Class of 2013: Freshman Blog

Thank you for visiting the Class of 2013 Freshman Blog! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the freshman year adventures of eight members of the Class of 2013. You can still connect with them on their current student blogs here:

Behind the Scenes with ’13 – 2010-2011 Shared Blog with Becca K., Cate W., and Sarah S.

The Not So Confidential Confessions of Cate – Cate W.

Long Story Short – Sarah S.

Miranda Writes – Miranda B.

You can also connect with @JHU_Joe and @JHU_Greco on Twitter.

Remember to check out the rest of Hopkins Interactive for more blogs, photos, videos, and more!

So, everyone, I hope you all are having an amazing summer.  I’m still in London, and work is really starting to pick up — both a great thing and a ‘eh’ thing, since I both love my internship and to sleep.  But c’est la vie.  I’m having a great time here, and everyone in my flat and program are amazing.  This weekend, we went to see Fedde le Grand at the Ministry of Sound, and it was amazing — totally worth the day after (of course, we were just sluggish because we were at a rave from like 11 – 6am, that’s all).  I’m working about 3.5-4 days a week, split two ways between Parliament and David Miliband’s Labour leadership campaign; both have been great thus far.

In this post,I’d like to recap my blog posts from this last year.  For me, it’s been interesting to look at some of them again – makes me think of how I was feeling when I wrote them, what I’ve been up to these past few months, etc.  For me, pretty cool.  I don’t keep a diary or anything, so this is about as close as I’m going to get J.

First Post: And Then It Began

Boy, I wasn’t kidding.  My first post as a Hopkins student, and, man, I’ve come a long way.  This was me when I was really, really, really new at Hopkins!

Social Scene Stuff

Okay, not quite as new-to-college me as the first, of course, but this was when I was just discovering that Hopkins really did have a social life (I lowered my hopes after reading some good ol’ fashioned fibs on things like collegeconfidential) and when I was just starting to get in the groove of this whole college thing.

[update: all libraries are created equal, I feel, so I’ve relocated to Trafalgar Square at midnight, watching people drunkenly attempt inline skating.  I’m consequently laughing.  A lot.]

A Matter of Campus Security…

This came after the first open house I attended.  There were a lot of parents asking about security, so I thought I’d give this topic a go.  This is the result of that idea.

Mah Schedule…

This beez my first semester’s schedule.  It’s a lot of fun to see what I thought of it then and how I remember it now.  Sooo different.  I actually still talk to one of my professors; she’s awesome.

Reflections on Going Home

First time going home.  This was my attempt to share what I was feeling at the time.  It’s the first of my less topic-oriented posts and was more just me talking.  That said, the preceding posts weren’t me trying to write a research essay J.

Hmph

School was owning me at this point, and it was me trying to struggle with being me while having more work to do than I’d ever had.  Of course, it was written right before finals.

Au revoir, fall semester!

So the previous post was during finals, so, as this one’s name implies, this is afterwards.  I was soooo ready for the semester to be over, to just have a break to chillax, and it felt good J.

And the deadlines cometh…

I wrote this en route to Italy over winter break.  I was bored at the time – it was a long flight – and it was just before the January 1 application deadline, so this is me trying to offer advice on the essays.  They were by far my least favorite part of the college admissions process – wait, those AND standardized tests.  Together, they may have been the bane of my existence.

Looking Back on ‘09

My final post of 2009, this was me reflecting on the past year, what’d changed, and what I sort of thought would come.  It was interesting to write.  I was in Italy with my parents on vacation, and we’d been talking a lot about my first semester, so this was interesting to write.

Me and the History Major…

I came to Hopkins wanting to pursue International Studies, and now I’m a history major.  Why?  Well, that’s what this post is about J

Intersession

Lots of mail.  Lots of fun.  Lots of film to watch for class.  That was my first intersession at Hopkins, and it’s what I cover in this post.

New stuff (great name, I know)

A recap of what’d been going on between intersession and then, this post also covers – wait for it – SNOWWEEK, also known as SMOWOMG, SNOWMAGEDDON.  You get the point. Oh, and no biggie, but the Winter Olympics had been going on.  They’re sort of my World Cup.

My Semester Thus Far: An Update

Starting to think about housing.  Midterms approaching.  Fun being had.  This is the story behind this post, which is more an update about what’d been going on at Hopkins for me.

A Not-so-brief description of my classes…

You know when you’re trying to procrastinate so you will do anything to avoid real work?  Well, I do, and it’s the story behind this post: I had a lot to do, so naturally, I decided to offer more information about my class schedule than anyone may ever need to know.  Oh, and when I was writing this, Muse played Bmore.  MUSE MUSE MUSE MUSE.

MAH CRIB

This highlights – EVEN WITH VIDEO (since we’re fancy like that)– why Wolman is ‘da bomb,’ and you even get to see a pic of my obese cat, Stanley.  Oh, and some pics of Little Rock, too haha.

SaveMoneyChella

In essence, this is me describing my time at the Coachella Music Festival, by far the best time of my life EVER.

End of the Semester!

Wooooo.  Riding a mechanical bull.  Studying.  Cooperative feasts cooked in friends’ apartments.  That was the end of my second semester at Hopkins, and it’s what you can hear about should you read this post.

Scotland

Earlier this summer, I had a political study visit to Scotland.  We ran around the Scottish Parliament and, later, sung Lady Gaga in a pub in front of a live band.  AWESOME all around.  Check it to find out more.

Well, that’s all I got for now.  Since I’ve sort of gone through my entire year, I thought it appropriate to post my class’ flag in this post, since it’s what I did in my first post.

Have fun,

Daniel

I’m stranded here somewhere in northeast Philly because my train broke down, so I thought it would be a good time to catch up on some blogging and recap my freshman year at Hopkins.

Freshman year really was an incredible experience, and I don’t think it’s really going to hit me that it’s over until I move into a different dorm next year.  I’ve been home for about a month already, which is impossible to believe, but I’m already missing my friends and Hopkins a lot.  I’m sure I’ll be very ready to go back to school come August, but for now I love having no midterms, finals, or homework to worry about.  Anyway, here’s a recap of my freshman year:

First Impressions

An Introductory blog about me, my classes, and my favorite things about Hopkins during the first month or so of school.

Food!

This blog entry explains all of the food options at Hopkins and how it is very possible to survive here without your parents’ cooking.  I talk about the cafes, the overwhelming dessert options at the Fresh Food Café, the selection at Charles Street Market, and my cereal obsession.  I also set a very ambitious goal for myself: “I’ve decided to switch from coffee to hot chocolate to avoid becoming a caffeine addict.  We’ll see how that goes.”  (In case you’re wondering, this lasted about two days.)

13^th Grade

I never got terribly homesick in the fall because I only live two hours away from school, but right before Thanksgiving it started to hit me that I really wasn’t in high school anymore and Hopkins would be my life for the next four years.  It sounds ridiculous that it took me three months to realize this, but when I finally did come to this realization it was a bit of a shocker that I’d be giving up some of my favorite aspects of home/high school life.

A Week with Wile E. Coyote

This entry is all about the Hopkins workload and goes into some detail about my experience in Expository Writing, a pretty popular freshman English option.  My Expos class was all about analyzing comedy, and if you read this entry you can kind of get an idea of how I basically went crazy trying to write a paper on Wile E. Coyote.  There’s no arguing that it was an awesome class though, and after this class ended I really missed watching cartoons to “gather evidence” for my papers.

Sick During Finals Week

I got sick/injured about a million times this year and had to go to the Student Health and Wellness Center, but this particular blog entry is about how Student Health and Wellness basically saved me when I had tonsillitis.  Seriously, I owe them the biggest thank you in the world.  They are fantastic, very nice, extremely patient, and they will always point you in the direction of another doctor if they can’t treat you right on campus.  This pretty much sums up the blog: “even though it stinks to be sick when you’re at school, I would definitely say that there could be much worse places to get sick than Hopkins.”

Reading Period Procrastination

When we should have been studying for finals, for some reason we really felt the need to take a Christmas picture with Santa Claus.  We even wore matching shirts to make two of our guy friends feel extra uncomfortable about it.  Read this entry to find out how we managed to get our friends out of the library and how we got a picture with Santa without paying seventeen bucks.

Back in the 215

I really didn’t do anything productive over the holiday break before coming back to Hopkins for intersession, but I did get my picture with Benjamin Franklin!  Read about my first time doing the tourist thing in Philly since our first grade field trip to Independence Mall.

Spanish Major

Even though I love biology, having a double major in Spanish balances out my otherwise science-y course load and pretty much keeps me sane.  Read all about being a Spanish major at Hopkins and some of the great classes and opportunities that the department of German and Romance Languages and Literatures offers!

Changes for the New Semester

After intersession, people began referring to fall semester as “last year” because spring semester was entirely different and felt like a whole new (really short) school year.  This blog tells about some of the changes I was anticipating for the start of the spring semester, including going through rush, tour guiding, taking a really challenging Spanish class, and most importantly never attending an 8 AM class ever again.

Personal Training Certification

The Recreation Center at Hopkins offers a course covered by Hopkins tuition that prepares students to take the American Council on Exercise’s Personal Fitness Trainer Certification Exam.  This course was a fantastic learning experience for me, and it was really interesting.  Because of my research position next year, I’m not sure I want to look into getting a job as a personal trainer during the school year, but I don’t regret for a second taking the course.  It was a really enjoyable part of the second semester.

Hopkins Favorites

Second semester was when I really started to branch out and find some spots around campus to eat, study, and hang out on weekends that weren’t just the FFC, the library, or the Beach.  Even though Hopkins’s campus always has something going on, I love that a lot of students here are very familiar with some of the best places to go in the surrounding area, and hopefully by senior year I’ll be Baltimore savvy too.  However, this blog entry tells about some of my current favorite places on and around the Hopkins campus.

Freshman Housing: Things to Consider

It’s no secret that I was absolutely AMR obsessed during this past year.  I love that no matter what friends I made in other classes or activities at Hopkins, Wilson House was like my family, and I don’t know what it’s going to be like next year not seeing them all the time!  This blog tells about how I was really close to choosing Wolman and having a completely different experience.

Hopkins Cribs: AMR 1, Wilson House, #114

And to continue the AMR obsession, here’s the cribs blog!  Here I write more about Wilson House, freshman housing options, living in a double versus a single, and what to bring with you to college.

Questions from Admitted Students Day!

I had a lot of fun answering questions from admits at the open houses, and I used this blog entry to answer a few of the most popular questions in more detail.  Students asked about everything from getting off campus to the workload to the sunglasses I was wearing that day.

Two More Weeks

The last few weeks of being at Hopkins were definitely bittersweet.  This entry talks about what I thought Hopkins was going to be like versus what it actually turned out to be.  It also talks a little about what I was looking forward to this summer.

Weeks One and Two at Home

Featured in this blog is a snapshot of my Sesame Street coloring book that I’ve been working on this summer – check it out!  If you find yourself bored at home this summer I highly recommend investing in one.  And if you really want to splurge you should go for the 24 pack of crayons.  To read more about what I’ve been doing this summer, read this blog entry.

Hopkins and Hoagiefest

Read about how I managed to relate attending one of the country’s most prestigious universities to ordering lunch at my favorite gas station convenience store.  (By the way I’m very sorry for anyone who’s never been to Wawa if you have no idea what I’m talking about in this blog entry.)

That pretty much sums up my freshman year!  Check back later this month for another update on my summer.

My last post, “The Top Ten Reasons Why I Already Miss College,” affirms what an amazing and enriching freshman experience I had this past school year—so much so, that I want to go back! Any college student will tell you that freshman year is an instrumental time of change and growth, consisting of (but not limited to) lots of personal growth (mentally and perhaps physically in terms of the Freshman 15…yikes…), a number of challenges, newfound independence, a completely different lifestyle and environment, and new people. My freshman year involved a ton of learning experiences—some that resolved themselves easily, and others that were slightly more difficult, but nonetheless valuable. If I could do it all over again, though, I wouldn’t change a thing about these past two semesters! I am fortunate enough to have a collection of blogs that have documented the progression of my freshman year. And I’m thrilled that I’ve had the opportunity to share them with you! This past year has provided me with a wealth of fond memories that I will undoubtedly cherish for life. Here’s a brief overview of all of my blogs:

To New Beginnings and ENFJ’s

My first blog post ever! So weird to look back on. I discuss my personality test results (ENFJ or “the extrovert”), and reflect on my first few weeks as a Hopkins student. Also included: the transition from my fourteen years at an all-girls school to the college lifestyle—a must read!!!!

Weather: It’s All Relative

The onset of cold weather hits a Texan pretty hard. I celebrate my birthday and my friend surprises me with tickets to Regina Spektor in D.C.!

Felloween and more!

My friends and I go to Fell’s point for Halloween (one of the largest Halloween celebrations in the nation), dressed as JHU football players and football (of course). I attend a JHU Kranti performance (an a cappella group on campus) with the rest of Royce house to support one of our fellow residents.

Rain + Hot Cocoa = Feeling Bloggy

A brief survey of each of my classes and the professors.

I think I can officially say I’m not a freshman anymore. This week marked a big change in my summer schedule.  I switched my laying in the sun, sleeping in, relaxation for pouring rain, eight AM organic chemistry, and a job.

One of the best decisions I made this past year was to join the student group that runs Hopkins Interactive.  Although I am not often punctual and there are moments where I may miss punctuate, these blogs are one of the most fulfilling assignments I have completed in the past nine months.  They allow me reflect how I change on a week-to-week basis and help me remember the times, both good and bad.  But I also hope that they resonate with a prospective student somewhere across the world that shares my interests, or feelings, or love of learning.

So now’s the time where I look back on the blogs from my first two semesters.

Animals and Digging Up Worms

My very first entry!  I talk about my first semester courses, my hometown, and my early experiences in Baltimore.  As I struggle with the move from one city to another, I learn what it means to redefine home.

Hunting Squabbits

I discovered a natural wonder on the Hopkins campus, the squabbit!  If you didn’t know, squirrels and rabbits are two of my favorite animals.  I also enjoy pink flamingos and manatees.

Statistics, Statistics

It’s Halloween time!  I remember my past Halloweens, as well as the my college admissions process.  As I address the obsession with statistics, I ponder the experiences I had in high school and how they define me as a person and a student at Hopkins.

Beware the Fury of a Patient Man

As I drastically try to find new hobbies once my facebook account is frozen, I realize that I am really a talented doodle-er.  No worries, I got my account back… eventually.

Just You Wait, It’ll Be a Matter of Time and In the End You’ll Be Fine

I am anticipating my return to the Twin Cities for thanksgiving.  Inevitably, after three months I grew a little homesick, so I reminisced of my favorite places at home.

Let’s Do the Time Warp Again

I’m back to Baltimore after thanksgiving.  There are super adorable pictures of my animals, and details about my super fun time at The Rocky Horror picture show!

Divergence Theorem

It’s finals times, and I am not studying.  I share all the details on the future semester, and also my first experiences at a social event with the faculty of my department.  Oh, and it’s filled with math puns!

Let Me Go Home

Here I talk about going home for winter break, and coping with all the changes that occur while you’re away.  Suddenly, home doesn’t feel like home anymore.  I head back to Baltimore to take two intersession courses and to escape the Minnesota winter.

The Triplet State- Feminine, Female, and an Engineer

Here I contemplate what it means to be a female engineer.  I reflect on experiences earlier in my life and in history in an attempt to pinpoint why I want to be an engineer and the significance of my choice.

What It’s Like to Be a ChemBE

It’s a blog all about the ChemBE program at Hopkins!

Smells like Halls Cough Drops

Getting sick is the worst!  Here’s 8 tips and tricks to feeling better when you’re sick at Hopkins.

Our Beclouded and Tempestuous Existence

A Joseph Conrad quote inspires me to ponder the costs and benefits of taking a heavy course load.  After nearly failing my first number theory exam, I debate whether I should take the class and come to the conclusion that it’s worth sticking out.  I grapple with the concept of GPA-safe courses vs. gambling it away on challenging courses.  Staying in that course ended up being one of the most academically and personally fulfilling decisions I have made yet at Hopkins.  And guess what?  More upper level math next semester!

Post- Spring Break and All About My Courses

I am back form Spring Break.  I reminisce about my time spent home, and I divulge my secret academic activity.  Yes, a break down of all my courses, including the good, bad, and ugly.

Cribs Building 402 A

Check out my pad in building A.  My cribs video showcases all the finest in 402, a triple, including a glow in the dark galaxy!

Fortunes for Finals

Finals round two!  The year is ending, and I am learning what it means to be a realistic Hopkins students and how expectations are often broken.

House Arrest

I am back in the MN for the summer.  I am learning what it feels like to have a normal sleep schedule and how much I hate unpacking.

Not As Simple As Tic-Tac-Toe

Here I try to answer the question “Is Hopkins grueling?”  As I compare Hopkins to my experiences at Hopkins High School (no joke), I realize that the answer isn’t so simple…

Well I guess that concludes my freshman year.  So long!

-Cate

Writing a reflection of my freshman year is a little reminiscent of signing my bffs’ 8th grade yearbooks. You’ve got to include some inside jokes (marry me bill), your hangouts (uni-mini), crushes (TA GUPTA), and tons of nonsensical abbreviations that you will never understand in the future (slash by August).  So think of this post as an entry in Johnny Hopkin’s yearbook for 2009-2010. “Have a good summer, Johnny! We have to hang out! Call me xxx-xxx-xxxx”

1. First entry;ahhh. Everything seemed so new, and I had such fugly hair! I’m sure all my loyal readers remember the first day they were introduced to me (9/27/2010 <3). I talk about classes, dorm choice, on campus jobs, and just how important my social life is.

Ode to The Futon

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2.  Oh, good thing I got a job early. This post is all about how I started spending my money like crazy. Concerts! Restaurants! FYI, you can still return your books to Barnes & Noble like halfway through the semester ( I kid, Daddy).

Bawlmore

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3. A Baltimore MUST: Halloween in Fell’s Point! You will never feel more normal in your entire life.

Just So you Know…. I’m a Celebrity

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4. The purpose of this blog is to show how I am actually more beautiful than Giselle Bundchen.  I expose her for who she really is; the poor man’s version of me!

You Better Work, Covergirl

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5. This blog touches on how great the Hopkins community is. Peabody Conservatory is an awesome cultural outlet for regular old, non-musically inclined students like myself.

All Computers Go to Heaven

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6. Sorry big man on campus Voldermort, but Hopkins is better than Hogwarts. Before you aveda karena me, please check out the post.

Hopwarts

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7. Did I survive my first finals week? Find out next season… (oh, snap! the show was canceled! I guess you’ll get your answer at the link below).

The Real World: Finals Week

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8. But really, Baltimore is a great place to get out of the privileged bubble. If you simply live Charles Village for a hot minute, you will be astounded by all the opportunities there are to get involved in the community.Oh, and Catholic guilt can really be a downer.

Turning Guilt into Something More Productive

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9. So, I wrote all about Model United Nations at Hopkins before I really knew what it was. Now that I’ve actually attended the conference, I double my endorsement!

JHU Model UN

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10. There is a picture of Josh Hartnett in this blog. Are you really not going to click? I dare you.

This is Tyler D. and I approve this Message

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11. My 19th birthday came and went. Mother Nature was in charge of the decorations. And boy did she deliver with SNOW WEEK.

Over the Hill

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12. This is one of my only academic posts. It talks about a course I took that really challenged my belief systems. Yeah, “Intervariable Calculus” can really do that to you. Just kidding! I can’t even figure out the tip on restaurant bills!

Unconventional Learning

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13. Woo! Florida for spring break! Oh wait, I’m staying on my grandma’s lumpy couch, and I just accidentally flashed her entire retirement community. Tyler’s Gone Wild!

Living the Wild Geriatric Lifestyle

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14. Cribs!

Hopkins Cribs AMR II Griffin House Room 166

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15. Alumni weekend is the best time of the year! Minor celebrities! Football Lacrosse games! Handsome seniors (I’m talking 65 and up).

Alumni?

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16. Oh, the advantages of being so close to Washington DC. Actually, there is only one that really matters: Michelle Obama.

You’re Heating Up. John Legend

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17. The set-list for your local “oldies” channel in 2050.

Hitting A Freshman High Note

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18. Please Karl Lagerfeld, forgive me my fashion faux pas’s!

Freshman Look Book

There you have it, kids. I’ve written about everything you need to know about Hopkins social life, campus, and Baltimore. I simply forgot to mention, you know, academics. Oh well! I am too fabulous to study!

Summer!

Once upon a time…

A year ago, I was still a senior in high school. I hadn’t graduated, I hadn’t moved to the east coast, I hadn’t lived away from home, I hadn’t lived on my own, and I hadn’t taken challenging college classes. Now, a year later, I can easily say that this was one of best years of my life – it was a wonderful academic experience, and more importantly, I met some amazing friends and grew as a person.

I’ll do a more thoughtful recap of the year in another blog, but this is basically a recap of the year through blogs!

Miranda Writes

This was my first foray into blogging…it’s basically an introduction and the basics about me.

Toto, I don’t think we’re in high school anymore!

Even before the second month in college, I’d already collected a list of differences between high school and college.

This is Mock Trial! This is Madness!

I wrote this blog after I’d come back from my first college mock trial tournament. It’d been a tough week beforehand, but I ended that weekend extremely exhausted and extremely happy. It was definitely an indicator of how important mock trial was becoming to me!

Fall, Friends, and Family Weekend

This blog basically covers some of the events of the fall, such as Halloween and Family Weekend with friends!

When you wish upon a star…

I didn’t really enjoy October. I think that was when a lot of reality hit, but things definitely improved for November – here’s a highlight of what I was enjoying/looking forward to.

Let T be a tree with infinite leaves…

Although this title referred to what we were learning about in math, this blog actually covers a lot of end of semester events, such as Thanksgiving and my 18^th birthday!

Whose house?

I went back to Los Angeles in December, and visited my high school, which really made me appreciate all that college has offered me this past year.

First Semester Reflection

This is undoubtedly my most meaningful and important blog to date. I addressed a lot of the issues I’d been dealing with fall semester – feelings of being unprepared and unable to cope with the challenges of Hopkins. It was a tough semester, but I definitely emerged stronger.

Mock Trial

This was my entry for the Student Activities Blog that we’re working on developing. I wrote my entry about (surprise, surprise) mock trial.

“Winter Break”

I was in Los Angeles for winter break, so it didn’t really seem like winter. However, it was still a lot of fun, as evidenced by the pictures here.

Written in a New York Minute

This was a brief update on my increasingly hectic life in the leadup to a major mock trial tournament.

Cause the trial don’t start till we walk in!

We qualified! Most of February was occupied with mock trial, but it paid off when we qualified to go to Ohio!

A Bad Snowmance

After never seeing snow fall before this year, I was certainly in luck with Snow Week! This is more of a photo blog of all the fun stuff that went on that week.

Hopkins Cribs: AMR 1, Sylvester House, Sylvester 309

In this blog, I get to show off my wonderful room! It’s so weird being back at campus this summer and not living there!

Springtime for Hopkins!

This is just a basic recap of the time around Spring Break – lots going on!

Deep Fried Fun.

This blog is about Spring Fair weekend, definitely one of the best weekends of the year!

The Library is Closed?!

Finals are over, and it’s hard to believe it’s all over. That is, until we see that the library is closed.

So that’s it. Freshman year. Over. It definitely deserves something more articulate than “over,” and there will be something in the near future! Until then, I hope that everyone is enjoying their well-deserved summer!

So, I was packing up the other day in the AMR, and I found a big plastic bag that had this label on it – “Hyun Ho Song, AMR I Royce 204.” Basically, when you move in, the upperclassmen volunteers give you these label stickers to put on your luggages just in case they got lost. This plastic bag I found was the bag I had my pillow and blanket in, and this really had me thinking; I can’t believe my freshman year is over. This white plastic bag, although it’s now all torn apart, useless, embodied all the emotions I had my first day of college. I really couldn’t believe it’s now all over.

It’s time for a wrap-up, blog-wise. I’m now moved into my new apartment, unpacked everything, and my freshman year is all behind me now. But now I need to pack up all my blog entries and prepare for moving out of this freshman blog (this is not my last entry, though, since I am still required to write two more entries during the summer or i get into trouble…).

Going over my past entries, I feel like I focused too much on my extracurricular activities relating to photography and a cappella which blows a little bit. And I’m sorry If I was being too unacademic and rubbing same stuff in your face. I guess I was just not inspired enough haha. And writing blog is really not my thing. Hopefully next year I would be able to find something funner for me to do (maybe video blogs…?)

Anyways.. here are my past entries starting from the oldest. This isn’t the most exciting blog entry, so bear with me.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2009/09/my-source-of-inspiration/

So this is my first blog. I was very excited about joining the Vocal Chords, so I wrote about my audition and what I expect for my first year of college.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2009/10/a-month-already/

It says I wrote it, but this is not my entry. It looks like Sarah wrote about. Sorry about that.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2009/10/rehoboth-beach/

Here I wrote about my trip to rehoboth beach, Delaware, with a few of my photography class people. It has pretty pictures.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2009/11/my-schedule/

Here I talk about my first semester classes. Looking back, Physics II and IFP I was the hardest course I took that semester. But in the end, they turned out to be the most rewarding classes. It has a pretty picture.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2009/11/love-hopkins/

Here I talk about Love. My a cappella group went to sing at a wedding dinner party at the Peabody Library. Also, my partner and I went to Penn Station to take photos of people hugging each other for my photography project.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2009/12/first-snow-at-jhu-and-a-cappella-concert/

I talk about the first snow at JHU and my a cappella group’s fall concert. Coming from California, snow was a pretty big deal for me. It has pretty pictures. It also talks about how excited I am for the winter break.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2009/12/winter-break-2/

I’m in my winter break, and I talk about how excited I am and what I have planned for the four-week vacation.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2009/12/why-i-miss-hopkins/

About half way through my winter break, I got really bored and started missing my being at Hopkins. so here, I list some of the reasons why I want to go back to Hopkins. From the tone of this entry, you’ll be able to detect how hyper I am and how everything around me at the moment is failing to entertain me. It ain’t got any pic.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/01/student-admissions-advisory-board-saab/

Here I try to be a nice SAAB member and introduce to the prospective students what SAAB is all about. This is my Student Activity blog.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/02/and-here-it-goes-semester-2/

Semester 2 comes and I talk about the classes I’m taking. I ended up dropping the philosophy class two weeks after I wrote this. so yea. It has a pic of me lying creepily on our JHU sign….

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/02/what-is-up-greco/

Here I talk about my busy life and how I’m dealing with it. Seriously, taking 18 credits was very hard, which is why I dropped the philosophy class and ended up taking 15 credits instead – probably one of the best choices I have ever made at Hopkins. I was also in the middle of finding a lab position.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/03/research-research-research/

So this is the one talking about how I got my lab position I have right now. Hopkins is really known for research opportunities, but they sure don’t just land on your lap.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/03/the-must-haves-how-to-make-your-college-life-chic/

I probably wrote this right after watching Project Runway on my computer, so the word Chic was really stuck in my head. So I decided to write about how to make the college life chic. Here I list my necessities that helped me survive college.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/04/my-tidy-but-tiny-double-in-amr-i/

This is my required Cribs blog. I talk about my tiny dorm room. It has a youtube video embedded so you can see moving pictures of my room. You can tell from comparing the pictures and the video that I have later fully-lofted my bed hoping to get out a few more square inch of my room.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/04/more-a-cappella-pls/

A cappella concert again. This was our 15th anniversary spring concert, so it was a very big deal for us. We had a lot of our alums come over to sing with us at the end, and that was a very powerful, enlightening moment for me as you will see as you read through it. It also has a poster that I created for the concert.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/05/concluding-my-ifp-journey/

Finally I write something academic and talk about my IFP experience at Hopkins as an engineer. I was very inspired when I was writing this, and I think it shows. It’s gotten a couple of nice comments.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/05/summer-shenanigans/

Here I talk about my plan for the summer.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/06/vc-does-imogen-heap/

If someone tells me to erase all my blog entries except two, it would be the IFP entry and this one. Singing with Imogen Heap was one of the most surreal experiences I have ever had in my entire almost-twenty years of life. I love Imogen Heap. I hope she adopts me. I wish I had put like those carbon-copiable adoption document underneath her poster so when she signed my poster I’ll be like hey guess what was underneath! you have just adopted me, Mother. and I’m changing my name to Greco Heap.

Oh BTW when Imogen Heap introduced us, she said John Hopkins University Vocal Chords. We need to change the name of our school. Cuz Imogen said so.

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http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2013/2010/06/wrapping-up/

Here I wrap up my blog and list all my previous entries… oh wait, it’s this one…. ;)

So here I am, wrapping things up. Look at me, I’m all grown up. The other day, this guy asked me about my Organic Chemistry class: “Hey so everyone in your class is a freshman like you?” and I was like “EXCUSE ME? (snap snap snap drawing a zigzag in the air), I ain’t a freshman no more. I’m a sophomore.”

So yea. I’m a sophomore now, guys. and I have three more years to go… It’s gonna be the longest three years of my life, but at the end, I’ll probably say “OMG that went by so fast!” like I did in the first paragraph of this blog entry.

This is not a forever-bye-bye-freshman-blog. Remember, I have two more entries to go, so keep checking our blog and get the latest information about Hopkins life. Oh, and if you have tumblr and want to see some of the photos I took my first year at Hopkins, follow me! (http://photolegrec.tumblr.com)

Bye now!

-Greco

The title basically describes what runs through my mind every time I realize that I’ve finished my first year at Hopkins. In one way it seems like the year went by extremely fast, but at the same time as I look back at everything that happened, everything that I accomplished, I completely understand that the year is over. It’s still a weird feeling though, every time I log onto ISIS now I see that I’m listed as a sophomore and it just feels so strange for reasons I can’t explain. So far my summer has been everything that I hoped for. I’m currently back in Baltimore working as a part of the Orientation 2010 Executive Staff and my 3 weeks home were perfect in almost every single way. Its odd being on campus in the summer because it seems like there are so few people around, I guess this must be what it feels like during intersession too.

Anyways the point of this post is for me to sort of wrap-up all of the blogging that I’ve done over the course of my first year as a part of SAAB/Hopkins Interactive. Below you’ll find a compilation of all the posts that I made during my Freshman year. What’s even stranger than the fact that I’m now a sophomore is the fact that when I first started blogging, Hopkins Interactive was on TYPEPAD. It seems like an eternity ago that I worked on moving Hopkins Interactive’s blogs to our new and improved WordPress server. Well, here we go with my recap:

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“The Calm After the Storm”

May 30th, 2010

Here I describe my entire Freshman year experience as a whole as well as what my plans are for the summer. I also discuss the LOST Series Finale which was probably the greatest episode of TV I’ve ever watched.

“Maxwell’s Equations and Ionization Energy”

May 16th, 2010

Here I discuss the conclusion of my Freshman year and how I received just about 8 hours of sleep over the course of the entire finals week due to problems with my roommate and how he ruined my sleep cycle. It was all for the best in the end because after all the time and effort I put into my Physics class which I thought I didn’t understand I got an A- in the class!

“Spring Fair and Orientation Ambassador Interviews”

April 28th ,2010

Here I talk about the awesome-ness that is Hopkins Spring Fair and how I spent 30 hours on the weekend interviewing 235 applicants for Orientation Ambassadors. This was the beginning of my job as one of the members of the Orientation 2010 Executive Staff.

Hopkins CRIBS: McCoy Hall, T01A

April 12th, 2010

Here in one of the traditional Hopkins CRIBS video I give you a tour of the room I stayed in for all of my Freshman year including the common area of the suite and the bathroom. Definitely a must-see if you’re considering living in Wolman or McCoy.

“A Hopkins Interactive Face-lift (version 5.0)”

March 28th, 2010

Here I discuss the 6-month long project I worked on to redesign the entire homepage of Hopkins Interactive. In one of my later posts I describe how in April alone the new site received over 75,000 views. The compliments we got from various university administrators and visitors alike made all of the time I spent on the small details worth it.

“My Schedule for the Second Semester”

March 10th, 2010

Here I discuss my schedule for the spring semester a bit later than I normally would because I had sooo many other topics to discuss in the progression of my list. I guess you could say I had a very eventful second semester.

“The Blue Key Society”

February 23rd, 2010

In this post I describe my membership and training in the Blue Key Society, otherwise known as the admissions volunteer group for campus tour guides.

“Welcome to Our New Site!”

February 17th, 2010

Here I describe the new blogging platform that we implemented after deciding that Typepad wouldn’t work with the future plans we had for the Hopkins Interactive website.

“4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42″

February 2nd, 2010

In this post, which I believe to be one of my more creative posts, I describe the significance of each of the numbers from LOST in relation to my life. This makes me sad now that LOST is over, but the ending made all 6 years of my life worth it.

“My Minor in the Psychological and Brain Sciences”

January 10th, 2010

In this post I discuss what was formerly my minor in Psychology, since then I’ve decided to pursue a double major in Neuroscience and Psychology. This post was created to be posted in the famous Academics Blog.

“It’s Actually Winter Break!”

December 28th, 2009

Here I describe what I did for the first few weeks of my winter break and put a bunch of pictures that I’ve had on my phone in my post. This is where the infamous penguin picture is, aka the moment where I decided that I wanted to be a doctor (when I was in the 3rd grade). Once I finally become a Neurosurgeon I’m going to frame it in my office along with my medical degree.

“Congratulations Early Decision Admits!”

December 27th, 2009

Here I congratulate the Class of 2014 Early Decision Admits and reflect on when I received my acceptance to Hopkins.

“Is It Really the End of the Semester Already?”

December 10th, 2009

Here I talk about my first semester experience as a whole, which is interesting because it was a few days before I was done with my finals and I seem to be in a pretty good mood.

“Transportation on and Near Campus”

November 27th, 2009

Here I discuss how Hopkins Freshmen get around campus and to surrounding areas like New York City and Washington DC.

“Filming and Food on Campus”

November 11th, 2009

In this post I discuss the filming of the Facebook movie, “The Social Network,” on the Homewood Campus and the various dining halls and options on our campus. It’s really great if you want to see pictures of the super-secret filming on campus, and how they modified our campus to look like Harvard.

“Sports and School Spirit”

October 30th, 2009

Here I stop using song titles as the names for my post and start making the main topic of my blog post very obvious. Here I discuss my opinion on sports and school spirit at Hopkins based upon my experience at one of our men’s soccer games.

“Remembering Sunday”

October 12th, 2009

In this post I describe the various resources and activities that are available for Freshmen on campus. Most of my experience with these resources/activities is due to the knowledge I obtained during Orientation Week.

“Worlds Away”

September 29th, 2009

This was my introductory post where I described everything from my hometown to my major to why I came to Hopkins. Its ideal if this is the first time you’re reading my blog or if you forgot about some of my background.

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Well that’s it for my Freshman year wrap-up. Thanks for reading my blog, and a very special thanks to the readers who aren’t my family or other Hopkins Interactive members, reading comments from you and seeing your reactions to my posts making blogging more fun for me. Congratulations to the Hopkins Class of 2010, we’ll miss you all and to the Class of 2014, we can’t wait to meet you in the Fall!

Things that make me cry: ASPCA commercials with Sarah McLachlan crooning in the background, awkward maid of honor speeches at weddings, and FASHION FAUX PAS’s.  It is well known that my craziness is oft-reflected through my wardrobe, however, there are a few staples that every college freshman needs/unfortunately insists on wearing.  In the name of Anna Wintour, I hope all you incoming freshman can learn from my mistakes and make the fashion scene at JHU a much more visually pleasing place.

1. The “Overdressed” Look

Yeah, it is bound to happen. With the first few weeks of school come college parties.  Beforehand, as you are getting dressed, put down that pretty silk blouse you purchased on sale at Anthropologie. Baltimore in the summer is hot, parties are crowded, and it is not worth sacrificing your wardrobe’s best to a clumsy party-goers rogue soda.

2. The “Eau de Sweatpants” Look

Personally, I have been waging a vendetta against the sweatpant for the past year (excluding, of course Alexander Wang’s Fall 2010 Collection. But I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t wear sweatpants to the cafeteria, to late night Uni Mini runs, and even to class (never in front of my cute Econ TA, however!). Anyway, try to control yourself, please. I understand the occasional sweatpant, but elastic is not your friend (especially around the dessert table in the FFC).

3. The “Macbook” Look

Our generation’s grandchildren are going to think we were all a bunch of weirdly augmented super-freaks (and not in the good Rick James way) when they see all of the Mac “Photo Booth” pictures we all take. Every single college freshman on the planet has a picture of them with their face all wonked out. Guaranteed. I”m talking to you, students at “University of Somalia.” Please, just stop the cycle!

4. The “Nerd Bird” Look

Face it, you are a freshman. You are bound to have that moment where security guards chase you down in the library, you make enemies with the workers at Uni Mini, and you make a total goon of yourself in front of a professor (um, none of these things have happened to me haha). The campus forgives you and understands your plight.  The plight of the freshman is comparable to lots of biblical references that I can’t think of right now. So, submit your stories to “Texts From Last Night” and cleanse yourself. You will one day be a cool, stately sophomore like myself. I’m sure you can’t wait!

5. The “Baltimore Just Went Through A Record Breaking Snow Storm, Where the Heck are my Gloves?!” Look

I am convinced that after the wild snow storm of 2010, I will never get another snow day for the rest of my life. But props to you, El Nino, you really got ‘er done. I’m pretty sure the last remnants of snow just melted off of the MSE library in May. Anywho, try to prepare your wardrobe for winter weatha. I assumed since I was moving south, that the weather would automatically be warmer. Um, no.

6. The “Alter Ego” Look

There are no words to describe my love of Michelle Obama. I scour the racks at J. Crew trying to find a perfect sweater set a la my idol. Michelle Obama out-fabulousizes the Elton John in me and out smarts the Doogie Howser one-liners I have memorized by heart. Anystalker, find someone you emulate and let them inspire you-that’s what college is all about! And looking fierce.

7.The “Action Shot Let’s Pretend I’m Athletic” Look

My fifth grade soccer coach knew that I wasn’t athletic.  My parents (after years of buying lots of sports equipment) now know that I am not athletic. However, the whole JHU campus has not become privy to my secret yet.  So, I’ll continue to walk around in shorts when I haven’t been to the gym, hold a water bottle that hasn’t been touched, and work up a little sweat (living on the third floor this year was rough).  This is all part of my athletic illusion. For you actual athletes out there, DEAL WITH IT.  You were not traumatized as I was by dodge balls in gym class.

8. The “My Legs are so Pale from the Winter” Look

Remember, when packing for spring, the CROPPED PANT/CAPRI.  The transition from snowpants to shorts is never good. Pasty legs are not conducive to spring flings.  Take your time and discreetly bronze your legs post-winter thaw. Otherwise, you run the rise of blinding poor bystanders on campus with your “P.Diddy White Party”-esqu leg color.

9. The “I’mma Pretend My Life is Like ‘Animal House’ and Wear a Toga” Look

What do your parents spend $50,000 a year for? So you can learn how to make a toga! It is a marketable skill, fo’ sure. Actually, it is the only skill on my resume (is that bad?).  Ovid said: “Learn the art of the toga, and you will go far.” Live these words, freshman.  Live these words.

10. The “Finals Just Ended and Now I have to Pack all My Stuff?” Look

So when I woke up move out date to 10 missed calls from my father, things were a little rough. My lovely daddy then preceded to yell my name throughout the courtyard of AMR II, impelling me to wake up. Needless to say, my outfit was not up to par. However, my RA insisted upon a photo.  So, prepare yourselves. Pictures will be taken at all moments, no matter how inopportune. As evidenced by the photo below, I am always “voguing” it.

*All Photo Credits to Mario Testino