume or simply enhancing your personal experience, you'll find that Hopkins has a lot to offer.
The first thing that crosses peoples' minds when talking about gaining experience outside the classroom is usually internships. Many students make use of winter and summer breaks, or even the regular semester to do internships either for pay or for credit.
Students at Hopkins have the advantage of being in close proximity to many large firms headquartered at Washington, D.C. and New York.
At Hopkins, students can find counseling help in career development at the Career Counseling Center located in Garland Hall. In addition, you can also log on to the center's Web site to (http://www.jhu.edu/~careers/) where you'll find a regularly updated recruitment board and a wealth of information related to career opportunities.
Another big word you'll hear on campus all the time is "research". A large number of students graduate from Hopkins having done some sort of research, whether they are Science or Arts majors.
At Hopkins, research is not confined to the typical scientist mixing potions in the laboratory. You'll find students helping a political science professor write his newest book on European Integration, someone going down to the woods in Virginia to collect earthworms for study and even other students filming a documentary.
Some students engage in research as early as freshman year. Often, it's as easy as sending an e-mail to the professor whose field you are interested in. There are also a number of research grants available for ambitious Hopkins students.
Study abroad is also a common way to broaden your horizons. There are a number of Hopkins-affiliated sites worldwide where students can take a wide range of courses; for example, the School of Advanced International Studies at Nanjing, China and Bologna, Italy.
In addition, if you cannot find any suitable program offered by Hopkins, you can always find your own and ask for approval of credit-transfer. Dr. Ruth Aranow at the Office of Academic Advising takes care of all study abroad matters.
Another unique part of the Hopkins program is Intersession. This is a three-week period after winter break and before the spring semester when students are encouraged to take classes that differ from those they take during the regular semester. Often, these courses are interest-related; for example, wine-tasting class (for 21 years or above) and ballroom dancing are popular.
In adddition, some short term study abroad courses are offered during Intersession. These courses can include study of biodiversity in the Galapagos or firm visits in New York city to study Globalization in the 21st Century.
Apart from these ways to enrich yourselves, you can always participate in many activities offered by clubs and societies found on campus. At Hopkins, there are over 300 student organizations. These range from interest-based organizations such as Chess Club, to ethnic-based organizations such as the Black Student Union.
Do not miss the student activities fair during orientation where you'll find useful information about these organizations. If you cannot find anything that interests you, it's easy to establish your own club on campus!
In addition, there are a number of volunteer organizations at Hopkins, including Habitat for Humanity, Circle K and Cooking for Love--just to name a few.
There are so many ways for you to make the most out of your college experience. However, if you feel like something is missing, you can always join the News-Letter staff.
