College can be just a tad stressful at times. As an avid Hopkins Interactive blog reader (as I’m sure you all are!), you probably get a sense of how involved students can be. In all honesty, it’s hard to find a friend or student that’s not involved in at least 2 things outside of class. Combine these extracurriculars with a desire to do well in classes, and (big surprise) you end up with a lot of stressed out students!

While I am no exception to this generalization, I’ve found that a few useful tricks have kept me from going completely crazy (for the most part, I think that my friends might argue otherwise!)

-Prioritize. I love writing out everything that I have to accomplish for the day. What do I love even more? Checking off everything on my list! Prioritizing can be done with your assignments in terms of deadlines, but it’s also extremely useful in prioritizing all aspects of your life. Since you’re likely to be at least a tad overwhelmed in that you probably can’t complete every single task for the day, it’s important to rank all of your activities in order of importance for you. Here’s a look at how I’ve spent my time over the past 2 years at Hopkins…As you can see, the sleep priority has definitely taken a hit over the past year!

-Utilize every moment that you have. This is also where prioritizing comes in since you’ll want to know exactly what to work on first! For me, I like to multi-task when at all possible. Although slightly embarrassing, painting my nails while listening to biology lecture podcasts, reviewing my notes for my 9am class while curling/straightening my hair every morning, and sometimes bringing orgo reaction mechanism sheets to the gym are some of my weirdest habits. If multi-tasking isn’t your thing, you can still make the most of your time by setting time limits on the amount of daily unproductive activities. In my case, my biggest, most unproductive activity is definitely watching the cheesiest show on television- the bachelor! To make the most of my time, I try to limit myself to watching the show only when I’ve accomplished something awesome- like going to office hours, or taking a big test, or finishing all of my homework for the week.

-Plan ahead. Being involved in a bunch of extracurriculars is super fun and rewarding, but an extracurricular can easily fall by the wayside if you simply do not have any more time to devote. The last thing that you want to do is sacrifice your grades for an extracurricular or two, and that’s where planning comes in. Everyone’s different, but in my opinion, planners and wall calendars are the way to go in terms of scheduling out future events.Participating in recruitment week for Phi Mu was a great way to test my planning skills since the time commitment really escalated so quickly! While I still felt a bit overwhelmed, doing the majority of my assignments ahead of time allowed for me to devote enough time to Phi Mu! I even scheduled out enough time to make the recruitment video -- check it out!

Phi Mu Recruitment!

-Keep your life relatively in order. Maybe it’s just me, but I truly cannot function in a messy room. Cleaning and organizing (especially your school papers and books) can save you a lot of time in the long run since you’ll be able to find things easily (and not become frustrated instead). 

-Stay inspired, stay positive. It’s easy to fall into the habit of being hard on yourself, especially if you have high expectations and goals for yourself. You work so hard, but it isn’t good enough! Sound familiar? I don’t know about you, but in my case, negativity doesn’t get me anywhere. Luckily, I’ve found some pretty inspiring mentors, ranging from my trusty pre-med advisor to my wonderful and truly inspiring mentor at the JHU medical school. Whenever I meet with these two women, I feel recharged with renewed motivation, and I know that everything will be worth it in the end. Along with mentors and helpful advisors, I think it’s important to surround yourself with positive and supportive friends. In my case, I’m extremely fortunate to have 2 rocks- my best friend Kaitlin and my boyfriend Virgil. I do not know where I would be without these two, and I truly appreciate them dealing with my usual stressed out state!

That’s all for now! Have a stress-free day :)

Kaitlyn

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

It’s been exactly one year since I first set eyes on my tiny third floor single in the AMR’s, ate my first grilled chicken sandwich at the FFC, and felt genuinly intimidated by every single student that seemed to know their way around campus. Since that first day, I believe that I’ve acquired quite a deal of knowledge in regards to life as an undergrad at Hopkins. The majority of the lessons that I’ve learned have resulted from personal experience, and while my mistakes often led to entertaining escapades, I thought that I’d impart some of my newfound “wisdom” with you.

Also, after reviewing my blogs from this past year, I’ve come to the realization that I’m somewhat of a “moral” writer. No, I’m not terribly concerned with the principles of right and wrong in my blog entries; rather, I tend to point out a moral or a lesson in each of my blogs. For those of you that have followed my blogging efforts over this past year- first of all, thank you (I really appreciate it), and secondly, I apologize if my blogs seemed to resemble Aesop’s Fables in that I usually managed to stick in a moral somewhere. All of this being said, due to my blogging pattern, I thought it appropriate to dedicate my final freshman blog entry to some of the lessons that I’ve learned over my freshman year.

The inspiration behind this blog post. Such a good song!

Lessons Learned….

DO NOT:

1. Wait until the end of the year to find out about Pete’s Grill. Seriously though, they have the BEST brunch menu, and it’s within walking distance.
   

   Highly recommend.

2. Avoid professors’ office hours. Surprisingly, a lot of professors are far less intimidating during their office hours than they seem to be during their lectures. It’s always helpful to come in with a few questions or thoughtful comments, but even if you don’t, usually, the professor will just be glad that you stopped by and will share some useful information.
3. Say no to being set-up with your friend’s friend.  JHU_Nick set me up with his friend Virgil, and we’ve been dating for a few months now! (Thanks Nick)

   

4. Attend a party/formal the night before an exam or assessment of any kind, even if you have covered grades first semester! (Exception to lesson #3).
   

   The night that I thought it would be okay for me to attend a "date party" before my chemistry midterm...

5. Be afraid to approach completely random people the first couple of weeks of school. I remember the very first day of classes I couldn’t find the Bloomberg building for physics, and this super nice upperclassman actually walked me all the way there!
6. Leave an assignment (especially for physics or calculus) to do the night before it’s due. You’ll end up: a) Hating yourself and pulling an all-nighter in MSE, which is sometimes deliriously fun, but I would not recommend it. b) Not getting it done. or c) Finishing it at a reasonable hour (which usually results in a poor grade).
7. Only sign up for 1 club. Try to go to the Activities Fair at the beginning of the year and get on the email lists for a few of the clubs that you’re somewhat interested in. After you attend a couple of the first meetings, it’s usually pretty easy to pick which ones you’d like to pursue long term.
   

   Applying to be a part of SAAB was one of the best decisions I made during my freshman year!

8. Sign up for too many clubs. (Opposite of Lesson #7) It might be tempting to pack your schedule with meetings/practices/rehearsals, but you need to set aside time slots for studying and office hours as well!
9. Register for an 8am section on Friday mornings. I was among the high school students that did not realize that Thursday was a popular night to go out in college, hence my being half asleep every Friday physics section (and yes they took attendance).
   

   Bad decision...

10. Eat more than 2 FFC cookies a day. Just don’t do it! (I heard a rumor at the end of last year that a single FFC cookie was around 150-200 calories)
11. Forget an umbrella (or rain boots). Baltimore is notorious for its unpredictable weather! Be forewarned, you do not want to be in the midst of your morning walk to class when a thunderstorm seems to appear out of nowhere. You also do not want to loose a flip flop or shoe in the rain puddles, and yes, I am speaking from personal experience.
12. Go to the Rec Center around 6 or 7pm- it’s packed! Try to work out in the early morning or later in the evening if your schedule permits.
13. Be afraid to go through sorority/fraternity recruitment. It starts in the spring, and honestly, even if it’s not your thing, you’ll be glad that you gave it a shot  and saw what it had to offer.
    

    My entire "pham" during Homecoming weekend.

14. Take your friends for granted. The friends that you make in college feel like your extended family since you’re seriously around them all the time. Friends are what make college so memorable, so don’t forget to make them a priority!
    

    My best friends- Carolyn, Carly, and Kaitlin. I'm super excited to live with them this year!

15. Forget to call your parents. College can be pretty overwhelming at first, and it’s nice to know that you have a support system back home. They’ll be happy to hear from you!
16. Be afraid to venture off campus, especially as a freshman. The city of Baltimore has such a plethora of things to do and see, don’t wait until your second semester to take advantage of it!
    

    An inner-harbor outing during Orientation last year.

17. Leave your dorm walls blank. A few posters and pictures can completely change the feel of your tiny dorm room. 
18. Sit in the back in any of your classes, especially the big lectures. Professors take notice of the students that sit in the front! Plus, it’s much easier to hear the professor, see the board, and pay attention if you’re in the front row.
19. Sleep through an exam. If you do though, don’t panic! I actually slept through one of my chemistry midterms last year, and lucky for me, my professor let me take the exam without any sort of penalty.
20. Be afraid to be a little out there. It’ll make a great story later.
    

    That time I dressed up as a princess for physics lecture during secret week...

21. Forget a fan if you’re living in the AMR’s. During the first three weeks of school, it can get pretty toasty in the AMR’s. I would even suggest two if at all possible.
22. Let other students intimidate you. Typically, the students that are always bragging about their grades and the amount of time (or lack of time) that they spent studying are the ones that are trying to overcompensate for their insecurities. Every student has their own study habits and patterns, and you shouldn’t let others try to scare you.
23. Attempt to do all assignments by yourself. Unlike high school classes, some Hopkins courses definitely require group work.
    

    Group studying in the AMR's... physics of course!

24. Underestimate yourself. If you were accepted at Hopkins, the highly qualified admissions committee fully believed that you would be able to succeed in this environment. Selling yourself short or being negative will only hurt you. Set your goals and self expectations extremely high, and even if you don’t make it quite there, you’ll know that you gave it your 100%.
25. Forget to have fun! We only have 4 years at this amazing university, so we need to enjoy every second of it!
    

    JHU_Nick and I, living it up!

     

Sometimes I steal my friends' Instagram pictures despite my own anti-Instagram stance. Shh!

I’m the kind of person who usually veers away from advice. Be it as straightforward as bringing a coat because it’s cold/umbrella because it’s raining/[insert necessary object] because [insert natural disaster], as monumental as choosing a college, or as obvious as not taking and later eating an entire FFC to-go box full of cake, a decision only half-filled with regret, I typically ignore outside opinions and just go with the flow of my own ideas. Call it self-sufficiency or call it stubbornness, you can even “call it maybe” if that’s more your style, I figured that it would be hypocritical for me to write a blog of advice for the Class of 2016 without first mentioning my own disdain towards the simplest suggestion. I only say this because, despite whatever advice I can give you, I trust that you’re all capable of getting through the admittedly tough first few weeks of college. Part of college is making mistakes, maybe sometimes more than we’d like, but it’s inadvertently there. SO, all that being said, here’s some advice! Take it with a grain of salt or a lump of pepper (said no one, ever. Antonyms are hard.) but basically I invite you to read my tips for what’s to come while also reminding you that all will be fine!

1. Pack lightly. I came to Baltimore with a total of 5 bags between myself and my parents. So imagine my surprise when, sans parents helping me to move out, I couldn’t fit everything I had brought and acquired at school into the 2 bags I could check at the airport! Clearly I’m not a math major. Long story short, think ahead! Everything you take to school will need to come back/be moved somewhere at the end of the year. If your parents will come and help you move out, go crazy! Bring a U-Haul truck! (Just kidding, my sister’s freshman roommate actually did this. It’s a little excessive if you ask me). Otherwise, do you really need that sweatshirt that you haven’t worn since middle school or that book that you don’t plan on opening? (Spoiler alert: no).
2. Breathe. Your parents might be kind of sad about you leaving for college, so try to make some of your last moments under their wings as stress-free and relaxed as possible. Example: it made my mom much more at ease to buy me things like shampoo, food, and disinfectant Clorox things (I really don’t know…) in inordinate multiples. As a quasi-minimalist, this seemed rather unnecessary, especially at the time foreseeing the potential results to come from aforementioned rule #1. However, I let her continue, even if it meant biting my tongue, in order to make move-in easier on us all. You’ll be in a compact room with your family, your roommate, and your roommate’s family, attempting to move furniture, set up Wi-Fi, and put everything in its place. It will make it easier on all of you if you just remember to breathe and carry on. Make this time with your family as stress-free and enjoyable as possible because pretty soon, you’ll be own your own.
3. Leave your room! So you’ve set up your dorm to perfection and your parents are gone; now what? Go somewhere else! Sure it’s nice to relax in your room after a day of Orientation events, but you’ll have plenty of leftover time, and it doesn’t hurt to hang out in your common room or knock on some doors and say hi. I remember reading JHU_Sydney’s tips before move-in and one in particular stuck with me: Skype is your friend (keep in touch with those from home) but also your enemy (don’t stay in your room all day and neglect the new friends to be made around you).
4. #YOOO, also known as “you only Orientation once.” I really wish I had gone to more events, as there are a lot to choose from. There’s really no harm in at least checking out an event; if it’s boring, you can always leave, but who knows, you might also meet a best friend. Go out of your comfort zone and meet new people, the easiest way, of course, being to make the most out of Orientation.
5. Find your classes…actually. I walked around campus with people from my floor a few days before classes started to find where certain buildings were, but didn’t take the time to figure how exactly to get to each building. Don’t be that kid who leaves Gilman looking for Olin Hall, a fairly simple endeavor, ends up at Bloomberg, and then finally finds Olin, walking into his Intro GECS class 10 minutes late. Was this me on my first day of classes, you may ask? I’ll let the emotional trauma that I feel while typing this answer that question for you. If you’re not directionally-challenged like myself, I envy you, but if the thought of a map gives you anxiety, there will be plenty of time to find your classes beforehand, so do so thoughtfully!

So where does this leave us? Hopefully less worried, but who knows, I may have just increased your stress tenfold. Basically I would say to make the most out of the experience, be smart, maybe even be reckless, but really just to take everything one step at a time. Before you know it, move-in and Orientation will all be things of the past, and Hopkins will be — you guessed it — home.

Just some ridiculous people who I can't wait to see

As for me, I’ll be winding down my summer as I prepare to head back to Hopkins in a few days, which basically just means spending time with family and 24/7 eating, often times concurrently. No complaints. In exciting news, this blog represents my last post on the shared Class of 2015 blog. But no need to fear! You can keep in touch with me and my fellow SAAB sophomores as we move on to our own blogs in anticipation of a whole new class of SAAB freshmen taking our place. Woot! To anyone who has read my blogs this year, I hope that they’ve provided you with some kind of insight, knowledge, solace, or maybe even a laugh here and there. I look forward to blogging next time from my very own blog, and as I cope with the disbelief that I’m no longer a freshman, I hope that you’ll continue to join me as I move on to three more great years at Hopkins. Until then, take care!

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!

Rachel, Blake, Mara and I at a minor league baseball game! Our team is called the Richmond Flying Squirrels...I wish I was kidding.

Some of you will be homesick. Some of you, like me, will be so caught up in the newness of college life that you’ll forget to be homesick. Some of you will gain weight (It happens, don’t freak out). Some of you won’t (And we all hate you). Some of you won’t think to bring rainboots (Try walking on marble steps in flip flops after it rains. Do it. See what happens).

You’ll pay $15 for a cab to Penn Station // Towson // downtown until you realize (or your RA kindly informs you) that you can get there for free. You’ll drink questionable hot chocolate at the Lighting of the Quads and then wonder if you missed it (…but actually). You’ll be nervous that they won’t let you into Maxie’s. You’ll brag about your weekend and wonder why the upperclassmen keep shooting you disgruntled looks as they pass by.

And at some point, you’ll inevitably start to feel a little lost. It might be right away, like when some small Asian girl is far too enthusiastic about being your PA during Orientation Week (sidenote: if you’re a freshman reading this and are in my PA group, THANKS FOR EMAILING ME BACK NOT), or when it’s the first day of classes and you don’t know where Olin Hall is (don’t worry, nobody does). Or maybe it won’t hit you until you’re halfway through the semester and things start to get real, solidify into the beginnings of an experience that is less about making mistakes and more about making memories.

DIY skull cutout tee

I know what you’re thinking. With summer winding down, your thoughts are playing a disorienting game of racquetball against the inside of your head, ricocheting from one state of disbelief to the next. You can’t wait to leave. You can’t believe you’re leaving. You direct all of your listlessness towards a picked cuticle, gnawed and red; disguise any feelings of nostalgia as fondness for a particular article of clothing. Your questions seem all wrong: How did you get so old? Why do you feel so unprepared? Does anyone else feel like this too, or is it just you? Is everything ending, or just beginning?

Top: Anselm Kiefer at the VMFA // Bottom: Notes in my sketchbook

The good news is that this feeling never quite goes away. I’ve still jammed more printers in the library than I’ve managed to print from, and the thought of registering for classes on ISIS makes me need a latte.  Sometimes, I don’t know what pleases me more – the fact that I can nab a cubicle during finals week or that I always somehow manage to eat half of my weight’s worth in snacks on C-level without detection. I’m never dressed appropriately for the Baltimore weather, and I still order the same thing from Tamber’s every time.

And when all is said and done, I’m still lost – not in mishaps or even memories, but in moments. This one: a sharp intake of breath, the sudden dilation of thought and sound.

These last few weeks of summer are just the quiet before the storm.  It’s like leaping off of a swing set – propelling into thin air for a brief, heady second – whether you’re a freshman or a senior, this temporary lull leaves us all a little disoriented, a little lost.

So, Class of 2016 – expect all of this and more. Expect to return to this feeling of nostalgia and anticipation again and again. Expect the unexpected, enjoy the rest of your summers, and I’ll see you in two weeks!