I really enjoy coffee. Having a good debrief session with my friends over a coffee or drinking one at the start of the day is one of the best things about it. It’s slightly bitter but also sweet. Some of the best, smoothest coffees have just the right level of aftertaste — tasting clean enough to sip throughout the day but interesting enough to come back for more.
A year from now (if not sooner or already), many of you readers will probably hold a similar sentiment. Quite frankly, any form of caffeine works for the needs of a typical college student, but I’ve settled on convincing myself that coffee is probably one of the lesser evils when pitted against Celsius or Red Bull. I enjoy coffee to the point where I am wholly convinced that I can write about the freshman year experience at Hopkins in the context of the simple drink. So here it is: what I know about freshman year, paired with a nice iced coffee.
One thing about ordering coffee is that, a lot of times, you never really know what’s going on. Growing up, my impression of coffee was the bitter black coffee that my parents drank almost religiously before work. It smelled nice, but that was about it. So when I came across the words latte, mocha, long black, americano, cappuccino, London fog, espresso tonic, flat white, macchiato and cortado, needless to say, I was not at all convinced they were actually any different.
Freshman year at Hopkins is kind of like that. You’ll register for classes, sign up for clubs and do so many new things that you think you have some sort of impression about, and more times than not, it’s not what you expected. You will enjoy some more than others, and through this, you’ll make your freshman year entirely yours.
I remember the first time I ordered a matcha latte with espresso*, solely because I felt like it. Some impulse that day whispered to me to order a matcha with an espresso shot. And I did, despite the slightly confused looks of the Brody cashier. I didn’t even know if I was going to like it, but I ended up enjoying it. So, at least think about following that little voice in your head. Probably not when that voice might lead you to a bad situation, but trying something new for the experience is one of the best philosophies that I wish I had followed more.
Over time, I have tried many different types of coffee, but I’ve landed on one single drink that never fails me: a plain iced latte. Sometimes a mocha is too sweet, or some other types are too bitter. Coffee itself for me is like a little routine. Branching out and trying on different lifestyles is one of the hallmarks of the college experience, but it is just as important to hold on to your core inner values. Your actual goals, dreams and plans may — and probably will — change over the year, but what drives you and guides you are the beliefs you hold close to your heart. Whether these are small daily rituals or larger moral compasses, it’s good to have an inner foundation to guide you through this new life path.
So, as I finish up my final words here and pass the ink over to the next author in the magazine, some of you may be thinking: so what? That is particularly the thing: to keep asking questions. So many students — me included — come to Hopkins with a very specific vision of who they want to be or what they want to do. And having goals is a great thing. It pushes us to be better people.
But one of the biggest things of this first year that you’ll have to learn to embrace is change. I have tried so many different orders from Brody Cafe, and I have learned what I like and dislike about coffee through the process. Now, each coffee I get (for the most part) is better than the last, and it wouldn’t be this way if I didn’t come across a really gross coffee order here and there.
Some things will be hard, but nothing good comes without a challenge. Freshman year is the same: you will fly, fall, trip over thin air and come out of it all with such a different view on life and yourself. And, hey, if I’m wrong about that, then I guess I owe you a coffee.
*Pro tip: Trust this humble writer and please do try the dirty matcha (you can order it with lavender syrup if you’re a fan). It’s better than you might think.
Ayden Min is a junior majoring in International Studies from Los Angeles, Calif. She is the Opinions Editor for The News-Letter.
