Verbal Snippets & Snapshots

A lot of things have happened since my winter break in which I spent time both at home in Connecticut and with immediate and extended family members in California. After spending the first week of Intersession continuing to divide time in Connecticut and California, I returned to Baltimore for the remainder of Intersession and have been here ever since. It’s only been a little under a month that I’ve been back in Charm City (as Baltimore is fondly nicknamed)–but as I’ve said, a lot has happened. Among those things includes taking several steps in exploring numerous options for what I’ll do upon graduating.

To make a long story short, I still don’t know yet what I’m doing next year, but I’ve continued to work on weighing the pros and cons of different options. I need to consider a lot of factors, including my ultimate educational and career goals of eventually attending medical school and becoming a physician, as well as the realities of the present (i.e., factors relating to academics, finances, family circumstances, and so on). Currently, I’m considering returning home to the southwestern Connecticut/New York City area and exploring my options there for next year (instead of staying in Baltimore); however, as I often stress, one can never be sure of what the future will be until the future is actually the present. In short: we’ll see what happens!

I like to be organized, and I like to plan things ahead of time as much as possible, so I’ll admit that I’m a little apprehensive about not having my plans for next year anywhere close to set in stone. After learning a lot of life lessons from the time I spent with many people from my family over winter break and after talking to several friends of mine who graduated either last year or two years ago, however, I’ve learned to be not too worried about the future. I’m starting to realize that I just need to do whatever I can–be it researching job opportunities, applying to jobs, exploring grad school options just in case, and so on–and not fret too much about what I can’t do.

Being less than four months away from graduation and fretting about the uncertainty of the future reminded me of how much more anxious I was in high school as a senior–and it made me realize that many of you reading this blog entry might be feeling the same way, too (unless you’ve been accepted ED). With that in mind, I have three pointers on how not to freak out about the future:

1. Breathe. As cliché as it sounds, you do need to take a deep breath, relax, and know that as long as you’ve done what you could, everything will be fine.

2. Have an open mind. Hope for the best, but brace for yourself for the worst. Chances are that the worst probably won’t happen, the best might not happen, and you’ll find yourself somewhere in between (but preferably closer to the best case scenario). In any event, mentally preparing yourself for any kind of situation you can imagine can help you out a lot–not to mention that if your college plans do go as you’ve hoped, having braced yourself for the worst possible scenario will make experiencing your ideal situation all the sweeter.

3. Continue to do what you must do. I can’t stress that enough. If you waste time fretting, all you would’ve accomplished is wasting time. Given that the future is always uncertain, don’t waste the time that you have! Continue to focus on your classes. Continue to do your extracurricular activities. Continue to do whatever you need to do on a daily basis, as you wait to hear word of your college decisions.

With that said, I shall do #1, 2, and 3 myself and resume my daily routine of studying and doing homework! Even though I’m a college senior, I do have a lot in common with many of you who are reading this blog.

As much as I hate to say it, I’ve come across some Hopkins students who seem to complain about Hopkins 24/7. I have to disagree with them. Hopkins is not heaven on earth, of course. However, despite its flaws, it’s still an excellent educational institution–and I’m gosh darn grateful every day that I’m a student here. If you think about it, it’s a privilege both (1) to admitted to this school and (2) to have the financial means to attend this school (whether it’s via financial aid, your own money, your rich uncle’s money, et cetera). I’m guessing that it’s not just at Hopkins, but at other colleges, where students like to complain and moan and whine and fantasize about scaring away prospective students with so-called horror stories. In case you’re still deciding where to go to college and you’ve had the misfortune to communicate with a bitter student from either Hopkins or another college, please read what I have to say.

Based on personal experience and the experiences of other Hopkins students I know, the euphoria of getting acclimated to college life and exploring everything that Hopkins has to offer wears off by the start of sophomore year. Classes become noticeably harder (no matter what your major is), and extracurricular/work commitments become more demanding as you take on leadership positions. The “I love Hopkins mode!” isn’t on 100% of the time as you start to notice that there are things about Hopkins you dislike–especially if some of the things you dislike are things you can’t change (such as, say, the dour disposition of one of your professors).

You can do either one of two things about the loss of your lovey-dovey feeling about Hopkins: (1) become a bitter person about everything you dislike about Hopkins for the rest of your undergraduate career or (2) learn how to deal with the fact that no place is perfect and keep reminding yourself why you chose to be a student at Hopkins. Assuming that you chose to attend Hopkins after serious deliberation, let me remind you that you chose it for its pros, not its cons. After you’re past your honeymoon phase, do you still think the pros that prompted you to choose Hopkins still outweigh the cons you learn as you spend more and more time at Hopkins? Plus, are you coming across new pros to Hopkins in addition to those cons you’re encountering? Complaining/whining/moaning/cursing aside, if you actually think about the state of your student-hood at Hopkins, chances are that it’s not so bad after all. In fact, it’s probably great!

I do my best to do #2. If that fails, I call my parents or one of my friends from home to vent. More often than not, I’m offered one or both of the following pieces of advice: (1) “You’re not going to like everything. You’ll always find in life that there are people you don’t like and there are things you don’t like. Just don’t let them get to you.” and (2) “You’re at a great school, and you’re a bright girl. You can do it!”

Sure, it’s hard sometimes to pep myself up at moments when I second-guess the decision I made three years ago to attend Hopkins. It’s especially hard when I have experiences such as looking at my watch while I’m studying and realizing that it’s already 2:00 a.m., yet there are still several things I want to do before I go to bed. Still, the habit of periodically taking the time to reflect on my Hopkins experiences and analyze them is the reason why I find myself honestly saying, “I love it here!” whenever I’m asked what I “really” think about Hopkins. There’s a reason–or, I should say, there are reasons–why I’m still here after nearly six semesters (plus one summer) at this university. It’s not “I’m too lazy to transfer.” And no, I’m not being paid or bribed to stay here, either! It’s because (1) I love being a student at this university and think all the pros about it outweigh the numerous (yes, numerous) cons, and (2) my family and I are blessed that financial circumstances (which include the phrases “financial aid” and “work-study awards”) allow me to remain one.

Yes, it’s true that Hopkins is a school where you have work hard for your grades, where your hand isn’t held (so to speak), where an already-challenging workload gets harder after freshman year, where the words grade inflation are seldom uttered. (Take a look at this thread on the Hopkins Forums about the topic: CLICK HERE.) By the way, if you haven’t read JHU_Roxi’s fabulous entry that she wrote last year regarding the correlation between work and Hopkins, please read it. Every word of it is true.

However, it’s also true that Hopkins is a school with numerous academic opportunities–so many that it’s hard to fathom them all at once. It’s also true that Hopkins is a school that has a large and strong alumni network. It’s also true that Hopkins is a school that’s known to produce hard-working individuals by their time of graduation. (True fact: I’ve heard many stories about how Hopkins alumni who are employers prefer to hire Hopkins students over students from other high-profile institutions–because they know about the work ethic of Hopkins students.) It’s also true that Hopkins is filled with students who appreciate the value of taking time off from studying to have fun every now and then–and that many students live by the “Work hard, play hard!” and “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!” credos.

This may not apply to you, but have you heard the saying about how your parents seem to know everything when you’re a young child, “dumb” when you’re an adolescent/teenager, and wise when you’re an adult? The same kind of thing applies to Hopkins. It seems amazing when you first step foot on here. Then it seems horrible once you get used to this school and start noticing things you don’t like about it. Then you start to appreciate its flawed beauty the closer you get to graduation.

With that said, if you’re still deliberating to attend Hopkins, please realize that it’s not a perfect school–but no school is. And for an imperfect school, Hopkins is pretty darn awesome. (And for the cynical readers: no, I’m not being paid to write this. I work in three work-study jobs to get by financially, and this definitely isn’t one of them!) If you haven’t already, please take advantage of resources such as other blogs written by Hopkins students, the Hopkins Forums, and even a Facebook group designed for students admitted to Hopkins. Use them to get more information about how it’s like to be a student at Hopkins. I’m guessing you’ll find out that, well, it’s wonderful.

For those of you still wondering whether to attend Hopkins or another school, please consider what I’ve said and good luck with your decision. As great as I think this school is, it’s also not for everyone. Please make sure that Hopkins has what you’re looking for academically, socially, and so on. For those of you who’ve already chosen to attend Hopkins, I’m looking forward to seeing you in the fall–and also please consider what I’ve said. You’re in for an up-and-down roller coaster ride that will be nothing short of exhilarating.

Take care. :)

Just a few hours ago, I returned to Baltimore from a weekend-long retreat I helped run at a retreat house in rural Pennsylvania. (I’m the co-retreat chair for the JHU Catholic Community this year.) One of our activities included a discussion about decision-making, and one of my co-retreat attendees chose to talk about how he handled the college selection process when he was a high school senior. Since he’s now a graduate student, this took place seven years ago–yet I found there were similarities between his situation back then and my similar situation three years ago. Both of us felt like we were stuck between two equally compelling college choices when we were high school seniors–despite the four-year gap, despite the difference in the college choices available, and despite numerous other factors. Also, both of us as high school seniors felt a lot of pressure to make the “right” decision in selecting which college to attend–after all, it’s an important decision.

Upon further reflection, I also realized that year after year, high school seniors across the nation who plan to attend college all feel the same kind of pressure at this time of the year. It’s just as perennial as the flowers that start to blossom at this time of the year in regions of the world that are located in the Northern Hemisphere and have temperate climates. Seven years ago, my friend felt this kind of pressure. My high school friends and I felt this kind of pressure three years ago. Meanwhile, volunteering with the admissions office has led me to interact with numerous high school seniors who felt this kind of pressure two years ago…one year ago…and now this year. For many of you who are reading this blog entry, you’re probably thinking that you’re no exception.

To that, all I have to say are two words: Don’t worry.

I don’t mean you should take the college selection process lightly. As other current Hopkins students have said in their blog entries over the past week, you still should weigh the pros and cons of the colleges that have accepted you. You still should consider factors such as academics, location, financial aid, and campus life among the pros and cons. (And don’t forget that when it comes to learning more information about Hopkins in particular, I highly recommend that you look at our website for admitted students, our Facebook group for admitted students, the Hopkins Forums, and other blog entries recently written by current Hopkins students.) You still should determine whether or not you want to stay on wait lists. You still should take steps to cope with college rejections if you received any. (It’s true that in the larger realm of things, being rejected by a college isn’t the worst tragedy that could happen to someone–but let’s admit that the sting of such a rejection is still not pleasant at all.)

What I mean is this: as you take all the necessary steps related to the process of deciding at which educational institution you’ll spend the next four years, you should make an effort to have as calm an attitude as possible. I know it’s easier said than done. I myself am the type of person who can’t help but have butterflies in my stomach and double-think, triple-think, and even quadruple-think every aspect of major decisions I need to make.

Do whatever you need to do to arrive at a decision by the end of the month regarding your college selection. However, you don’t need to fret about the outcome. You’ll be fine in the end.

Good luck!

With only two weeks to go until the Hopkins Class of 2012 finally moves in, I’ve decided to devote my last blog entry of the summer to giving a few words of advice to the incoming freshmen. I’ve also decided to give these words of advice in a video format. By the way, the video below originally was longer, but I couldn’t upload it in its full length on YouTube, so I cut out some of the end — I’m sorry if the end of the following video sounds abrupt. Anyway, I hope you enjoy watching it!

P.S. I’ve also realized that last summer, I wrote a blog entry about avoiding the “Freshman Fifteen.” I’m not sure if it says anything that you incoming freshmen haven’t heard already, but do check it out as well. Well, on to the video!

First of all, congratulations to everyone who has been accepted ED into Hopkins! Anyway, I just finished taking my last final this morning, and I’ve never had such an exhausting final three weeks of a semester! I’m surprised that I’m still intact after number of hours I’ve spent at the library–and, if the experiences of older Hopkins students are to be my guide, I know final exams/papers/projects season will only get more intense in upcoming semesters. However, for some reason, I’m itching to start the next semester and try even harder to do well in everything I do here.

This semester has definitely been much more difficult than previous semesters for me in terms of juggling academics, extracurricular activities, and work. Now that I’m finally done with the semester, I’m literally sitting and thinking about the past four months. By the way, I’m currently by myself in my suite, since one of my suitemates went home for winter break two days ago, a second suitemate went home for winter break two hours ago, and the third suitemate just left to meet a friend two minutes ago. I, in turn, am typing this blog entry at my desk, as I’m waiting for mi padre to pick me up so that I could go home for the winter break.

Looking back at this semester, I’m surprised to realize how many things I’ve learned, both inside the classroom and outside it. What I’ve learned inside the classroom isn’t very surprising to me; I started this semester expecting that I would learn certain concepts in my courses, and I have learned them. However, I’m definitely surprised over how much I’ve learned outside the classroom this semester. At the beginning of the semester, I didn’t think I would learn many non-academic lessons, since I thought I had already found my niche at Hopkins. I was wrong. Indeed, now that I think of it, I’ve learned a lot of non-academic lessons outside the classroom over not just the past semester, but the past three semesters–and, as I’ve already said about this semester, even if you’re no longer a wide-eyed freshman, you still learn a lot of things outside the classroom in college. While I’m only a 19-year-old youth and not a 90-year-old sage, I’ll try to impart what my paltry wisdom has gleaned from my short life:

1. As busy as you may be and as good as your college friends may be, you’ll still find yourself missing home and your family and friends there.

2. A half gallon of milk and a box of cereal can go a long way in saving time–and money–for meals. In addition, leftovers of a meal sometimes taste more delicious than the meal did at first, simply because you know you’re eating two meals for the price of one.

3. Your health is definitely your wealth. Don’t underestimate sleep, healthy eating, or daily exercise.

4. “Thinking outside the box” is not a saying. It’s a way of life.

5. The more time passes by, numerical age starts to matter less, while maturity starts to matter even more.

6. Music is a fabulous stress reliever, whether you’re listening to it, creating it, or discussing it. I’d known about its therapeutic qualities well before coming to Hopkins, but I’ve come to appreciate it even more here.

7. Nonetheless, laughter is the best medicine.

8. In an environment in which you live with, work with, study with, eat with, and socialize with mostly your peers, you really start to notice the difference between your peers who are your friends and your peers who aren’t.

9. Giving up on something or someone isn’t always a sign of failure on your part. It can be a sign of accepting reality and learning how to move on.

10. Don’t be afraid to speak up!

11. Hard work does pay off, even if there are times when it doesn’t seem that way.

12. There’s always more to a person than what you think about him or her at first–and yes, this applies even to a professor whose class you dislike.

13. Life isn’t always a fairy tale with a happy ending. It also isn’t always the script of a film noir.

14. Misunderstandings such as friendships gone wrong and relationships gone sour do not mean you should view yourself as a bad person.

15. No matter how many mistakes you’ve made, there’s always the future in which you can remedy your mistakes. Likewise, no matter how many achievements you’ve done, there’s always a future in which you can make mistakes that would nullify the benefits of your hard work. The point is: don’t dwell on the past.

N.B. The first image used in this blog entry is a photo of an art print that I found on Art.com; it says the word “wisdom” in Chinese calligraphy. I found the other images via Google Image Search.

The “Freshman Fifteen” isn’t a myth. It’s a possibility. Note that I didn’t say that it’s a fact. While it does apply to some people, it doesn’t apply to everyone. It didn’t apply to me, even on the weeks when my eating habits were far from exemplary and exercise was an endangered species in Planet Kate. Still, while I didn’t gain fifteen pounds, my weight fluctuated during my freshman year. At some times, I was a few pounds heavier than I was in September. At other times, I was the same weight as I was in September. There were even times when I was lighter than I was in September!

Looking back on my up-and-down weight experience of freshman year, I’ve decided to try giving some advice on avoiding the “Freshman Fifteen.” Just be aware that I’m not a nutritionist giving a customized diet plan: I’m only a college student who survived her freshman year without suffering the perils of the “Freshman Fifteen”! Of course, avoiding the “Freshman Fifteen” wasn’t sheer luck! Even though I said in the previous paragraph that there were “weeks when my eating habits were far from exemplary and exercise was an endangered species in Planet Kate,” there were also weeks when I wasn’t ashamed to call home and hear my parents ask me (a) about my weight and (b) if I’d exercised that day. Such weeks were the times when I did the items on the list below. Looking back, if I did those things every week, then maybe I would’ve avoided weight gain altogether as a freshman, not just the “Freshman Fifteen”!

1. If you resolve to make an improvement in your eating and exercise habits, do it.

2. Watch your coffee consumption! Plain coffee itself has few calories, but if you add “extras” to it, then which “extras” you add makes a difference. Also, if you’re fond of buying prepared coffee beverages made with whole milk and sugary syrups and topped with whipped cream, just be aware of how many calories you’re consuming with each drink.

3. Pay attention to your stomach. Eat only when you’re hungry. Once you stop feeling hungry, stop eating. Don’t stuff yourself. If that means you have food left over, then you can wrap it up and save it for later. (This is also a good way to save money!)

4. A general rule of thumb is that the less processed the food is, the better it is for you.

5. Unless you’re pressed for time, use stairs instead of elevators. Similarly, if you have the time to do so, walk to a place within walking distance instead driving or getting a ride there (unless it’s at night, and you feel that you might be better off calling a security van to drive you somewhere for safety reasons). Get into the habit of moving around as often as you can.

6. Set aside time to do meaningful exercise every day, whether it’s jogging around campus or going to the rec center or taking a dance class or attending a sports team practice.

7. Look at yourself in a mirror regularly. I’m not saying that you should become narcissistic. I’m saying that you should be aware of how your body looks, and in order to do that, you should look at yourself in a mirror. If you’re gaining weight, it’ll show. If you’re losing weight, it’ll show. If you’re maintaining your weight, it’ll show. Oh, and don’t use a mirror that makes you look skinny to delude yourself, either.

Of course, a Homo sapiens is a Homo sapiens. No person is perfect. As I’ve said, while I never came close to gaining fifteen pounds, there were times when I gained a few pounds because of unhealthy eating or lack of exercise. Suppose that you try to avoid the “Freshman Fifteen,” but there’s a time when you gain weight because of poor eating habits, poor exercise habits, or both. (I was a living example of such a scenario several times as a freshman.) If that happens, don’t give up on yourself! Instead, admit to yourself that you made mistakes in your eating and exercise habits, try to lose the weight that you gained, and go on from there. Otherwise, if you panic over gaining a few pounds, think that the “Freshman Fifteen” is your inevitable fate, and give up on avoiding it, then you’ll probably get it. The biggest key to avoiding the “Freshman Fifteen” is perhaps having the right attitude.

N.B. This is my umpteenth blog entry illustrated by photos found via Google Image Search.

Good luck, everyone!

It was only a year ago that I was in your shoes. Now that I’m a student at Hopkins, it’s tempting to look back and say, “Don’t worry–you’ll be fine.” I won’t, though.

I was told the same thing last year, but what did I do? I stressed out and panicked. Maybe it didn’t help that the first college decisions I received were denials and wait-listings, so I was worried if I’d even go to college. As you could see, I did–and do–go to college. Ergo, all I’ll say is that it’s understandable if you check your e-mail incessantly, rush to look at your mailbox every time you arrive home from school, and so on. I did that myself. Just make sure that doing those things won’t rule over your life. Don’t forget that while you’re still in high school, you still have to complete your academics well in order to get that diploma and start college! Also, whatever you enjoy doing for fun, do it. It won’t change what decisions you’ll receive from different colleges, but maybe it’ll help ease your mind a bit. I also hope that once those decisions start arriving in your inbox or mailbox, they’ll be good ones! Once last year, I missed my school bus, couldn’t get a car ride home, and thus decided to walk home after school. After half an hour of walking in the spring sun, I arrived home sweaty–it didn’t help I was wearing a school uniform–to see a mailbox filled with mail.  And the college mail? A rejection letter from my (then) first-choice school and a wait-list letter from another prestigious college that I liked a lot. What a living nightmare.

With that said, good luck in dealing with your anxiety (you’re entitled to some worrying–just don’t worry too much), and may you have multiple acceptances!

N.B. Once again, I am indebted to Google Image Search for illustrating my blog entry.

Stress. It’s familiar to many of us here, but I’ve found that it’s especially familiar during the last weeks of the semester. Monday, December 11, will be the last day of classes for the first semester, and guess what will start on Friday, December 15? Finals!

With that said, here are some ways to relieve stress at Hopkins, listed in no particular order:

1. MUSIC: Whether you listen to it or play it, music can be a good friend in terms of stress relief. It’s common to see people here listening to their iPods or mp3 players. There’s also the good old standard of listening to music files on a computer, or the even older standard of listening to music from a boom box in your dorm room. As for playing music, there are music practice rooms at the Mattin Center, and some people play their instruments in their rooms–during timely hours of the day, of course. Even with your door closed, if you’re playing your instrument in your dorm room, people can hear you outside. When one of my housemates did that one afternoon last month, a few of my housemates and I stood outside his door and listened. Meanwhile, if you’re part of a musical group–whether it’s the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, JHU Jazz Ensemble, JHU Wind Ensemble, the flute choir, the pep band, or one of the a cappella groups–then you already even have a scheduled stress outlet.

2. DANCE: If you’re listening to music, how couldn’t you dance to it? There are various dance groups on campus, and if you’re part of one, then you also have a regular outlet of relieving stress. Having spontaneous dance parties in the dorms isn’t unusual, either. For that matter, dancing spontaneously at places besides the dorms isn’t unusual, provided that you do it in a place where noise is tolerated. Don’t attempt to dance while listening to your favorite techno song on your iPod at D-Level of MSE.

3. EXERCISE: Dance is a creative form of exercise, but “regular” exercise is relieving as well. Jogging around campus is certainly an option, but there’s also the O’Connor Recreation Center (usually called the “rec center”). As with music and dance, if you’re part of a sports team or sports club, then you have a regular outlet of relieving stress.

4. SLEEPING: It’s self-explanatory. Sleeping places include dorm room beds, the couches at the main lobby of Gilman Hall, the couches at M-Level of MSE, any place where students study (PSSST, M-LEVEL ISN’T THE ONLY PART OF THE LIBRARY WHERE STUDENTS SLEEP!), and so on. I’m guessing that the only areas on campus that haven’t been inhabited by sleeping members of the subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens are the bathrooms.

5. MASSAGES: Ask a friend to give you one, or use a massaging device. If you’re free on Wednesdays between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., then head to Q-Level of MSE, where members of the group Stressbusters give free massages.

6. OTHER: Play a video game. Punch a pillow. Talk to a friend. Call home. Squeeze a stress ball. There are many more ways in which students at Hopkins relieve stress. As I’ve said, this blog entry lists only some ways to relieve your stress as a student here.

Well, cheerio! May you all find peace in de-stressing.

P.S. As in my previous blog entry, the photos of campus buildings in this blog entry are from the virtual tour on the admissions website.