Class of 2014: Freshman Blog

Thank you for visiting the Class of 2014 Freshman Blog! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the freshman year adventures of nine members of the Class of 2014. You can still connect with them on their current student blogs here:

Allysa D. – Life Without Sound

Kate T. – The Breezeway

Lucie F. – The Lucie Show

Nick G. – Thoughts of Nick

Sydney R. – Talk Nerdy to Me

Tess T. – Jay Talking

Trisha L. – Welcome to Lalaland

You can also follow @JHU_Noah on Twitter.

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

I’m excited to announce that I now have my very own blog page, Life Without Sound (thanks JHU_Joe for all the amazing tech work!). So in the future, you can find me here: Life Without Sound. You may wonder why I chose that to be the title of my page – well, as most of you know, I am deaf and I would say that I experience life at Hopkins from a very different perspective. It’s been a year since I moved into Wolman Hall on 6th floor east and I have not yet fully written about my experiences as a deaf student at Hopkins. Since the very beginning of Pre-Orientation (which is like, the best week ever FYI), I’ve received many questions about my experiences at Hopkins and life without sound. So here goes:

Have you had any negative experiences pertaining to your hearing at Hopkins?

Surprisingly, none. And I say “surprisingly” because I was extremely anxious about being accepted before coming here. I was lucky enough to attend a high school where the community was very close and supportive. I was unsure whether Hopkins would be like that too. I’m happy to say that Hopkins has gone far and beyond my expectations. My friends are truly some of the best people I’ve met and several of my professors have been quite accommodating too.

What challenges do you face in the classroom?

A lot. I have more difficulty in math and science courses because teachers tend to use the blackboard often to write out equations, draw graphs, etc. A common occurrence is that professors tend to turn around to explain something on the board, with their backs facing me. When that happens, sounds go off. I can’t see their lips anymore and I miss everything they say. The interpreters can’t really help in this situation, because the professor is wildly pointing at points, shapes, and lines, and there’s no time for me to quickly look back and forth between the interpreter and the professor. I get reallyyy lost. With that being said, another challenge is often missing random things the professor says. For some of my classes, I need note-takers to have an extra set of notes so I can find all the gaps in my notes and fill them in. It can be a bit frustrating especially if you’re a person who’s very particular with your notes (like me).

But doesn’t the extra time you invest in your studies like reading over another set of notes help you study?

No. It’s not extra time. Rather, it’s time lost. It’s more of catching up to do, trying to fill in what I missed. Then I have to actually understand the material. While I’m busy catching up, others are reviewing or studying their material. So it can be a disadvantage sometimes.

Then what is an advantage of being deaf?

Being able to sleep really well at night or just simply turning all sounds off.

Why did you choose to attend Hopkins, a hearing university, instead of a deaf university? While I have nothing against deaf universities, I looked at hearing universities because I went to a hearing school and I was also raised in a hearing family. I also felt that I would miss out on all the opportunities Hopkins offered and I wanted to take what I could get. I applied early.

Do you ever wish you didn’t have interpreters? Eh. Sometimes. Because the university provides me with two interpreters, they are scheduled to attend my classes. So, it’s not wise for me to skip class.  And yes, I like to skip class (but I don’t, I swear). I realized that in a way, it’s a good thing to have interpreters because I’m forced to go to class and in the end, it helps me because I never miss anything. Additionally, I’m really grateful to the university for providing me interpreters (for free!) so I will take what I can get. I also have a unique relationship with the interpreters and they’re really great people. They’ve always been advocates for me and I can always send them an e-mail/text whenever I can’t attend classes such as when I’m sick (I do get sick, I swear) or late. The worst is being late, though. I try not to put my interpreters in that position. Imagine them awkwardly sitting up in the front of the class with hands folded in their laps, having no one to sign to.

Do your friends know sign language? Some of them do. Especially my boyfriend (he’s hearing), who is almost fluent in sign language. But the majority of my friends don’t sign because they’ve found that I can lipread them well (to the point where they don’t even use their voice when talking to me – this one goes to you, Matt!).

What’s the disabilities office like at Hopkins? Extremely accommodating. They assist all kinds of students and the director of the office is very, very friendly. Dr. Mosser is actually also a freshman advisor – if you have him, you’re lucky!! You can visit their website here: http://web.jhu.edu/disabilities. And yes, that’s an “O” in the American Sign Language alphabet on the front page of the website.

Can you drive?

You know, I really don’t know why people ask me that! Yes, I can and no, you don’t have to be able to hear to drive. You do miss the sirens and horns (you should be checking your rearview and side mirrors often anyways), but if you think about it, driving is mostly visual – there’s blinkers, stop lights, signs.

What about fire alarms going off? Especially when you’re asleep?

Hopkins is pretty much equipped with visual fire alarms in many of the buildings. I’m not too concerned about that; plus, I’m often always around other people and I pretty much get the message if a fire alarm goes off…Hopkins was also very accommodating in regard to my dorm – they installed strobe light fire alarms so that it will wake me up if I’m sleeping. I can’t guarantee if that works though – I haven’t experienced it yet. The four times the fire alarm has gone off in Wolman, I was somewhere else! I also basically had #1 in the lottery for dorm selection (maybe I should add that to my advantages of being deaf list) because they had to know which room in advance so they could install the fire alarm system which takes awhile. Needless to say, my suitemates were delighted to get our first choice!

Is there anything you regret not doing at Hopkins? I would say not much. Though there are a few things that I do wish I could have done/do at Hopkins. I regret not being in a lot of clubs. The time I devote to my work is a lot more than others since I have to do more catching up and extra work. It’s also difficult to be in social groups where there’s a lot of talking and activities. It’s really hard for me to follow what’s going on. I’d also love to be a tour guide because I could just share everything about Hopkins and why I love it so much. But it would be too hard for me mostly due to visitors asking questions in the crowd – I wouldn’t be able to hear them/lip read that far away. Plus I can’t really walk backwards.

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen? Based on my experiences, be vocal. Stand up for yourself and get it done. Talk to professors or TAs if you need help. I was a bit hesitant asking for help and I should have done that in the beginning of freshman year. They help you more than you expect. It can sometimes feel uncomfortable or intimidating, but don’t let that get into the way.  And, if you think that the disabilities office can help you (anything from visual aids, extended time on exams, note-takers, etc.), then ask. They are very discreet and respect your privacy. Bottom line: stand up for yourself.

Well, I think that’s just about it. That’s what life at Hopkins is for me.

This post is very late. I was asked to write a blog essentially wrapping up my freshman year, but I have been at an uncharacteristic loss for words recently.

My freshman year was anything but ordinary. I came to Hopkins with big aspirations and an elaborate plan for how I was to go about achieving them. Unfortunately, I became extremely ill about half-way through the fall semester. I had to drop nearly all of my classes, and couldn’t practice with the soccer team for a majority of the season. Since I was mostly too sick to leave my room for about a month and a half, I couldn’t make it to many lectures in the classes I had left, so I didn’t do too well on exams. My professors were extremely helpful in allowing me to make up missed labs, lectures, etc., and I ended up passing everything in the end, but I have a sneaking suspicion that my professors helped me out a little bit in the grade department as well. I actually did really well in my Neuroscience class, because for some reason studying for Neuro made me feel better. Go figure. In fact, my friend Megan (who went to the emergency room with me both times) was testing me on Delta-Notch Signaling while a nervous, shaky-handed medical student performed two incredibly painful, unsuccessful Lumbar Punctures (finally a resident came over and did it, thank God…). Eventually I was well enough to travel for soccer, but I still couldn’t play or practice with my team. I watched from the bench as they made the NCAA tournament, eventually finishing in the Sweet Sixteen and ranked ninth in the country.

I went home for winter break intending to rest up and take another whack at college in the Spring, but it was then I received the devastating news that my mother had cancer. For the second semester in a row, I had a weight on my shoulders that I just couldn’t shake. But things were looking up, I did fairly well and learned a lot (for starters, that I’m just not cut out for Art History). The day after my last final (and the day before my birthday), my mom’s PET results came back clean and she was declared cancer free. Talk about a silver lining.

But the point of this post is not to share my sob story. It’s to express that despite everything that happened to me over the past year, it was still the best year of my life.

This year, I was accepted to the Student Admissions Advisory Board, through which I’ve been able to reach out to prospective students and to be a part of Lucie’s show, “Learn More, See More, B’More”. I can’t adequately express how much it meant to me that she asked me to be her co-host.

This year, I played my first minutes in a Hopkins jersey, a dream I’ve had for years.

This year, I founded NeuroJAYS (The Neuroscience Journal Association for Young Scientists), an academic organization composed of Neuroscience majors who will meet and discuss some of the most important journal articles in Cellular, Molecular and Systems Neurobiology with Hopkins Neuro faculty.

This year, I wrote my first Curriculum Vitae and applied to be a research assistant in the Dawson Lab of the Institute for Cellular Engineering-Neuroregeneration Program (NeuroICE) at the School of Medicine. I got the position, and expecting to be doing the same menial research support task every day, I was surprised to find that after only a small amount of time I was actually making a substantial contribution to the research of the lab. The post-doctoral fellow with whom I work very closely, Maged, has taken it upon himself to try to teach me everything he knows–from techniques to theory. Soon I’ll be beginning my own research project, thanks to his mentoring.

This year, by simply surviving, I gained an immunity to at least four diseases. That’s gotta count for something.

Hopkins has been the warmest home for me. The people I’ve met here have been on the whole brilliant, genuine, and kind. The opportunities I’ve been given have been once-in-a-lifetime. My professors have all been excellent teachers and world-class researchers. I don’t know whether I’ll have better luck, better health or better grades next year, but the family I’ve found at Homewood will last. That I can be sure of.

Go Hop. Forever.

 

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).

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.

 

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!!

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!

So let me guess. You’re either a smart, creative ridiculously attractive newly enrolled Hopkins freshman or prospective student. After reading my first blog at the beginning of the year, you haven’t been able to get enough of Hopkins (and me, of course). Therefore, you have continued to read my blogs throughout the amazing school year, and want to hear more.

…It is either that, or you are my mom, my aesthetician, Qimin, or JHU_Kate. One of the two.

P.S. If you note the similarity to my first blog in that introduction (See it at: http://tinyurl.com/27fqen7), you are the coolest person ever. For sure.

So, if you don’t know me already, my name is Sydney (and you can find out a lot more about me here: http://tinyurl.com/3o3jsun ). And looking back on my freshman experience, I would say this year has involved a lot of changing. I mean, I think the point of college is for growth, both academically and personally. This all started with the people. Coming from an itty-bitty town in Wisconsin, one of the biggest areas of growth for me was cultural awareness. Meeting people from all over the world was so eye-opening. I didn’t even know where the Marshall Islands were, but my friend Christine lives there! (See the blog at: http://tinyurl.com/3742jth).

I can literally feel the mountains of academic growth from this year. In weight, it is at least an elephant or two. Now, the academics came with a whole ton o’ fun (Experience the excitement at: http://tinyurl.com/2ctlqsj), which made me want to share it with everyone who would listen. It even made me want to stay an extra month in January for intersession (Read about that month: 1. http://tinyurl.com/4yjzkea (the academics) 2. http://tinyurl.com/65p98ah (the not-so-academic)). So what did I do? The obvious choice! Become an Engineering Ambassador! (Check me outtttt: http://tinyurl.com/2dj6tlb). All this learning really made me love my major, and know it was the right one for me. (You would know if it was the right one for you, too if you read: http://tinyurl.com/4pk86mn).

Through all this change, it was nice to have some constants. Like the FFC food! Every Saturday at 10 AM, like clockwork, my friend and I go for some brunch, which was always delicious when they had black bean cakes (learn how to make them here: http://tinyurl.com/48yyq6e). The only time it was every drastically different was Sterling Brunches, but trust me I didn’t mind (feast your eyes-and stomach- here: http://tinyurl.com/6brpflh). And when that got boring, it was nice that many places always had discounts (Save big money here: http://tinyurl.com/4c3octw ).

With everything around you that is going on, I really thank my friends for keeping me sane, both at home (like Rachel! Who you can see at: http://tinyurl.com/2u2e6yw) and at school (like Stephen and Aisha! Who you can see at: http://tinyurl.com/3v37cn3).  Trust me: I always had something fun to do with them, such as the time we met Apolo Ohno ( Oh my gosh! See him here: http://tinyurl.com/38ajcoy). The main reason I am happy I chose Hopkins is because of the amazing people here, though that doesn’t mean there aren’t more reasons to miss the place this summer (Likeeeee this whole list! http://tinyurl.com/3vdljc3). Even knowing what I know now about the admissions process (read my advice: http://tinyurl.com/2cl8xf9 ), I know Hopkins would be my number one all over again.

All in all, I must say, you ridiculously attractive reader, that my freshman year was the best thing ever. And it is all due to Hopkins. I guess I made the right choice for me, and I hope wherever you all end up, you feel as at home as I do at Homewood.

 

 

Well, I’m back in New York.  I’ve officially completed my freshman year at Hopkins, and I’m in Scarsdale for the summer.  What’s strange is that even when I am home in NY, I find myself inadvertently referring to Hopkins as “home.”  I’ll never forget when I came home for winter break and my mom asked me where I had put my winter coat.  “Oh, woops, I left it at home!”  She gave me “the look”—“I’m sorry, Mom,” I pleaded, “I didn’t mean to leave it!”  She didn’t care that I had left the coat; she was simply stunned that I had referred to my room in AMR II as “home.”  She wasn’t mad, just surprised.  Well, I can’t hold it back: Johns Hopkins is a home.  And now that I’m back in NY for the summer, my house here is my home away from home.

With home comes family.  I have my family in NY, but at Hopkins I’ve acquired a handful of new families as well.  I have my Mental Notes family, my SAAB family, my “Learn More, See More, B’More” family, my Phi Mu family, my actual Phi Mu phamily, my family of friends, and so much more.  Each of these groups has their own forte—the Mental Notes can (obviously) make me laugh hysterically, SAAB members share my passion for promoting Hopkins to prospective students, the cast and crew of “Learn More, See More, B’More” have all been so helpful in making this video idea of mine a reality, my sorority, Phi Mu, has introduced me to girls with values and behaviors similar to mine, my pham in Phi Mu has given me an actual family with one person in each grade who I know I can always count on, and the friends that I’ve found at Hopkins have gone above and beyond all of my expectations.

 

Of course, there are also other families that I’ve become a part of as well.  In each class that I took, for example, the students joined together and formed a family.  I was told that classes would be competitive—one student vs. another student, trying to make the teacher like him or her better.  In all truth, the classes proved to be a lot more like high school in terms of teacher/student relationships as well as the overall classroom atmosphere.  Students were constantly defending one another, sharing notes and study guides, and working together to make the workload lighter for the entire class—not only for themselves.

As I left for summer and said goodbye to my new families, I wasn’t heartbroken.  I know that each year, as I return to Hopkins, these families will be waiting for me.  They will shrink every spring as older members graduate, and they’ll grow every fall with the addition of new students, but they will always mean the same things to me.  I also know that in three years from now, I’ll join another family—perhaps the largest of all—the Johns Hopkins University alumni family.

 

Once upon a time, there was a silly princess wannabe named Kate T. (aka me).  I was in my senior year in high school when my fairy godmother appeared out of nowhere. I was scared and fainted, but as soon as I perked up, the fairy grandmother said she would grant me three wishes. Unfortunately, since the fairy godmother in training, only one of the wishes would be granted. I wished for “world peace, a lifetime supply of cookies, and a college that had an abundance of resources and great people”. The third wish was granted. So, at the end of the summer, princess wannabe Kate T. (me) wished goodbye to her parents and started her journey at Johns Hopkins. I wrote 20 blogs in my freshman year- read about my journey and click on the pictures to read the full blogs!

During my first few weeks, I met a lot of awesome people. I met people who live in the sepia color tone, BMEs who love theater, and a friend who explained the geography of Connecticut using a napkin and some ketchup.

 

Before I went to college, I met some crazy sky-divers and went on an exciting adventure in the woods. It was like Goldilocks minus the Wolf and add in an imaginary bear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a few weeks, I thought I may be able to meet a prince if I became a world famous fashion photographer. Unfortunately, I don’t have the skills or pixels on her camera to become a famous photographer, but I found tons of fashionable Hopkins students (and some who just like to strut their stuff) along the way.

I then got real serious about meeting a prince. I’m a college student, so I went to DC (au lieu de France) to find a French prince at the embassy and got in a bit of trouble along the way.

Then, I decided to take time out my busy schedule to write a Public Service Announcement to help the seniors with their college applications- and even includes awkward high school pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After learning more about the French higher education system in my French class, I realized that Hopkins was definitely the school for me- even if there is a no Champs-Elysees or Eiffel Tower in Baltimore. Just a side note: JHU_Allysa found out that they are thinking of building a Eiffel Tower replica in the Inner Harbor!

Since I had talked about friends, camping, fashion, traveling, princes, ceramics, Baltimore, Beyond Baltimore, France, and food,  I figured it was about time to talk about academics. In part one of this three part blog series, there is the adventure of registering for classes.

In the second part of the three part blog series, I talk about her freshman fall semester classes and how taking classes at Hopkins can help me expand my formerly non-existent library.

Then, I stayed for intersession (a magical break between first and second semester) to read a 1000 page book, watch lots of TV, and hang out with friends.

 

 

 

Throughout Intersession, I explored Baltimore and became a transportation guru. Throughout the year, I traveled in planes, trains, automobiles, buses, light rails, subways, and even boats.

 

Since my MRS degree wasn’t working out, I had to scale back on her budget. To save money, I decided to find the cheapest ways to get from point A to point B. I even include embarrassing anecdotes.

 

 

 

 

I then decided to go on a diet to avoid the Freshman 15 (Boring Outfits). I went on a style diet; I only wore JHU colors and clothes for two weeks.

 

 

 

Since I hadn’t been getting any nibbles on becoming a princess, I thought I might try out some career backup plans. I was totally over all the available princes.  I then started looking into becoming a secret agent, but apparently Hopkins was ahead of me.

 

 

 

I had been getting pretty confident in my spy skills that I challenged JHU_Sydney to a duel of BME v. ChemBE. Well, technically it wasn’t a duel and Sydney and I are friends, so I guess it was more of a friendly debate.

 

 

 

I then tried the pirate career path and hid some treasure around the Hopkins for prospective students to find.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then tried the investigative reporter track and found out some interesting news about the name of the school.

 

Since I kept switching careers, I think the media started to pay attention. I then had a press conference. Somehow, they unearthed my cute little baby photos. I even met a prince, but he was a former one so it didn’t really count.

After that, I attended one of the coolest events of the season: SO HOP.

 

 

 

 

You know when I said I was over all the available princes. I lied. Sorry. To get over Prince William’s stupid wedding, I kept myself really busy eating and watching performances and analyzing French art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, I share the spotlight with my friend from home to see what she thinks of my future kingdom.

 

 

 

Joking aside, it was a great year at Hopkins. I learned a lot, met a lot of amazing friends, and tried new things.   I hope you enjoyed reading about my freshman year, but if you’ll excuse me I have a castle to build!

 

The end.

 

Just kidding! :) I’ll be back to tell you all about my summer in a few weeks!

Saying goodbye to Hopkins was one of the weirdest things I’ve ever experienced. It feels like I just moved my exorbitant amount of clothing and accessories into my Building A room yesterday, even though all of it is now sitting on my living room floor in boxes and trunks. Part of me wants to sit here and write a sappy blog about how much I love freshman year and how quickly it went by, but I’m not ready to do that just yet. I still have one last paper due and it still hasn’t sunk in that I’m never going to have meal swipes again, so for now I’ll provide a more practical narrative about packing for college.

 

As I moved most of my worldly possessions off the Hopkins campus, it became painfully obvious just how much stuff I actually own. Seriously, it felt like the boxes just kept coming and coming from under my bed… But in all seriousness, I completely overpacked for freshman year, although not in the ways my mother warned me about. Here’s a concise list of things you definitely need and definitely can leave at home for your freshman year.

 

Freshman Year Must-Haves:

1. Rain gear. Get two pairs of boots, three slickers, quick dry running gear, anything you can think of. It rains a lot in Baltimore and I know you’ve heard it before but marble is slippery!

2. Extra first aid stuff. Not only are all the stores around campus totally overpriced when it comes to tylonel or benedryl, but it’s also a huge pain to get a nasty paper cut and realize you’ve run out of bandaids. I spent the entire first semester relying on JHU_Nick to bring me his bag of pills whenever I was sick. Although it was a great way to bond, it wasn’t very convenient or productive for either of us. Buy this kind of stuff in bulk and keep a bottle of medication in your backpack for those long nights at the library.

3. Shoes that you don’t care about. If you’ve ever gone to a party or concert, you know it’s not exactly the best place for Tori Burch flats or Frye boots. During your freshman year you will go through a lot of shoes from going out and you’ll really regret it if they were expensive or meaningful. Stock up on plain flats, sandals, and heels that go with everything and that you won’t mind if they get mud on them in the Pike basement or stepped all over at the Fall Fest concert.

4. Extra storage boxes/shelves. I probably brought more than the average Hopkins student to college, but I think that everyone has more stuff than can fit in the furniture provided by the school. Get boxes that can easily fit under your bed or stackable shelves for clothes and other trinkets that you wouldn’t just want sitting out. It helps organize your room and makes move-in and move-out way easier because you can pre-pack all your clothes and not have to worry about putting everything away when you get to campus or bringing suitcases or cardboard boxes.

5. Kitchenware. For people who live in Wolman this might be a little self-explanatory, but even if you live in the AMRs or Buildings A/B you are going to eat in your room. And while it might be tempting to just take a dozen of the pre-packaged utensils from the FFC, it makes a lot more sense to have your own plates, bowls, and cutlery. Not only is it more environmentally friendly, but washing your own dishes=totally beginning your transition to adulthood.

6. Formal clothes. In high school, you probably only wore a serious dress a few times a year. However, at a college with an active Greek Life and athletic community, chances are you’ll be going to date parties and formals several times a semester. One of the unfortunate things about the digital age is the fact that nearly every social event is documented extensively, so the day after any social function there will be dozens of pictures of you strutting your stuff in that formal outfit. If you’re like me and hate the idea of being seen in the same dress twice in one semester, you’re probably going to need to stock up on cute formal wear before you get on campus (I have gyet to find a dress thats both formal-appropriate and my style at the Towson mall). You might be asking how many formals are you really going to go to? Well I’m in a sorority, so that’s three per semester, then I have a boyfriend in a fraternity, so another three, and then I’ve been asked to at least five other formals with guy friends of mine just for fun–> 17 formals/date parties in one year!

 

You absolutely don’t need these things:

1. A printer. I know some people find having their own printer more convenient, so maybe it’s worth the investment. However, I bought a printer when I first got to school and I’m going to be completely honest: I never turned it on once. You’re probably going to be in the library writing most papers anyway, so you can just print right there. The library is on the way to getting to the rest of campus, so you can just go there on your way to class. And there are several other printing options around campus including the Digital Media Center in the Mattin Center. At least for freshman year, I think this is an expensive item that won’t really get used, so if you’re trying to find out ways to save in your school shopping, this is definitely one area to do so.

2.Tee Shirts. This is more specific to girls who only wear those plain tee shirts when they work out, but you get so much free clothing during Orientation and all week long that there’s really no need to bring a ton with you to college. Bring your favorite five or so and then leave the rest at home. I’ve accumulated probably close to 40 new tee shirts this year, and that’s a pretty conservative estimate!

3. Binders. Unless you’re taking a class that’s super handout-heavy, don’t bother. This is one of the most disappointing parts of my list because I bought a ton of super cute binders before freshman year; unfortunately I have yet to use even one of them. Hopefully I’ll find the opportunity in the next three years so they don’t go to waste!

4. An Alarm Clock. If your phone was made any time after 2000, it probably has an alarm system in it. My cute, portable alarm clock sat on my bedside cabinet all year sans batteries.

5. A whole new wardrobe. In slight contradiction to my formal-wear bullet point, don’t buy all the clothes you think you’ll need for freshman year the summer before. I swear, your style will change (I actually shop places other than J Crew now!) and you’ll want to save some graduation money for when it does, especially if you’re like me and you de-stress during mditerms and finals by online shopping. I know it’s so tempting to get a ton of clothes before getting to campus, but spread out the shopping throughout the year and you’ll be a lot happier.

 

Hope these tips helped! Have a great summer everyone!

It seems like it was just yesterday that the Class of 2015 moved into the dorms, anxious to meet roommates, suitemates, and floormates. It seems like it was just yesterday it was convocation, welcoming the new class to the University. It seems like it was just yesterday we spent sleepless nights studying for finals. Wait, that was actually just yesterday.

Yesterday and the past few days, the remaining students on the campus have just moved out, returning keys and packing up many boxes. I spent my move-out day laboriously moving many boxes in the rain and at one point, I had a revelation – I packed way too much. And so I swore to pack less next year. So, here’s a list of things NOT to bring. Guaranteed, it will save you an extra car (it took me 2 cars to bring everything) and many hours of packing/unpacking.

1. 

   Sporting my Hopkins sweatshirt at Christmas!

   You really don’t need that many clothes. Don’t bring your entire wardrobe! I ended up wearing half of the clothes. If possible, bring your winter clothes later in the year (ship them or have your parents bring them down when they visit) and send back your fall clothes, and vice versa. You most likely won’t have space for all seasons. You also want to save some room for clothes that you’ll buy during the year and all those free t-shirts!

2. And you really don’t need that many shoes. I brought at least 10 pairs of high heels and ended up only wearing three of them.
3. I really did think that bringing old class notes from high school would come in handy, but it didn’t.
4. DVDs and books. Not that you won’t have time to read or watch movies, but it just takes up space – the library has books and movies and there’s always the internet and Netflix!
5. High school stuff. Bring a few things, like your yearbook and pictures, but don’t bring your high school jacket and shirts, etc – it’s time to start wearing Hopkins gear and apparel!!

And here’s what to definitely bring:

1. 

   Chilling with JHU_Clint with my sleeping bag!

   A sleeping bag. You never know when it’ll come in handy! I used it whenever my friends slept over or when my pre-frosh came to visit.

2. Clothes steamer – whenever you have a wrinkly shirt, you can always quickly de-wrinkle it within minutes! Definitely has been a lifesaver several times.
3. Camera. College only happens once.
4. Mattress/foam pad for your bed – many of my friends brought one, and they definitely don’t regret it!
5. Extra drawers. I brought plastic storage drawers and it really came into handy – I put miscellaneous things in there that I just didn’t have room to put anywhere else, like food, detergent, and even more clothes…

The bottom line is: don’t bring too much. It’s a guarantee that you will, but it’s part of the learning experience! You’ll think the same thing I did at the end of the year. And next year, I definitely will be bringing much, much less. But don’t worry, your room won’t be bare because you brought so little – instead, still bring things to personalize your room. Bring posters. Pictures. Blankets. Coffee mugs. Make your room you!

 

Hello everyone,

As I sit in my room hopelessly procrastinating studying for my finals (studying gets kind of old really quickly when you have ten days from when classes end to when your first final starts).  So, in lieu of learning about what makes markets efficient or the difference between virtual and non-virtual C++ destructors, I’ve compiled (no pun intended for any computer nerds who actually get that pun) a list of things that I’ve done this year which stood out and some things which I wish I could have done.  If I did it, there is an X in the box, if I have yet to, the box is open.  Along the side you can enjoy several pictures of the more memorable moments from this past year.  Here it is:

[X] Go to the Inner Harbor

[X] Go to Washington, D.C.

[  ] Visit every building on campus

[X] Take a class that has literally nothing to do with my major (computers like poetry too, don’t they?)

[X] Get a long GREAT with my roommate

[X] See what the library is like at 4:00 AM

[  ] Visit the Gilman Bell tower

[  ] Learn to cook

[X] Go to a Halloween party

[X] Not completely mess up my laundry

[X] Go to a concert that people would be jealous of me for going to (done times 3)

[  ] Go to the gym often (I was there like…4 times.)

[X] Not waste all my money on Chipotle

[X] Go to a Lacrosse game and lose my voice as a result of it

[X] Sleep

[  ] Go to the Aquarium (seriously, I’ve wanted to go for the LONGEST time)

[X] Get my haircut at the Quintessential Gentleman (Google it, best haircut ever!)

[X] Ration my dining dollars

[X] Join a club that I never would have even thought I’d be interested in before coming here

[  ] Visit all the surrounding schools (I haven’t actually visited any…)

[X] Become close friends with someone from overseas

[  ] Make the Lacrosse team (the coach never called me back after I tried out…)

[X] Rush

[X] Pledge

[X] Meet president Daniels

[X] Go to Korean karaoke

[X] Not drop out

[X] Not get kicked out

[X] Have money in my bank account at the end of the year

[X] Get a really good grade in a class, then brag about it

[  ] Learn to sing

[   ] Get a free sub at Eddies (I only need my card punched two more times!)

[X] Add to my taste in music

[X] Maintain friendships from home

[X] Go to an Orioles game

[X] Try a new food (Chicken Bolgogie, if that’s how you spell it?)

[X] Eat at every dining hall on campus (yeah that was done in like a week)

[  ] Meet someone famous

[X] Learn to make balloon animals

[  ] Get a solid appreciation for crab cakes

[  ] See a movie on campus

[X] Find roommates for next year

[X] Learn to like coffee

[X] Have a great year!!!

Hope you all enjoyed, it has been a fantastic year!

Nick

Current Track: Loud Pipes by Rattatat (without a doubt, the best finals studying music.  No words, good beats, not too intense.)