It’s been only about two weeks since I arrived at Hopkins for my first year, and things are already ramping up. I’ve never been so inspired and overwhelmed at the same time, and it feels like there aren’t enough hours in a day to check off all my goals. Still, it’s important to pause from time to time and make sure you’re doing things that make you feel more like yourself. So here are five little things making me happy this September.
1. Moving my body every morning
I love sleeping. This summer, there were days when I genuinely slept for 11 hours straight and still wanted to sleep more. Unfortunately, that lifestyle is only reserved for the summer after high school graduation and doesn’t exactly work in college, so I’ve been trying to start my mornings with some movement.
Most days, that means going to the gym for a quick workout: a simple stretching routine, followed by 10 minutes of cardio to get my blood flowing and then some weightlifting. Mind you, I definitely am not an expert when it comes to the gym. But getting my heart rate up wakes me up, regardless of whether I’m tired, stressed or just not feeling ready for my classes. When I don’t feel like going to the gym, I just take brisk walks around campus, getting my steps in through the stairs and hills scattered throughout.
There’s also a small bonus to establishing this routine every morning: greeting the security guard on my way out and in. Whether it’s on the way to the Wolman Hall gym downstairs or toward campus, I always pass by the security desk where the guard is diligently keeping his post. At first it’s awkward because no one really expects a greeting from a one-second passerby, but it’s definitely worth it! Starting the day off with a simple “Good morning” sets a warm tone for the rest of the day.
2. Scheduling something small for the end of the week
Whether it’s visiting a new restaurant in Charles Village or checking out a cafe at Inner Harbor, having something to look forward to motivates me to work harder in the days leading up to it.
This past week, it was a Friday Trader Joe’s trip with two of my friends, Connie and Zia. My snack stash was almost empty, not to mention that my mint gums, which were the only things keeping me awake in those long lectures, were also running out. As all three of us were frantically trying to keep up with our readings, assignments and club applications, our Trader Joe’s trip kept our sanity intact.
By the time Friday evening finally arrived, we had completed all of our assignments due that week, plus some more for the following week, and had made satisfactory progress on our extracurricular tasks. And apart from the devastating realization that the Blue Jay Shuttle doesn’t take rides that far uptown (or anywhere uptown, for that matter) and that there are no dinner places near the store, it was a fun excursion outside of campus. Since we didn’t want to spend extra money out of our allowances booking a $10 ride to and from Trader Joe’s, we did a massive haul of items and even had a “Trader Joe’s sponsored” dinner: microwavable butter chicken rice, microwavable chicken soup dumplings, microwavable gnocchi and Trader Joe’s chili oil.
So, apparently, all the motivation I needed to finish my work was a confirmed trip to pick up mint gum and a 100% microwavable dinner to be eaten in the common room.
3. Calling friends and family back home
A little bit about me for this: I’m from Singapore. Having lived there for 13 years, it’s more or less where I consider home. Now, if you know anything about Singapore, you’ll know that it’s not only located on the other side of the world but also has a drastically different climate, culture and demographic from anywhere in the United States, including Baltimore.
As thrilled as I was to begin college life free from the burden of college applications and the constant nagging of my parents (sorry, Mom), I’ve definitely been feeling the homesickness come and go.
The best remedy for this is calling my friends and family from back home. Oftentimes, I’ll go out to the common room for a spontaneous call to my parents and grandparents. No matter how short the call is or how little I may really have to talk about, seeing their faces and hearing their voices always makes me feel closer to home.
Other times, I’ll call my high school friends. Most of them have also started college outside of Singapore, but calling them still brings back fond memories of home. When I’m settling into bed or waiting for the last few minutes of the dryer to finish, a quick call to friends and family makes me feel better.
4. Hunting down free stuff around campus
I say I love free food, but honestly, I love anything free. Shoutout to whoever started the @jhufreestuff Instagram page! Especially in the beginning of the semester, there are so many events and random pop-ups offering free items. During orientation week, there were sessions giving out free pens, free stickers and free food. On the first day of class, there were free bears that we could stuff ourselves on the fourth floor of the Bloomberg Student Center, and even a little mission to collect stamps across the four floors to earn free sweatpants.
After going through the Student Involvement Fair, I not only filled out a dozen interest forms and learned about all the student organizations at Hopkins but also grabbed free stuff while at it! By the end of the first week and a half, my desk was filled with tote bags, foldable bags (perfect for groceries), stickers and cups. And though I might not need them all, they make great gifts for my parents and grandparents back home, who are always down to collect Hopkins-themed things. In fact, I already have a small bag filled with all these free items to hand to my parents when they visit for Family Weekend in October!
My friends and I were quite literally hunting down all of these things down in those first few days, and while there may be fewer events like this as the year progresses, I have no doubt we’ll continue going on these side quests throughout the rest of the month whenever possible.
5. Walking around campus during sunset
This last one is pretty mundane, but it makes me happy nonetheless. The Hopkins campus has a very classic feel to it, with its deep red bricks and marble architecture. And I absolutely love sunsets — so much, in fact, that I have a folder in my photo gallery dedicated to them. I’ve also been told that walks fix most things. So, obviously, the three together are an unmatched combo for me.
Whenever I want to wind down after dinner or temporarily take my mind off of work, I’ll go on a walk around campus around 7:30 p.m. I’ve seen some phenomenal shades of orange, pink and purple above Shriver Hall while standing across the Wyman Quad. It really is a breathtaking scene.
College can feel like there’s always something more to be doing, but these little things remind me to slow down and enjoy the process. I’m still familiarizing myself with the new country, getting to know more people and adjusting to the academic environment at Hopkins. But with these five little things, Baltimore is feeling a little more like home.
