Are we there yet?

Posted by | Posted on August 7, 2011

0

August 7th. Apparently, this day in history marks the first time that a wooden raft managed a 4,300-ft voyage. This day last year also marks the day that I started packing for Hopkins as a freshman. I began by making list after list along with countdowns until that amazing day: FRESHMAN MOVE-IN.

I was so excited to get to campus, move all my stuff into a cramped room, and eat ramen noodles. It all sounded so glamorous! The other day, I was looking at my blog entry for the summer blogging contest; I talked about how AWESOME and unnerving college was going to be. I guess you can never really know how college will be until you actually start.

Egyptian artifacts in the Louvre

It is such a unique experience that I can’t imagine relying on the 194329823 other peoples’ input I got when I told them I was going to college. “It’s quite an adventure,” my old piano teacher told me. “It’s gonna be tough- so make sure you study a lot,” was the advice of the Target salesclerk. “I remember my days in college- those were the best days of my life- I wish I could be as lucky as you,” said the Apple Store guy. I guess while what they said was true, it was hard to believe that it was going to be such a mix of emotions.

A French ladybug!

It’s also hard to believe that one year has already passed and I am entering my sophomore year at Hopkins! I can’t wait to get back to campus and start a new year- even if that does mean frequenting the library. I really miss the environment at school- more than I thought I would. Even though it’s just been one year, Hopkins really has become my other home. I love Charles Street Market, and getting an Einstein Bros. Bagel in the morning before class. I love sitting on the beach instead of doing work. I love every inch of campus, even the Fresh Food Café (with its great salad bar).

Versailles

I think my favorite building on campus is Mason Hall. Not because it’s really fancy from the inside (which is a plus), but because it was the very first building I saw when I came to visit campus 2 years ago. Then, it was the first building I came to for my interview. It was also the first building my family and I came to when my dad accidentally drove up to Mason instead of the AMR’s during move-in.

If you can’t already tell, I kinda like Hopkins. I’m not really looking forward to the 2 hour drive to campus just because I can already tell that I will constantly be asking my parents the age old question: Are we there yet? (even though I can just look at the GPS for myself…)


Anyways, while I wait until move-in day (August 26th for me!), I have been reading a lot about photography- here are some of the pictures my family and I took this summer! I hope that you enjoy them!


nope. nothing really interesting going on in this photo except for the lady making a weird hand gesture.


Posted in Breaks, Homewood, Why Hopkins | Share This

Je ne suis pas en plastique.

Posted by | Posted on July 19, 2011

1

Jardin du Luxembourg

Croissants. They are the most delicious creations in the world. As Elizabeth Gilbert said- “I am having a relationship with my food.” This has been my one and only mantra during my time here in France. While going to several Cafes, Boulangeries, and Pâtisseries, I have indulged in ice-cream, chocolate, and LOTS OF CARBS. That said, I have been walking like nobody’s business; at least 7 miles a day (a fact my feet are not happy about at all). My visit to Paris has been nothing but magical. We even flew into Paris on Bastille Day, and got to watch parades and fireworks! It’s almost like the nearby Disneyland has allowed some of its fairy dust to get into Paris’ water system. EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL. Stepping out of my hotel is the Eiffel Tower, and watching its lights twinkle every hour on the hour has yet to get old.

MAGIC FAIRY DUST EVERYWHERE

My family and I regularly travel on the Metro System in Paris and have visited TONS of places- the Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, Palace of Versailles (our plan for tomorrow…), and I have been working on my French Accent. “Je ne suis pas en plastique.” Is the only new French phrase I have learned (from a compostable cup in the bathroom while I brush my teeth). The architecture of the buildings, the atmosphere of the city, and the vibrant life surging through the area have been inspiring!

Old people playing chess! The charm continues!

And even though Paris has been amazing, one shocking event has definitely changed the way that I travel. I have travelled a lot in the past, but I have always been younger and never really in charge of anything valuable. While in France, my phone was stolen (a loss I am still mourning). My brand new phone was stolen from my purse while on the Metro. They say that cities, especially their public transit systems, can be unreliable, even dangerous means of transportation, but I have naively maintained the complacent attitude of “that would never happen to me.” While my family and I were lucky to not have been harmed during this incident, it reminded me that we must be careful and vigilant all the time.
Here are some basic rules to keep in mind (as I now have to) when traveling:
1. Keep your valuables under lock and key in your hotel room. Don’t bring anything with you when you leave your room that you definitely wouldn’t need (i.e passports, cellphones, iPods, laptops, or large amounts of money)
2. When on public transportation, or even just when walking around, keep your bag or purse closed tightly and placed in your field of vision at all times
3. Be aware of your surroundings
Had I listened to my own advice, I would still have my phone…but I guess this has been a learning experience that showed me how easy it was for me to travel while at Hopkins or on the trains going to or coming home. I never felt the need to obsess over my things and make sure that everything was hidden all the time. Hopkins, while located in the stereotypically dangerous Baltimore, has an extremely safe campus. It’s like we live in a bubble. That’s not to say that bad things don’t happen, but I have realized that it is very easy to become complacent there.

Clearly my brother needs nothing beside ice cream to be happy.

The biggest lesson I learned was that I need to be aware that anything can happen at any time, especially in a foreign country. Since then, I have been keeping an eye on absolutely everything like a HAWK. Everyone is a suspect to me, and any time I see someone with the same phone I used to have, I have to control myself so I don’t interrogate them about how they got it…I think I need to take a “chill pill” as my little brother would say. Yeah, I need to calm down a little, but there is no way I would ever let this happen again.

EVERYONE IS A SUSPECT

That being said, I am so happy that I have come to Paris. It’s hard to believe that it’s almost over and that I will be back home in a couple of days. What’s more, I have work the day after I get back from Paris. I also don’t do well with jet lag. Let’s just say I won’t be a happy camper come Friday morning (hello coffee). I finish work on the 12th of August, at which point I will start packing for school! I can’t believe how quickly this summer has gone by!! I am enjoying every minute of it ( even if I am phoneless for now)!
Enjoy the pictures from my trip thus far!
P.S: This is my last official post on the Class of 2014 Freshman blog!! I have my own blog now called Welcome to Lalaland, which will hold all of my latest posts!! Here’s the site! Check it out! http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/trisha/

Arc de Triomphe

Bastille Day 2011!

By the River Seine

Jardin du Luxembourg


Posted in Beyond Baltimore, Breaks | Share This

The Final Countdown.

Posted by | Posted on July 8, 2011

0

Warm breeze, water ice, and some chillin’. Summer is my favorite season of the year. I am going on vacation next week to Paris, so obviously I have been counting down the days until my flight. Then it dawned on me that when I come back home from this trip, I only have 3 more weeks of work. Then, 2 weeks until school. WHAT?!?!?! I thought I was going crazy. Sounds stupid, but it literally seems like yesterday when I finished my last exam and called my parents, who surprised me and told me to start packing because they decided to come early to help me move out. This means one thing: I’M OFFICIALLY A SOPHOMORE (this also means I need to go dorm shopping soon…HELLO, TARGET).

Time has been going by way too quickly. I can’t believe my first year at Hopkins has finished and I’m already close to beginning my second. Last weekend, I visited my roommate Taylor (who has been featured in wayy too many of my blogs) and go to Kid Cudi’s concert in Baltimore. WHICH WAS AMAZING, in case you were wondering, and seeing little middle schoolers with their parents was precious, especially when the parents were having more fun than the kids were.

Cud Life Tour 2011

I took the train down to Baltimore where Taylor picked me up, and I got to see her town a bit- enjoy the pictures! She was house sitting for a family that had two Guinea pigs, which normally wouldn’t have been weird, expect that one of them looked like Mozart with buckteeth, nbd.

His name was Marshmallow

The next day, I helped Taylor move into her temporary Wolman dorm for the second summer session at Hopkins. Visiting campus was so much fun- I loved seeing every inch of it (except the library of course…).

On the train to Baltimore

I CAN’T WAIT TO GO BACK. Even the smell of laundry outside the dorms made me happy…it was kind of weird actually. We had lunch at Subway, which was not as awesome as I thought it was when I was at school…and I took a cab with my friend to Penn Station to catch my train home.

Adorable display outside an adorable store in an adorable town outside Baltimore

I was taking some pictures on my phone when I found this little gem- I took it in a studyroom in the library!

Only at Hopkins

My visit was really short, but it definitely got me ready to come back to Baltimore. I got a taste of what I hadn’t been around for so long: the Hopkins atmosphere. Even though it was the middle of summer session, when you wouldn’t really expect anyone to be on campus, there were tons of people- I even got to see some of my old housemates! Now especially since the weather is so nice there, campus seems like THE place to be!

Needless to say, I am now counting down the days until we head back to school! Even though the workload is gonna get real old real fast, I think I am ready to leave my internship and head back home(WOOD).


Posted in Baltimore, Breaks, Homewood | Share This

Sophie and Trisha take on PA

Posted by | Posted on June 19, 2011

2

Being away from home for so long made me realize how much of it I missed, so since the beginning of this summer, I have tried to go to all the places I love! Enjoy this blog, mostly of pictures, showing my latest shenanigans with my friends, family, and most importantly, my dog Sophie!

 

Last weekend, my family went to my little brother’s piano recital- notice the Hopkins State wayfarers!! It was so nice to go back and see my old piano teacher. It’s really incredible how talented little kids could be- some of the elementary and middle schoolers were better than I was when I played!!

So I have, for some random reason, taken to the kitchen like nobody’s business. In case you were wondering, I make a mean salad and burger. I could tell you the recipe, but as they say, I would have to kill you first. (I have been watching wayy too many movies too) Pictured to the left is the fabulous (because it really was fabulous) apricot walnut bbuunnndddtt cake (a My Big Fat Greek Wedding reference) I made, conveniently not pictured next to the heinous cupcakes I had previously made. I probably should have read the recipe better and used baking POWDER instead of baking SODA. In case you were wondering, it makes a HUGE difference in taste…the cupcakes that were supposed to taste like heaven ended up tasting like fluffy soft pretzels with a gross aftertaste.

After work, a friend of mine and me decided to go to a nearby Whole Foods to grab dinner. We ate on the rooftop where there was, to our surprise, a restaurant on wheels! It was a refurbished vintage van that served up some great eats!


WE LOVE WHOLE FOODS!!

 

 

This firework show was at a fair we went to a couple of weeks ago! It was nothing compared to the one during Spring Fair at Hopkins, but it was still pretty cool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I am sure you can tell by most of my blogs, I LOVE my little puppy Sophie. We took her to Chestnut Hill the other day, which is the most adorable town near where I live. She loves her some lavender! I would say she enjoyed herself, but by the end, I had to carry her fat you-know-what all the way back to the car.

 

 

Here are some more pictures from Chestnut Hill! My mom and I love perusing through this area during the summer.

 

My favorite part about Chestnut Hill is all the scenery. Even though there are a ton of great stores for shopping, you can have a great time just walking around and enjoying the residential areas and the quant architecture. The houses may be old, but they have such pretty gardens and courtyards- they look like places in magazines!

 

 

And of course, when one goes to Chestnut Hill, one has to say hello to the cool painted polar bears.

I love going back to all the places I have missed since coming to Hopkins, but the other day, I got an email about Move-In in August. While I am enjoying being home again, all I can say is that I am so excited to get back to school!

 

Have a great week!


Posted in Breaks, Miscellaneous | Share This

Stumbling Upon Life

Posted by | Posted on June 8, 2011

1

Let’s be real. Most people think summertime is a chance to be unrelentingly lazy. I completely support this ideology. As such, I have become an avid “stumbler” in my spare time. For those of you who don’t know, stumbleupon.com is just about the coolest site in the world. After choosing some basic interests, stumbling allows one to explore the internet and arrive at random sites. Stumbleupon is essentially the force of fate connecting you to the coolest websites ever. It has completely changed my life…sort of. After stumbling across (it sounds more sophisticating than it actually is) an 8-track of Kid Cudi mashups, I have decided to go to his concert for The Cud Life Tour in Baltimore!

On a smaller scale, stumbleupon allows you to like or dislike websites so your browsing experience can be tailored to exactly what you want to look at. Over the course of the summer, my stumbleupon consists of blogs, shoe websites, and dessert recipes…(you can take what you want from that). Anyways, yesterday I stumbled to a blog called The Burning House. It asks people to send in pictures of around 10 things they would take with them if their house was burning down. I loved seeing the differences among peoples’ posts: age, gender, nationality, etc all determined what items a person would bring. Most of them were far from practical, like taking your entire collection of Harry Potter paraphernalia. I started to collect of all the things that were sentimentally important to me: photos of family, the fam itself, the dog, my phone, some clothes, etc.

I stopped when I saw the one response by a man whose house had actually burned down, and he decided to take only 3 things: tekite (a rock) , his parrot, and laptop with a hard drive. He went on to say that he would even just take the parrot if he didn’t have any time. So that’s when I decided to completely change my perspective. Choosing what is truly important to you is extremely difficult. Assuming EVERYTHING you own, besides around 10 items, is completely destroyed, it is hardly an easy task to decide what you want to keep and what to leave behind. So I had to filter down my immense collection of random crap.

This is what I ended up with.

Epic modeling by the dog.

Besides my family…
1. THE DOG
2. Phone- it contains almost my entire life.
3. Laptop- it ACTUALLY contains my entire life, but actually.
4. Keys to my 1999 Honda Accord (lovingly called Swaggerwheelz).
5. Wallet (with ID, $$, etc)
6. Watches- even though I would probably already be wearing one ‘cuz I loves me a watch.
7. Books- The Genius of Andy Warhol and Alfred Hitchcock’s Biography It’s Only a Movie (I’m really into biographies at the moment).
8. Running Shoes- DID YOU RUN ON NATIONAL RUNNING DAY (June 1st?!)
9. Purse- already holding a clip for ma hair, my fav shades, my magic wallet with train and Lax game stubs, and my all important gloss/ lip balm.
10. Moleskins and a pen- to write all the stuff that goes on in my mind.

I have never considered myself a very emotional person, but I have to say that this was rather difficult. However, I think that being a minimalist is one of the most valuable characteristics a person can have. Simplicity, in other words, is more practical and beautiful. Being able to confidently say that the 10 items I chose are a condensed version of me, was really satisfying. I am sure that my current collection of items would be starkly different from the items I would have chosen last summer (when I didn’t even have my license, and would probably forgo my book for a copy of Anchorman-which remains one of my favorite movies). I guess that means that I can safely go on in life and continue to add more to it. The premise of The Burning House is intriguing, and it made me think for the first time in a while since the beginning of this summer. Thank you stumbleupon.com.

For fun, I also asked my little brother to do the same thing. His 13 year-old self chose the following:

he clearly doesn't need ANYTHING else.

1. Laptop

2. Phone

3. Spikes

4. iPod

5. Soccer ball- he’s obsessed

6. Lax stick

7. Duck that he sewed in class

8. Xbox

9. Soccer Jersey (like I said, he’s obsessed)

10. Hat

 

ENJOY THE HEAT!

P.S: I got the first Daily Announcement email from Hopkins in a while and alls I can say is that: I MISS YOU JOHNNY HOP!

MISS YOU!!


Posted in Miscellaneous, Perspectives, Reflection | Share This

So That’s Why They Call Them Mad Scientists

Posted by | Posted on June 3, 2011

1

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY. That’s the only thing that has been floating around in my mind for the past few days. I just started work, but spend most of my time in the lab, away from real sunlight and SUMMER. I wonder how Rosalind Franklin spent her days?

I have never had a job before, and spoiled as I am, I expected this job to be a breeze. Everyone here makes it seem so easy. Come in, eat a doughnut, talk about your weekend, and plan how you want to skip out of work early that day-normal stuff. Little did I know that everyone here is really dedicated to their jobs. Even though one guy listens to his iPod while pipetting solutions, he is in the lab for hours at a time, doing the most boring procedure over and over again. Others listen to smooth rock and discuss how they are getting a pool put into their backyard.

I guess what I am trying to say is that while I felt like I was going crazy trying to remember all the steps involved in my project, while making sure I don’t trip over my lab coat on the way to the “dark room” (the store room for all the plates), others were enjoying their day because they didn’t get caught up in the nitty-gritty details of everything.

OH HAI, I'm a Mad Scientist

In the short time that I have been working here, I have already learned the importance of that old saying my 9th grade English teacher used to say to me: “don’t lose the forest for the trees.” I needed to look at the big picture rather than focusing on the mundane steps along the way. Those are important too, don’t get me wrong, but the whole point of the experiment is the end result. I think I need to apply this to my life. Even though I am nervous for the coming term at Hopkins, I need to consider what is important to me and whether the “forest” is worth the “trees” along the way. Wow, this blog is getting a little deep.The only reason I have even come to this conclusion is because I have found that this kind of lab work is BORING to me. Not only that, but I clearly do not have the dexterity to continue to pipette for as long as I am supposed to. I hope I don’t sprain my wrist! As long as I keep sight of what my goal is (and no, I am not referring to my summer goal, which, if you read my last blog- http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/2014/2011/06/pure-bliss/-, you would know is to learn as many rap songs as possible) I should be able to do everything I want to.

My Partner in Crime

I guess that’s why Bill Nye was so cool to us- I mean IS so cool to us; he understands, but doesn’t get lost in the details, and focuses on the concepts.

And even though Einstein seemed kind of crazy- what with the white hair and that classic “mad scientist” look, I think I can sympathize with him a little bit considering he was working with my greatest nemesis: p****** (that’s physics). At least the people at work seem less crazy- even though I did hear that one of the Ping Pong players broke two paddles in a rage of fury after losing one game, and someone else shattered their wrist playing…so the Ping Pong Tournament later today should be fun, because it just might be the death of me!

Enjoy your weekend!


Posted in Breaks, Perspectives | Share This

PURE BLISS

Posted by | Posted on June 1, 2011

1

GOAL FOR THE SUMMER: Learn as many rap songs by heart as possible.

Imagine a room full of suitcases, clothes thrown all over a couch, and twin XL sheets strewn on the floor. In the center of said room, atop a gigantic, plush bed, is me- asleep, no, DEAD to the world. This is not a chaotic mess. This was me two days ago, enjoying the rejuvenating gift that is SUMMER. I didn’t care about waking up on time or accomplishing anything that day. For the first time in months, I could do whatever I wanted- “so you just do you, and Imma do me (Teach Me How To Dougie, one of the many songs on my list of rap songs to learn by heart- which will prove to be the most useful skill I obtain this summer).” I was essentially leading the life of my dog. She sleeps all day, and barks at people until they rub her belly. The Lazy Song was my anthem, and I was proud to say that I had successfully learned all the words to Look at Me Now, that crazy rap song by Chris Brown, albeit not as well as Karmin.

The two weeks of pure bliss before work started are over, and today was my first day at work. Pure Bliss has been replaced with the paid internship I got at a pharmaceutical company. It’s just like The Office- I just got an email to go to the Luau BBQ/Ping Pong Tournament on Friday (IT’S JUST THAT AWESOME).

Reunited with my Gurls from Home!!

But being back at work has made me realize how much I love being at school. Waking up for my 9AM wasn’t that bad, and going to the FFC was kind of nice- that granola cereal was addicting. Being around my friends all the time was awesome- and I didn’t have to pay for gas to go anywhere. Most of all, I miss the environment. Yeah, it got very stressful, but looking back on it, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m not saying that I miss the painful reading period study sessions, but I did enjoy the entire experience that was my freshman year.

 

Freshman Year Shenanigans

Granted next year probably won’t be nearly as fun, what with Nervous Systems and Orgo (yippee….), but I think just knowing how much I loved freshman year at Hopkins will force me to continue on, even if that does mean waking up super early to study. Maybe I can make it onto asianssleepinginthelibrary.com!

Even though I know that next year will be hard, I am happy to know that I will be living with some of my closest friends next year. While I did get a HORRENDOUS lottery number for housing in March, I ended up choosing to live in McCoy with Taylor, and across from some other friends. Even though McCoy may not be as swanky as Charles Commons, I am excited just to live with my friends. In Royce last term, I ended up being pretty close to a couple of people, and I look forward to spending more time with them next year. And if McCoy ever gets old, I can always go hang out with my friends in Charles Commons!!

Getting ready for SOHOP!

Writing the blog has made me realize how much I miss HOMEwood!! I can’t wait to go back next term. Until then, “on to the next (ahh Jay-Z).” Have a good summer- give me some ideas for rap songs to sing while you are enjoying the weather!


Posted in Breaks, End of the Year Re-Caps | Share This

Wrappin’ up an ongoing battle- Hopkins style

Posted by | Posted on May 1, 2011

1

ONE WEEK LEFT! I can’t believe that this term is almost over; I am almost a sophomore! Exactly one year ago, I was studying for A.P exams and getting excited about coming to Hopkins. I had no idea what to expect; college seemed like a dream at the time. What should I bring? What do I need to buy? Who do I need to say goodbye to before I leave? There was so much to do before I left for Baltimore last August, and I enjoyed every minute of that summer. I will be working for most of this summer, but I am still really excited to go home and catch up with all my friends.

With the term about to end, I feel like I have so much to do! I have a lot of work, but there are also a lot of fun events going on! First off, yesterday was the Homecoming game. We played Loyola- and won! GO HOP! Every student sits in “The Nest,” the student section. President Daniels was there too (he was helping the Blue Jay shoot t-shirts into the stands…you know, normal President stuff).

President Daniels with the Blue Jay!

On Friday, there is an a cappella concert and the Beach Party! Hoodie Allen is performing- check out Pep Rally!

 

 

Then, reading period starts, followed by finals. I leave on the 19th. I can’t imagine my room being empty again- my Royce House room has been home for an entire year! I love every inch of it- even though I should probably get around to doing some spring-cleaning…

Stalking the mascot, nbd

Even though I am getting a little emotional about leaving, the one thing I am happy to be done with is Physics. It has been the bane of my existence since the year began, and our ongoing battle it almost over. I think I might even appreciate it a little more once I’m done. Some people love Physics…I wish I understood how that is possible. Regardless, getting rid of my enormous Physics textbook is something I am seriously looking forward to (even though that means replacing it with an Organic Chemistry textbook, but that’s an entirely different story).

GO HOP!

There are so many elements to the college experience, that it’s a little hard sometimes to decide what I enjoy the most about it. I love all the people here, the campus, the classes (most of them), and the professors. What’s even harder is deciding what I am going to miss the most over the summer. I think I am going to miss being around all my friends all the time, maybe even the FFC a little!!

Anyway, making the college decision is probably one of the most difficult decisions you will make. For me, I just felt a great connection to Hopkins when I came to visit, and I knew that this was the place for me. While some people may not have felt that, it is important to go to the school that you could see yourself. So far, Hopkins has been an amazing experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

 

Good luck on your decision day- hope to see you in the fall!

 


Posted in Breaks, Campus Events, End of the Year Re-Caps | Share This

Fist Poundin’ With Chiddy, nbd

Posted by | Posted on April 16, 2011

0

 

FRONT ROW!

Fried oreos, great weather, and a MOON BOUNCE. Ah yes, Spring Fair 2011 has arrived. It’s the most exciting event on campus, and makes you want to run out from classes like you were 5 years old. Vendors have set up their stands all over campus with adorable handcrafted jewelry and knick-knacks. Most importantly, there are Human Hamster Balls set up somewhere…I just need to find them (and I’m not exactly sure why we even have them).

 

Booths on Gilman Quad

Spring Fair is the perfect way to indulge the Spring Fever that has been setting in for all of us lately. It seems as though everyone is on the beach whenever they get the chance. It’s a great way for all of us to bond and have fun. On Thursday night, there was an amazing fireworks show near Mason Hall. Thursday was also the first day of SOHOP (Student Open House Overnight Program) on campus, so tons of newly admitted students were perusing the campus, and got to see that Hopkins really is a great place where students love to have fun!

Enjoying Spring Fair food!

With all these distractions coming up this weekend, I have really had to prioritize my work. I have forced myself to finish as much work as possible to be able to enjoy myself in the coming days. Last night there was an a cappella concert and Chiddy Bang is came (I LOVE their Kids Remix!). I FIST POUNDED CHIDDY BANG.  El Clasico is also today (Barcelona vs. Real Madrid soccer game) and my friends and I are going to watch it. Needless to say, there seems to be just TOO much to do on campus right now!

FRONT ROW!

It is the best break ever from the waning days of yet another round of midterms. I am so excited to be able to just relax and be able to enjoy just how gorgeous campus is right now. I can’t believe that my freshman year is almost over. I think I am ready for summer to be here though!

We picked classes yesterday!

Fall 2011:
Organic Chemistry 1
Nervous Systems 1
Organic Chemistry Lab
Intro to Psychology
Research

Hope you enjoy my Spring Fair pictures!


Posted in Campus Events | Share This

Hello, World! JHU_Trisha here…

Posted by | Posted on April 3, 2011

2

I can’t believe that my first Spring Term is almost over! I just hope the weather gets better soon! For now, all of us are writing a common blog so you guys can get to know us, and a sneak peek of the life of a Blue Jay- enjoy!!

Part One

Get to know JHU_Trisha:

  1. Birthplace and current hometown: Durham, North Carolina; Lower Gwynedd, PA
  2. Major(s): Neuroscience and Political Science
  3. When I grow up I want to…know what I want to do with my life
  4. Favorite place to eat in Baltimore…Chocolate Tea
  5. Favorite spot on Homewood campus: Gilman Atrium
  6. Favorite TV show: Mad Men
  7. Favorite color: Yellow
  8. Favorite sports team: FC Barcelona (I love Gerard Pique!!)

Part Two

My Hopkins Experience:

1. When did you know Hopkins was right for you?

I realized that Hopkins was the perfect school for me the moment I stepped on campus. I fell in love with the gorgeous campus and great atmosphere. The facilities available here are great, and the programs reflect that.

2. What is one thing that would surprise your friends/family about Hopkins?

Most people would be surprised to know that Hopkins has a great atmosphere. It’s not the stereotypical “cut throat” campus where people steal each other’s notebooks to sabotage their studying. We all have a ton of work to do, and we love working together. Everyone really wants the best for each other, and I am happy to say that I have yet to meet a competitive person here.

3. If you were the University President, what is the first thing you would do or change?

I would let the construction workers know that students would appreciate it if they didn’t work in the middle of the night so we can sleep. Either that, or that they were a little quieter when they use their drills and machines. Haha, I can’t really say that there is anything that I would change- Hopkins is pretty great!

4. If you could go back and choose your college again, would you pick Hopkins? Why?

I applied Early Decision to Hopkins, and I do not regret that decision. I know that Hopkins was the place for me!

Me and my housemates!

5. What was your perception about Hopkins before enrolling and how has it changed since then?

My perception of Hopkins hasn’t really changed. What has changed, however, is my understanding of college life in general. I knew that it would be different to be completely independent and away from my family, but I was amazed at the fact that I could do whatever I wanted. Being able to control yourself and make smart decisions is a valuable lesson I have learned. I thought that I would be studying all the time in college, but I was so glad when I found that there are tons of other things for me to do , like joining clubs, hanging out with friends, and doing research.

Move-in Day!!

6. What is/was your favorite class?

My favorite class would have to be Introduction to Neuropsychology. Not only was the professor great at lectures, but there were also great demonstrations. The material was also really interesting!

7. Describe your funniest memory or experience at Hopkins?

My favorite memory at Hopkins was a random Friday during February that the weather was AMAZING (we’re talking 70 degree weather, people). Everyone was on the Beach in front of the library talking and “working” (and by working, I mean talking some more). It was so much fun. Since then, most people have what we technical people call “spring fever.” I can’t wait for the weather to get nice again; I am especially excited for Spring Fair, when a bunch of vendors come to the Beach and there are tons of fun things to do!

Waiting for the Shuttle in front of the Beach!

8. How would your college experience be different if you hadn’t chosen Hopkins?

I am still having a tough time believing that I am almost a Sophomore at Hopkins, so I can’t even imagine if I had gone to a different college all together! I can’t imagine life without all the great people I have met here and all the things I have learned. Also, the classes are great, and the research opportunities immense. I just hope that Hopkins stays this great in the years to come!

Best people ever!

9. What has your greatest contribution been during your time at Hopkins, or what do you hope to accomplish before graduation?

I hope to find my place on campus, and find out what I want to do with my life. I am still trying to figure things out, but once I do, I hope that I will be awesome at it! I would also really like to get more involved in the greater Baltimore community!

10. What advice would you give to a high school senior choosing their college?

Picking Hopkins was easy for me; after I found out I got in Early Decision, I was done! All I can say is that make sure you know what you want from a college. You are going to spend the next four years of your life there, and you want to make sure that it is right for you. Visit all the schools you got into if you can, and talk to current students. Most of all, take advantage to the online service available to you (like Hopkins Interactive for JHU!!) and learn as much as you can about every school, program, and area of interest that you want so you can be as educated as possible when you make your final decisions!

GOOD LUCK!!

Grad party- seems to long ago now!


Posted in Advice, Classes, Perspectives | Share This