You’ve just arrived at Hopkins, where you're meeting a lot of new people and getting bombarded with endless information. While all this may seem overwhelming at first, you’ll get into the swing of things eventually. Here are a few things that helped me, and might help you, settle in and make Homewood Campus your home.
In the end, every “first” I met at Hopkins taught me something about who I was and who I could become. I didn’t expect a campus, a group of strangers, a pile of dirty laundry or a lost friendship to matter this much. And that’s the real secret of firsts: you don’t get to choose which ones last.
One of the first classes I took at Hopkins was called Foundations of Brain, Behavior and Cognition. I remember the syllabus hitting my inbox and something inside me sparking like a firing neuron. At first glance it was intimidating, but I didn’t know that buried under all the assessments was a class I would end up loving.
Welcome to Hopkins! One of the first things you’ll pick up is our campus slang. While it’s not an entirely different language, the nicknames for buildings and spots can be confusing at first. To help clear up the confusion, here’s a quick list of common terms you’ll want to know.
Transitioning to college and beginning that “new college chapter” can seem daunting, especially for those unfamiliar with the University’s surrounding areas. Hopkins is nestled between Charles Village and Hampden, two bustling and charming Baltimore neighborhoods. With such a convenient and lively atmosphere comes an assortment of essentials to ensure your Hopkins experience is safe and worthwhile.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When I first arrived at Hopkins, I was riding the high of graduating high school and coasting off an unforgettable summer. Like many others, I was thrilled to be entering such a prestigious institution. I felt that I had made it. That my past successes were enough to carry me forward. That the hardest parts of life were behind me.
For a while during my first semester of college, I could not separate Mondays from Tuesdays, Tuesdays from Wednesdays, Wednesdays from Thursdays and so on. My days were a blur of class, some form of lunch from Charles Street Market, studying, dinner and then more studying until midnight at minimum.
You might be thinking, “Writing is not for me, so why would I become a student journalist?” I said the same thing years ago. Then, my path crossed with The News-Letter’s, and I don’t think any other experience could have gained me the same skillset or community. At our paper, we always have something for you.
Out of the one or two things I learned about college, probably none of them prepared me for the unique obstacles that international students face. Just because I had to figure everything out alone doesn’t mean you have to. So, here are a couple of things I learned.
College is a transformative time in many people’s lives, and a major aspect of this experience is the people you befriend. However, making friends can seem intimidating when you first step on campus. Here are some things to keep in mind to help you as you begin this chapter of your life.
The amazing thing about Hopkins is the breadth of options. Whether you’re setting foot on the courts for your first Student Involvement Fair or wandering around two years later as a junior, new opportunities will always be available right before your eyes. Clubs provide a unique experience to get involved in countless areas that you may have never imagined.
I really enjoy coffee. 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.
