Why Hopkins: Admitted Student Blog

Imagine – It’s May, 2013. The warm Baltimore sun is shining on your face as you sit on the beach and reflect upon the incredible year you’ve just completed. What are some of the things you’ll see? Well, this blog will help you figure some of that out with a First Year Hopkins Bucket List! This is obviously not encompassing and you will make your own unique and fun memories along the way, but here are just a few “must do’s” of your Freshman year:

1.) Go on Pre-orientation! The week before orientation begins students can choose to spend a week hiking, rafting, and camping with small groups of other Hopkins students. It’s a great way to come in to Hopkins with a close group of friends and some crazy stories to tell.

2.) Go to as many Orientation events as you can!  This is one of the rare moments of your life when you can walk up to absolutely anyone, introduce yourself, and hopefully become friends  -- which Hopkins helps to happen with fun mixer events such as Playfair, Barbeques, and ice cream socials. And of course, you get to take part in the JHU ’16 photo!

3.) Sign up for a million clubs at the SAC Fair during the beginning of the semester.

4.) Go to Fall Fest and check out the fun events such as the haunted house, pumpkin carving, movies on the beach, lazer tag, and concert – this year it was Super Mash Bros and Far East Movement!

5.) Find your favorite restaurants and coffee shops. Charles village has some really unique and delicious places, such the One World Café, Chocolatea, Carma’s, Donna’s, Silk Road Café, Paper Moon, Café Q, Pura Vida, Starbucks, Alkimia, and Chipotle!  Everyone has that place they go to for the absolute best cup of coffee or dinner – find yours!

6.) Go down to Fells Point for Halloween – it’s one of Hopkins’ best traditions and one of the biggest Halloween parties in America!

7.) Climb to the top of the rock wall in the Rec center!

8.) Go to the Lighting of the Quads – it’s quite the winter kick-off event with lights, a cappella, hot chocolate, and a loud countdown that you absolutely cannot miss.

9.) Take a crazy class over Intersession like the Science of Baking or Ballroom Dancing. You can even do something cool like get your WFR (Wilderness First Responder) Certification! The choices are endless.

10.) Join the nest, learn the rules of lacrosse, and see the D1 Blue Jays play on Homewood Field, especially during Homecoming Weekend. Non-negotiable.

11.) Go to Spring Fair – a time of food, fun, and more food when vendors and shows come to Hopkins. It’s a great time to spend time with friends and take a well-deserved break from work!

12.) Attend an Orioles baseball game at Camden Yards!

13.) Attend the High Table – an exclusive event where freshmen have dinner with profs!

14.) Take the Collegetown shuttle for free to the Inner Harbor or Towson and explore the shops and restaurants. Check out this website for more: http://www.baltimorecollegetown.org/shuttle/

15.) Find your favorite study spot on campus, be it the Beach on a sunny day, the “Hut” in Gilman Hall, or D level of the library at 2 in the morning.

16.) Take a $7 MARC train down to D.C. for a day trip with friends!

17.) Go see the speakers at the Milton S. Eisenhower and Foreign Affairs Symposiums.  In past years, we’ve brought in speakers such as Nelson Mandela, Hillary Clinton, Aziz Ansari, Malcolm Gladwell, Karl Rove, and even Bill Nye, the science guy!

18.) Check out the amazing Inner Harbor! Not only are there great restaurants like Roy’s and the Cheesecake Factory, but you can also take a fun ride on the dinosaur boats!

19.) Take a class purely for the fun of it!

20.) Explore! Try new things! Make new friends! And, most importantly, HAVE FUN!