Category Archives: Reflection

Post Pre-Orientation

Posted by | Posted on September 2, 2012
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Appalachian backpacking uno; best preo ever!

I cannot help it: I call them babies. Though most of them are only a year younger than me, the new freshman class has swarmed the campus with positivity, orientation commitments, and lanyards around their necks. And some of them are lucky (or unlucky…) to be my friends specifically, as we just finished a week in the woods and are bonded like superglue. And perhaps I call them babies because I just finished 11 months of being a baby myself, and I am full of enthusiasm for these kids and the great year they have to expect.

My freshman year was wonderful and unexpected in every way, and it is strange to think that 365 days ago I was just becoming friends with the girls I now live with. While last year we were asking each other questions like where are you from? and what’s your major?, this year we attempt to schedule Target runs and spend hours in our common room goofing off and reminiscing about all the crazy things that have happened. The transition is unbelievable. And while it produces some nostalgia to think that my time as a freshman is over, I am mostly looking forward to the next three years and the growth of these friendships that literally get me up in the morning.

Some of the multi5 fam

Pre-orientation last August was where I met many of my best friends (Multi 5 lives on!), so leading a trip this year provided an entirely new perspective. I remember the anxieties and tensions that come along with being a freshman, so watching my group develop into a tight knit circle of buds was awesome to see. Not to mention that backpacking is one of the coolest and most intense things you can do, and though poison ivy got the best of me this time, I wouldn’t have changed a thing about the trip.

So now, wrapping up my year of blogging for the Class of 2015 freshmen page, I struggle to find any meaningful way to end it. If this summer taught me one thing, it is that there is more meaning in the journey than in the destination. I am so fortunate to be attending this university, living in this beautiful building (Charles Commons!) with these beautiful people, and even having the opportunity to continue chronicling my adventures in my own sophomore blog starting this fall. Hopkins has provided me with more lessons and experiences than I ever could have imagined last year, and one piece of advice for the babies? Hold onto your hats; your next 11 months will be quite unexpected, but in the end, your freshman year will truly be a wonderful thing.

 

For Future Reference

Posted by | Posted on September 2, 2012
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Alpha Phi PA's during Move-In!

When I was little, all I wanted was to be a cleaning lady – which, to be honest, probably should have been a source of concern for my parents. I used to follow our cleaning lady around the house and watch her as she measured out cups of powder detergent for the laundry; take measured leaps on my tiptoes across the wet kitchen floor and leave a constellation of small dry spots with the pads of my feet. I thought it was the coolest job in the world: going from house to house, tidying, ironing, rearranging the tangible minutiae of the lives of complete strangers.

Clearly, I was destined for greatness. That, or I was just a really weird kid.

In second grade, I upgraded my career goals to being a doctor, without realizing that the basic prerequisites for any job in the medical field include a stomach for flesh wounds and a minimal tolerance for needles…neither of which I possess – at all. I mean, obviously now I can suck it up and deal with it – even if it’s only because it’s not socially acceptable to ask for a lollipop at the doctor’s office past the age of six.

I’ve wanted to be an actress, a singer, Harry Potter’s girlfriend, a lawyer (thank you Elle Woods for giving girls everywhere unrealistic expectations for both hair and law school acceptance rates), Shania Twain, and, knowing me, probably much more.

Now, I occupy smaller and decidedly less ambitious spaces. In the span of nearly two decades (eek!), I’ve gone from being a wannabe cleaning lady to a student here – one of the most prestigious research universities in the nation. And in the span of a year, I’ve gone from an excited freshman receiving countless words of advice to the (somewhat) more experienced sophomore giving it.

I’ve gone from marveling at all of my college “firsts” – first CharMar sub, first roommate (hi Jane!), first day of classes, first hangover, first FFC Late Night, first internship – to marveling at the “firsts” that continue to present themselves regardless of seniority. There is no end to the amount of firsts that can be shared amongst a group of people. Our experiences depend on these details, these firsts, anchoring us and reminding us of who we used to be, even if our innocence has already begun to slip away.

It goes without saying that time flies. It goes without saying that so much can change in a year. But it also goes without saying that, as we project ourselves into the future, those firsts become reference points that ground the innumerable ways in which we can and will dovetail and diverge in the time we have left.

I still sing (in the shower, at least). Sometimes I still wish I were a cleaning lady (like when I look at the appalling state of my closet right now…I look like I belong on “Hoarders”). Although I’ve accepted the fact that I will never be Shania Twain, I’m still holding out for Harry. And God help us all if I ever become a certified medical professional.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that, looking back, the future has a strange way of fulfilling itself. So in my very last post as a freshman, I’d like to look back in an attempt to look forward. Here’s to a great year with (and without) some of the most amazing people I know. Here’s to a school, city, major, and group of friends that I’ve come to both know and love. Here’s to all of my ridiculous childhood dreams (and my parents’ unfailing support – love you!). Here’s to sophomore year.

Here’s to the future.

 

End of a Beginning

Posted by | Posted on August 30, 2012
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It’s been exactly a year since I first arrived at Hopkins.

Just 365 days ago, I was a nervous freshman staring up at the white ceiling of my dorm room for the first time, nervously wondering what kind of adventures the upcoming year would bring.

Spotted in front of JHU: a man in a blue turban wearing felt flip flops riding a pink motorcycle.

And what a year it was.

While my year was defined by some pretty big and exciting moments, including when I moved to the U.S.A. for the first time or when I worked in a paramedic ambulance,  I think it was the smaller moments that really made it one of the best years of my life. All of those small moments were completely unpredictable, short-lived and may have not even meant anything to anyone besides myself. Looking back, it was almost too easy to skip over appreciating those smaller moments; thoughts of exams and my aspirations for the future did occasionally obstruct my appreciation of my immediate surroundings. I decided to share two examples of such moments, one at the start of the year and one at the end because this is my last freshman blog for Hopkins.

During the third day of freshman orientation, I got trapped outside the library while it was pouring rain because of Hurricane Irene. It was absolutely miserable and I didn’t really know any other way to get back to my dorm besides walking across the quad, so I decided to just bolt in the rain. While I jogged across the freshman quad, with my shoes getting more and more soaked with every step, I bumped into a group of 5 new freshmen doing the same thing except they were all crowded under a single umbrella. Despite the fact that they clearly could not fit another person under the umbrella, they made a bit of room and we made it across the quad together laughing. It was a great welcome to a new community and a new country for me.

During my last day in Baltimore, before heading back to Italy for vacation,  I realized I had a leftover $10 bill in my wallet and nothing to spend it on. As I was outside of the train station, I saw a homeless man and decided I’d make his day by giving it to him. I walked away and he instinctively said thank you, without noticing what denomination the bill was. As I was about to walk through the doors into Penn Station, I turned around and saw he was behind me with tears in his eyes wanting to shake my hand. Apparently he had not had money to eat for 2 days and the $10 would concede at least a few days’ worth of bread to him.

Friends

If there is any point I am trying to make, it is that some of my best experiences were the ones I could not possibly have planned or foreseen. I see my freshman year as a product of those moments, not the times I excelled on an exam or exceeded in performing what was expected of me. The lazy nights I spent in my dorm with my friends are my favorite memories from last year, not some of the crazy times we had out in town.

 

 

 

 

My Last Year as the Wicked Soundtrack

Posted by | Posted on August 29, 2012
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Hi everyone! As this is my last entry for the Class of 2015 Freshman Blog, I thought I would get a little reflective for this last post. I mean I could sputter on about all the changes, all the memories and friends and all nighters and mistakes, but come on. No. Instead, I’m going to re-cap my last year with the help of some wonderful music -- the Wicked soundtrack!

*I should warn you that because my life is not really like Wicked, some of the songs are chosen for their titles only and you should not read too much into the lyrics of the song… otherwise you might think I’m crazy. 

How I felt when I stepped onto the Hopkins campus for the first time as an actual STUDENT and thought of all the amazing things I was going to accomplish:

How I felt when I was all unpacked, my parents had gone, and I was, for the first time in my life, completely independent. (Embarrassing secret time. I got overwhelmed that first night and a little scared so I watched old episodes of Glee until I felt good enough to go out and meet people! Don’t judge.)

How I felt going into all of my classes without knowing anyone. Luckily everyone was so nice and, well, desperate for friends that meeting people wasn’t very hard.

How I felt when I first tried the Carma’s Turkey/Cranberry/Brie (TCB) panini

How I felt when I learned last minute that in mock trial I would have to play Taylor Hopson (a hot mess of a character, and obviously written for a woman) on top of two other character witnesses that I actually liked playing

How I felt at the start of winter break and looked back on my whirlwind of a first semester

How I felt upon returning to Baltimore after such a long winter break!

How I felt every time I picked classes! I approach course selection much in the same way as a rogue cop who has nothing to lose approaching a wanted criminal -- shoot first and ask questions later! I pick courses that look super interesting and fun (not a problem at Hopkins, let me tell you) and then realize in shock how all the classes I pick are either upper level, writing intensive, or have me as the only freshmen. But I go through with it anyways, and those courses have all been amazing experiences!

How I felt during finals season, when my amazing and interesting classes flooded me with papers and assignments. To this day I have no idea how I survived that week.

How I felt when I left Hopkins and realized that I would never have to eat at the FFC again!

How I felt writing this blog and thinking about who I was a year ago almost to the day and who I am now, all because of Hopkins.

So that’s that! From here on out you’ll be able to find me on my soon-to-be new blog, For Cryan Out Loud (that’s my last name, for those who don’t get the pun.)

How I feel about leaving this blog and no longer writing alongside the eight other now-sophomore bloggers who I absolutely adore

*I totally get if you didn’t watch all the other videos, but you should watch this one. It’s hilarious.

Lasts and Firsts

Posted by | Posted on August 28, 2012
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On the very last night of freshman year, a bunch of friends and I were talking about all our “lasts” — the last time we would eat in the FFC as freshmen, the last time we would swipe into AMR 2 saying hello to the security guard, the last time we would all be living in the place that brought us together. When change is coming, it’s natural to thing about all the things you’re leaving behind and all the things you’re experiencing for the last time. I think leaving for college is similar in that many people focus on all the “lasts” without looking forward to the “firsts.”

Me and my roommate Claire!

As much as the “lasts” of my freshman year were hard to let go of, I am beyond excited for all the “firsts” that sophomore year entails. I’ve been back on campus for just two days and I’ve already experienced quite a few!

After giving my first tour of the year this afternoon and accidentally introducing myself as a freshman Economics major, I realized that for the first time I would be introducing myself as a sophomore from here on out.

It was also my first time grocery shopping for all the delicious food Claire (my roommate!) and I will attempt to make this year.

our first meal -- arugula salad!

I joined Claire and her family for dinner at Woodberry Kitchen for the first time; it’s one of the best restaurants in all of Baltimore! I’ve been wanting to go since I watched the “Learn More, See More, B’more” episode about all the exciting restaurants close to campus!

Today (after an orientation meeting in Shriver Hall) was also the first time I subconsciously made my way to the AMR’s before realizing I don’t live there anymore.

Yesterday I saw the absolutely incredible Brody Learning Commons for the first time with JHU_Ian and Claire. We tested the comfortability of every chair in the place :) For those of you who don’t know, Brody Learning Commons is a brand new addition to the Homewood campus with state of the art study space for undergraduates!

Checking out all the chairs in Brody with JHU_Ian!

I’ve been back in Baltimore for only two days and already sophomore year is off to an amazing start!

For those of you who have read one, some or all of my blogs this year I can’t thank you enough. It means the world to me that even just one person enjoys my entries. This is indeed the last time I will be posting an entry on the Class of 2015 Freshman blog, but stay tuned for my sophomore blog coming to Hopkins Interactive very soon!

As always, thank you so much for reading.

All my Hopkins Love,

Erica

In Fourteen Days!

Posted by | Posted on August 21, 2012
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I just got back from visiting my huge family in India. I also just got over three days worth of jetlag, which is equally exciting! The trip was incredibly fun and I am so glad I got to see all of my relatives after so many years!

Some of my cousins and me in front of India Gate!

In exactly fourteen days, I will officially be a sophomore. It hasn’t even hit me yet. A year ago at this time, I was freaking out, trying to figure what to pack and what not to pack. And because I was an indecisive little pre-frosh way back in the day, I made sure to fit my entire closet into a red suitcase, my entire bed into a blue suitcase, and my entire bathroom, dresser, and refrigerator in multiple cardboard boxes. I sincerely apologize to the orientation “move-it move-it” volunteers because I clearly wasn’t thinking. And I know I’m a year late, but I have to thank each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart for carrying all of my luggage BY HAND and climbing three flights of stairs to deliver them safely to my dorm room. To show my appreciation, I am packing much lighter this year:)

orientation volunteers on move-in day!

I am a little nervous for this year’s classes. I guess my nervousness stems from the fact that I am not taking classes from a survey of departments as I did freshman year. Last year, I took classes from all over the place: math, chemistry, physics, writing seminars, romance languages, classics, art workshops, and art history. By doing so, I learned a LOT about myself (my likes/dislikes, my strengths/weaknesses) and was able to firmly decide on a major. This year, I’m taking classes from a more related set of departments: chemistry, chemBE, physics, and art workshops. The good news is that I now have a fitting major, on which I am able to focus a majority of my class time! However, having spent my entire freshman year exploring different classes and gaining broader perspectives, this will be my first year taking classes from my major, technically marking the beginning of my academic journey (eep!).

I do, on the other hand, feel relaxed about returning to the ever so familiar lifestyle of the college student: easy mac dinners, sleeping over at the library, last-minute laundry runs, treating Thursdays as part of the weekend, calling home every day during that 10 minute walk between your second and third class, and lastly, playing the nose game with your suite when it’s time to clean the bathroom.

This is my last time blogging as a freshman on the shared Class of 2015 page. Thank you to everyone who read my blogs this past year:) I will continue to blog as a sophomore and I look forward to my first sophomore blog post!

 

Jumbled Emotions of a Rising Sophomore

Posted by | Posted on August 14, 2012
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Long hair, don't care? I'm pretty sure that's the #YOLO equivalent to not getting a haircut.

Well, I’ve come to an extremely unwelcome realization: I need to get a haircut. What this means, of course, is that it’s time to stop acting like a hippie, stop substituting paint parties and road trips as an effective use of a day (for the time being), and once more become a contributing member to society. Whether it’s the knowledge of classes on the horizon or the gradual departing of my high school friends to their respective schools, I’ve finally begun recognizing that summer does indeed have an expiration date and that responsibility isn’t going to kindly wait for me to welcome it back into my life. It really been a much-needed summer of both relaxation and epic times with friends though. If you’re afraid about losing touch with your friends from high school, I can attest to now being even closer to my friends this summer than probably ever before. Be it narrating the olympics with ridiculous dialogue, surprising my friend on her birthday with a face full of potentially-stolen cupcakes (out of love of course), rocking out to Childish Gambino in the middle of Tennessee, or just sitting around talking and laughing about who-knows-what, I can’t help but say this has been a pretty awesome summer. But along with the realization that I need a haircut comes the understanding that there are more exciting things in life than half-price milkshakes at Sonic. That is to say, while summer may offer ease of mind, going back to Hopkins means that I can spend my time doing things of a much more significant nature.

Why? Call Me Maybe dubstep remixes, that's why.

However, it’s not entirely necessary to rid myself of relaxation, but rather it’s time to tack on what I expect to be an amazing sophomore year. I’ve grown comfortable, if not complacent, with my laziness in St. Louis and so I’m ready to go back to Hopkins for all of the reasons that drew me there in the first place. I’m ready to learn more about modern art history and theory. I’m ready to, in one of my more exciting classes, examine a collection at the Walters Art Museum and learn about the installation of non-Western art. [I think] I’m ready to add another minor, this time in Entrepreneurship & Management, to focus on the administrative and marketing side of the museum. I’m ready to curate. I’m ready to contribute to the community through arts programming and community service, and just as ready to explore that community, food included (and in most cases compulsory). I’m ready to plan trips to D.C., New York, and who knows where else. I’m ready to apply to study abroad programs and accept that this time next year I may be packing my bags for France instead of Baltimore. Maybe more than anything, I’m ready to reunite with my friends with whom ridiculously fun nights and more unforgettable moments are just around the corner.

So is this a worried  post, an inspiring post, an anxious post, etc? I don’t really know, to be quite honest. I suppose it’s more of a “dear freshmen, don’t feel like you’re unwarranted in feeling the way you probably do” post, because lately I’ve been feeling similar fits of being ready to go (back, in my case) to Hopkins, sad to say “see you later” to my friends once again, and anxious to see how this year turns out. I’m essentially in a glass case of emotion. I am a little apprehensive in all honesty to start out the semester with 18 credits, one job, one internship, and extracurriculars on top of that, but if I let fear stop me from getting ahead, I’m in no position to succeed. In the end, all I can do is recognize how great of a summer I’ve had and accept that it’s time to buckle up my seatbelt, get that loathed haircut (overreaction, maybe?), and prepare for another semester of giving it my all at Hopkins. Class of 2016, enjoy your time at home as it slowly comes to what may seem like an end, but don’t be afraid of things changing forever. You have a lot, seriously, to look forward to, but you’ll always have the comfort of home to fall back on as well. I look forward to seeing you all on campus in just a few short weeks, get ready for an unforgettable ride!

Backpacks

Posted by | Posted on August 11, 2012
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“You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place, I told him, like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.” 
― Azar Nafisi, Reading Lolita in Tehran

My classmates, my professor, and a camel in the Empty Quarter

I never considered that I may be absolutely terrible at packing until this summer.  In high school I would show up for travel with only a backpack I’d had since fifth grade, and I used to pride myself on having the least amount of luggage of anyone on my teams.  When I started traveling cross-country to college this all changed. I couldn’t just sling a backpack with a few changes of clothes, my case binder, and my laptop onto my back; now I had to survive away from home for months.  There’s not a backpack big enough for that. I tried to keep some of my habits from high school and take only the bare minimum, but as time went on at Hopkins I found that things just would not fit in my bags anymore.  Coming back home for winter break I had difficulty trying to take the important things back to Vegas with me, and coming back to Hopkins after spring break I was finally faced with the possibility that I’d accumulated an awful lot of things since moving in nine months previously.  After finishing my final paper, I looked around my room and realized I couldn’t take it all with me.  Fast-forward two months, and I was sitting in my hotel room in Oman with my roommate looking at a pile of toiletries  candy, and clothing that was not making it back to the States with us.  Both times there was a mad rush to pack, saying goodbyes, and something inevitably got left behind.  The Muscat International Airport is now one five-pound Arabic dictionary richer due to my overweight luggage, and somewhere in Baltimore my giant stuffed triceratops has found another home.

My classmates and the US Ambassador to Oman.

Since graduating high school, I feel as though I have been constantly leaving places, taking things with me, and inevitably leaving things behind.  It’s been an incredible blessing and a curse.  Less than a century ago the odds were good that both myself and everyone reading this blog would have stayed within fifty miles of where they were born.  Less than twenty years ago the odds were good that both myself and everyone reading this blog wouldn’t have the ability to email people from around the world.  Less than a year ago the odds were good that I would have called you crazy if you told me that I was going to fly for twenty-five hours over the course of three days to get home from Oman.  I live in probably the most mobile and global period in history and I feel as though moving around is a fact of life I have to face sooner or later, especially in my given field of study.  I’m lucky to have been given the choice to leave, given how many people around the world lack the opportunities I have been presented and do not have a choice in the matter when they leave their homes, but it’s never easy.  Like my 15 year old self packing for a 45-minute flight to northern Nevada, I try to cram everything in my backpack so I can take it with me, but I always end up having to leave something behind and hope that I can get by without it and pick up something better in my next destination.  My Hopkins debate and mock trial teams replaced the ones I’d had in high school.  I replaced a book I’d brought with me to Oman for an Arabic version of A Tale of Two Cities.  I’ll switch out the greenery of the Hopkins campus with the urban campus of Columbia.

JHU Mock Trial freshman at our first tournament.

As everyone knows, though, there are certain things that are irreplaceable.  Certain things will never leave your backpack when you travel: the good luck charm, the Spring Fair picture where all your friends look sunburnt and full on fried food, the memory of that one time you sang Bohemian Rhapsody to a group of confused Omanis (immediately put this on your bucket list.)  In a Frank Sinatra song that I, of course, have never been made to listen to by the Italian New Yorker side of my family during Yankee games, there’s a line about the narrator making a “brand new start of it” in New York.  I don’t think this is a good idea.  You can’t wipe your past or erase your memories, Jim Carrey movies notwithstanding, and furthermore why would you want to do that?  Good, bad, or ugly, my past got me into Hopkins, to Oman, and now to Columbia.  Those reading the blog as admitted students can sit back this summer and know that what they did got them into one of the best universities in the world, and current students know it too.  Perhaps my history-loving side shows too much, or my nostalgia, but there are things that are too important to ever leave behind, mostly my friends and family, but also my experiences.  People, especially prefrosh, often talk about wanting a “clean state” before leaving for college, and I was always really unsure what that meant.  Is a “clean slate” simply not focusing too much on the kid you were before, in high school, or is it throwing what you did away in exchange for adopting some new cool “college kid” persona?  One is not focusing and the other is completely forgetting, and I know which route I would pick, I did pick, and I will pick.

JHU debate

The people I met at Hopkins are definitely part of the irreplaceable part of my backpack.  Certainly, Hopkins is an excellent school with excellent faculty and excellent classes, but the things that stick with me the most about my year here are things that happened outside of class.  It’s the people, and not the subject matter, that makes learning so interesting, and I think this applies inside and outside the classroom.  Staying up all night patrolling the hallways of a hotel isn’t a fun subject, but couple it with the people in Model UN and it becomes a night to remember.  Debating welfare reform is dull, but when that debate happens after a night spent driving in circles around New Jersey, missing your exit five times, and replacing a flat tire you’ll be sure to laugh whenever you think of it.  Coming back home, exhausted, after a mock trial tournament is nothing to write home about, unless you open your room to find two of your closest friends sitting on your floor having a Netflix marathon.  Group meetings can be dull, unless your group is SAAB and there are copious amounts of camaraderie and free Chipotle.

The videographers.

I could talk about the opportunities given to me at Hopkins, and there were so many of them, but I think if you’re reading this blog you know about the opportunities available to Hopkins students.  I think sometimes schools focus so much on all the incredible opportunities available to their students, like study abroad, internships, and research, that they sort of cover up the fact that the glue that holds a campus together and makes that school what it is isn’t the programs; it’s the people.  For those going off to college in the fall, you will probably be told that you can pick two out of the following three: sleep, grades, and social life.  Anyone who knows me or who read this blog can probably guess which two I picked, but when you’ve got a paper due tomorrow and you need to talk to someone, is your REM cycle going to answer back?  When you move to a new city, are you going to call up that B you got in orgo and ask it if it wants to grab Thai food?  When you’ve got limited space in your backpack, your friends and family are worth their weight in gold.  You can Facebook chat with your friend across the world while Skyping your brother across the country and texting your old roommate about her winter break plans.  Why waste that?

The Snuggie Party when I got back from my first debate tournament

As I close this year of blogging and throw it into my overburdened backpack that I will be lugging to Broadway and 113th Street next year, I want to express how happy I was to have this opportunity to blog, interact with prospective students, and reflect on my freshman year.  The concept of the self-made man is one I’ve never subscribed to, as I know that I would be nowhere without numerous people believing in me, helping me, and supporting me the past few years.  I’d like to thank those people spread out around the world from the bottom of my heart, and know that whatever I type in this last paragraph cannot even begin to express my gratitude.  As I leave, I really don’t think there is a way to describe the feeling without using the cliche “a mixed bag of emotions.”  I’m happy, and just a tiny bit sad, but I am undoubtably very lucky to have had something at Hopkins that makes saying goodbye so hard.

When my group left Oman, one of my professors told us that they knew when we arrived that they would be saying goodbye to us in just a few short months.  ”But,” he said, as we all crowded around the hall of our hotel that had served as a combination lounge/film studio/library/dinning hall/soccer field for two months, “we will not say goodbye.  It is too hard.  Instead, we will say, ‘See you soon.””

See you soon, everyone.

 

SAAB Class of 2015 a year ago.

 

A Clean Sweep

Posted by | Posted on August 7, 2012
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“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once” – Albert Einstein

I consider myself to be a fairly accomplished organizer. I can usually prioritize things pretty easily, or perform a “clean sweep” if you will. Give me an exploding closet or a messy desk, and I can most likely sort through the junk and color coordinate the rest. With this in mind, it’s hard to believe that I would have such a hard time prioritizing the huge things revolving about my life, but I have to say that I really struggled with balance and priorities this past year.

My struggling was mostly due to one single activity that has been looming over my head since freshmen orientation week- tennis. Fun fact- I’ve been playing tennis since I was 7 years old, traveling to and competing in tournaments every other weekend, and constantly working on improving my game, ranking, and performance throughout high school and college. For almost all of my life, most (if not all) of my energy outside of school went into tennis, and I was unbelievably proud and grateful when I found out that I would be able to play for Hopkins this past year. While I’m appreciative of what tennis has given me and I realize that the sport has molded me into the person that I am today, I’ve come to the realization that I need to back off of tennis for a while. There are so many reasons that I’ve decided to leave the team, but when it comes down to one thing, it’s time.

College is an exhilarating experience- there’s an abundance of cool professors to meet, quirky clubs to join, life-changing classes to sit-in on, not to mention a ton of diverse, passionate people to become friends with. With all of the opportunities that college has to offer, especially at Hopkins, it’s quite difficult to choose just a few things to become involved in. My biggest problem during freshmen year was finding enough time in the day to do everything that I wanted to do, on top of my hectic academic schedule, on top of a 2-3 hour practice. I knew that I had a problem on my hands when I started to feel as if I needed to skip practices in order to study for exams or make it to mandatory club meetings. I felt as if I simply did not have enough time to give my 100% to anything- ranging from homework to practice to research or even to sleep. It’s beyond exhausting to feel as if your best isn’t good enough and that’s exactly how I felt when I realized that I really couldn’t “do it all”.

After thinking over my freshmen year time and time again, I’ve decided that tennis was one of my biggest stress factors. Because of this, along with its major time component, I’m ready to put tennis aside for a while in order to focus on my biggest dream of all, getting into medical school. While making this decision was one of the hardest things that I’ve had to do, I know that it’s the right one because I already feel more in control. For me, one of the weirdest things about college is that you are completely on your own, and you have the ability to create your own life for yourself. If you stick too much to what you’ve known or what you’re comfortable with, there isn’t really a way for you to grow as a person. Deciding to drop tennis for a while to focus my energy on pre-medicine has already helped me define exactly who I am and who I want to be. My advice to the incoming class of 2016 – try to find your passion and utilize it in order to get where you want to go. We only have four years at this amazing university, so let’s  make the most of our time here.

All My Best,
Kaitlyn

Focus

Posted by | Posted on August 4, 2012
4

I approach new skills and hobbies much in the same way, I assume, as a champion diver who doesn’t realize that he’s on the shallow side of the pool. I get all psyched up, I jump in gracefully with all my energy, and just as I get completely immersed – WHAM! I hit the wall. I then stumble out of the ‘pool’, make shifty eye contact to anyone who saw my embarrassing attempt, and then get the hell out of there.

It’s that second stage where I actually need to apply myself, when people switch from remarking “For a beginner, you’re doing remarkably!” (Pun ridiculously intended) to actually wanting to see solid improvement that I hit the wall. My track record speaks pretty profoundly for itself:

  • I’ve learned rudimentary phrases in Spanish, Italian, Wolof, Chinese, and Sign language, only to give them up later.
  • I’ve played guitar, viola, oboe, recorder, and even formed a band (“Kidz Only”) only to become the talentless performer I am today. That being said I still have a killer recorder rendition of Soft Kitty in my back pocket should the need arise.
  • I’ve played soccer, baseball and basketball at the little league level, was a ‘tumblebug’ young gymnast, finished a mini marathon and even captained my men’s foil fencing team – the most athletic thing I’ve done in the last year was race my friend Rob to a mini mart across the street from our hotel during a Mock Trial competition.

And if that’s just the major things that I can remember, just think of all the smaller hobbies that I can’t remember!

As a History buff, one of my favorite things to do is to look at the past, put together patterns, and apply it to the present. With data like this, it’s easy to do – I love to explore. I love to do it all, try it all, and just say “yes!” I actually really like this quality of mine, and the results from freshmen year – farsi, english country dance, chinese lion dancing, rushing (albeit half-heartedly) frats – have been amazing experiences that I wouldn’t trade for the world. But there’s also a time to buckle down, to know what you want and to work hard to get it. My Sophomore year, I need to focus!

 

Okay maybe I won't scream but I can still make excited, happy faces!

I’ve already got this going in academics. Last year, my classes would give no possible indication of an intended major – there were multiple languages, engineering, natural science, social science, and humanities. But now, as a History major concentrating in America with a minor in French Cultural studies, I’m taking four classes in American History and one in French culture. I’m so excieted for this I could scream! I won’t, but I could.

I still don’t know what’s going to happen with my extracurriculars, but I know what I want. I want to figure out which activities make me really happy, which I look forward to doing and don’t feel like a drag on my life. I don’t volunteer with the Tutorial project for resume-padding or because they had the biggest signs at the Student Activities Fair, but because the hours I spend reading with Robert and playing our math games are often the best parts of my day! I get the same feeling from Mock Trial and Admissions, and it’s in these areas that I want to really commit more and dig in my heels. That’s not to say that I’m going to throw everything else by the wayside, but if I’m participating in something and wondering, “Geez why am I here? I could be doing X right now!” …Well then, it’s time to cut out the fluff.

Then of course if I want to pursue teaching American History in High School, I need to do more (read: something) pertaining to education.  Hopefully I’ll be able to shadow teachers, find mentors, and start to understand with better precision just what I’m about to jump into! No more floating around, it’s time to throw down the anchor and focus.

Hopkins is the kind of place where it’s easy to over-commit. Hopkins has over 380 clubs and each one has such enthusiastic people in them that the pull to join in is incredibly strong. I mean I, the guy with barely any background in Chinese culture ended up dancing in a chinese lion because I thought it looked cool and the people were all really nice and friendly! Then by branching out to Baltimore and DC, you can get caught up in hundreds (thousands? Millions?) of different opportunities – Hopkins gave me the keys to do practically whatever I wanted, and the exploration of Freshman year was perfect for me. But now, as I enter Sophomore year, the time has come to Focus.