Our Tips for New Blue Jays
Being miserable and successful aren't a package deal
By the end of my first semester, I had what I wanted. But instead of intense joy and satisfaction, I felt an ineffable emptiness. When I finally paused to reflect, I realized that chasing academic success alone as a marker for personal fulfillment was unsustainable. So I decided to change.
Course registration at Hop: A freshman’s guide
As a Hopkins student who has gone through five course registrations, I know this can be a complicated process to navigate, but you’ll get the hang of it. Here are my very best tips for a smooth, painless course registration that leads to a great semester.
From “E” to you: 3 pieces of advice to overcome the struggles of Hopkins coursework
Freshman year at Hopkins: something I’d dreamed of saying all throughout high school. When it finally became real, I was thrilled, ready to experience college in the way I’d always imagined. But after a tough first week, things didn’t get easier. Week after week, I found myself struggling, more than I ever expected.
Find your second greatest love (for students who are not sure who they want to be)
Telling people you major in Writing Seminars and English is kind of like confiding a shameful secret to a complete stranger, like introducing yourself by saying, “Hi, I park diagonally in the garage since my spouse left me.” The other person isn’t convinced you’re making what they would consider a good life decision but they can’t express outright disapproval either.
How to cook without a kitchen: easy dorm recipes
An often overlooked yet essential part of the college transition is meal prep. In a new environment with new ingredients and equipment, cooking can feel daunting. Here are some easy dorm recipes to get you started.
Reflections to my first-year roommate
Even though I meet the basic requirement to give roommate advice by having lived with one, I hesitate to provide a numbered list on how to be a good one. Living with roommates is a dynamic setting that requires adjusting. So to reach the universal, I’ll try to offer my particular.
How to carry home when you miss it
It hits in the quiet. Not always on the first day. Sometimes not even in the first week. But one day, you’ll sit in a room with people laughing like they’ve known each other forever, and you’ll feel it: I miss home — at least that’s how I felt homesick.
A not-so-helpful guide to balancing it all (sort of)
Balancing extracurriculars, social life and academics at Hopkins is like juggling chainsaws while doing ballet on an elephant walking down St. Paul Street. Even though it feels like you’re doing it (and you technically are), there’s still that nagging sense that everything could fall apart at any second. And, somehow, we make it work.