Upon my arrival at Hopkins, it seemed that everyone around me immediately congregated into friend groups. At first, these social clusters were loose and ever-changing, breaking apart and re-forming like schools of fish. I kept hearing people say, “Join as many clubs as you can” and “Put yourself out there.” The hostess at HomeSlyce Pizza Bar told me, “It took me till junior year to find my people. Don’t worry, you’ll get there.”
Even as a senior at Hopkins, I haven’t exactly mastered control over my own homesickness. Initially, this lack of proficiency was a product of not experiencing much homesickness early on in my time at Hopkins. More recently, during my semester abroad in Paris, I was overwhelmed by how isolated I felt. It’s likely that no one is completely in control of their homesickness, but over the years, I have found a few effective strategies to mitigate dwelling on it.
College is a fast-paced and information-packed environment where it's easy for students to fall behind if not properly prepared. However, in the age of the internet where information is at our fingertips, there is nothing you can't find, learn or utilize online. Here are eight helpful websites you may find helpful during your time in college. Don't forget to bookmark them!
So you’re feeling overwhelmed with coursework... The funny thing about time management is that it is neither about time nor management. During my first semester at Hopkins, I had almost 700 pages of required readings a week. Between that, an on-campus job, application essays and various extracurriculars, I was overwhelmed and fell behind on my responsibilities. Being diligent with a calendar and checking boxes in a planner only goes so far when there are only 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
There are a few terms and phrases which are endlessly repeated in Hopkins small talk and have varying importance. If you’ve ever heard someone discuss how they “want to become more involved” or how they need to “find their people,” then you’ve already witnessed what I would name the “Hopkins anxiety” or more simply, “Hopkins FOMO.” Basically, everyone is constantly anxious to make new connections and further their career. Just another part of the ambition that Hopkins requires.
Freshman year of college is a thrilling experience. As you begin this new chapter of life, you’ll be bombarded with opinions, expectations and responsibilities. Looking back, there are several crucial lessons and insights that many students wish they had known before stepping foot on campus.
“Welcome to Hopkins! We’re glad you’re here!” Over the next few weeks, you will hear variations of these words more times than you can count. You will be inundated with invitations to the new world in which you find yourself. Maybe Hopkins feels wholly foreign to you or maybe it feels natural. In either case, you will need time to explore it and find your place. I urge you to savor this time.
Welcome to Hopkins! As a student, a lot of your time is unfortunately taken up by studying for your upcoming midterm or finishing up a problem set. Fortunately, our campus is filled with a plethora of places to study, and, depending on your mood, you can always find a new place to get some work done.
There are abundant options for getting around Baltimore without a car while living on or near the Homewood Campus. From local buses to Hopkins-specific transportation options, exploring Baltimore at a low cost is easy.
Eating good food on a daily basis can be important for staying sane and feeling healthy in college, especially when you’re leaving home for the first time. While the buffet-style meals and unlimited desserts of the dining halls may seem like luxury on your first week, by the start of classes you’ll probably be craving something that reminds you of home.
Once you try most of the restaurants on St. Paul Street (which, unfortunately, doesn’t take too long), you might want to explore places outside Charles Village. If you find it difficult to choose where to visit first, don’t worry! Here are some recommendations for good food in Baltimore.
Once you join the Hopkins community, you will soon learn to speak the Blue Jay language. Below is a list of words whose meanings are unique at Hopkins and whose presence are woven into Hopkins students’ daily life.
All incoming freshmen and sophomores at Hopkins are required to live on campus with their peers. This can be one of the biggest, but often overlooked, adjustments for most students coming out of high school. I know it was for me, so I’d like to offer some insight into my experience with my roommate and suitemates in my freshman year.
Welcome to Charm City! As your Leisure Editor, I see it as my obligation to introduce you to my favorite spots around Baltimore. Of course, I can’t possibly cover all the eateries, museums and wonderful neighborhoods in just 800 words, so I am choosing a few that students frequent the most: Hampden, Mount Vernon, Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Fells Point and Towson.
After a summer of anticipation, attending every New Student Zoom available and obsessively soaking up every bit of information about Hopkins, my freshman year arrived. I imagined myself being very social, going out on weekends with friends and quickly forming deep friendships.
Yana I’m not going to lie and say I’ve always wanted to be a journalist because that simply isn’t true. I have always been interested in writing though, and it is this interest that brought me to The News-Letter.
I wish I was cynical about goodbyes. No matter how many times I’ve had to close a chapter and let go, nostalgia and sentimentality always get the best of me. As I lament the end of not just my Hopkins career but the time spent with my friends, I’ve always envied those who are able to rationalize goodbyes and move on, though I know this graduation is going to hit differently for all of us.
It’s hard to believe I’m currently writing my last article for The News-Letter ever. Though I have yet to walk across the stage at Commencement, this feels more like my true Hopkins finale. Yet this closing act of my studenthood hardly feels bittersweet. I can’t keep the corners of my mouth from turning up with gratitude while my fingers tap out reflections on the keyboard.
Dear freshman Leela, Four years ago, there was so much unknown. When I think of you (us?) standing on the stoop in Brooklyn, surrounded by all your earthly possessions, waiting for Dad to pull the car around to drive to Baltimore for orientation, I wish I could give you a hug.
“You are like a ball of constant stress.” I remember this line spoken to me during the beginning of my freshman year. At the time, I was still a Peabody Institute voice student, and I was in one of my earliest studio lessons. While nervously singing an art song learned hastily the night before, my legs kept shaking and my head could not keep still.
