As an incoming high school student, I had many expectations of Hopkins both as a school and community. But, over the course of the last two years here, I have since realized that Hopkins surprises me regularly.
Here is a list of just a few things that have changed the way I experience my school.
1. The humanities programs are really well supported.
In high school, I knew that I wanted to be pre-med and eventually go to medical school. As I got older, I realized I wanted to pursue German in addition to science. Throughout my first year at Hopkins, I got to know a whole group of people who were also interested in the humanities. One of my friends, Dua, is also pre-med but is majoring in anthropology. In my friend circle, there are a few other people, like my friend Weston, who are following similar paths as me and doubling majoring in science and a language.
This summer, I am studying abroad in Vienna (which I am super excited about, by the way) and my travel expenses will be completely covered by the Max Kade Grant from the German department. In my experience and in those of my friends, the humanities programs at Hopkins are just as strong as their STEM counterparts and offer just as many opportunities.
2. Students here genuinely care about one another.
I have truly found a family 300 miles from my own. I came into college worried about finding friends, but I am so blessed to say I now have connections that make going home hard. The people I have met here have very quickly become more than just roommates, hallmates, classmates, or peers and have instead become people that I call first to share news and hang out with. I’ve written so many articles (shoutout to my articles, if you want to take a peek!) about how much those around me mean to me, but I still don’t think I’ve been able to find the words to express it. I love my found family!!
3. Professors are not scary and are excited to talk to you.
To be so honest, I was intimidated by everyone throughout the first few weeks of my first year at Hopkins. But I soon realized that the professors here are not only so cool, but they are also super kind. The Department of Anthropology has faculty that have published some of the top works in the field. Not to brag, but my own principal investigator (PI) in the behavioral biology program, Dr. Andrew Gallup, has hundreds of publications and is kind of famous in his field. I’ve gotten coffee with three of my professors at this point just to chat about our academic interests and life in general. After my PI and I met for the first time during orientation week when he gave a presentation, he waved at me on the first day of classes. Somehow, along the line, professors changed from this untouchable class of intellectuals to a group of people who genuinely want to share their passion for their work and foster the next generation of scientists, linguists, thinkers, and scholars.
4. Clubs and activities build great communities.
I came into Hopkins ready to lock in on my schooling and classes. After checking out the Student Involvement Fair my first semester, I found myself wanting to join more clubs than I had the time and energy for. I spent the majority of the first month or two of my college career hopping around club meetings and trying things out. Eventually, I settled into the solid group of clubs that I find myself loving now. I get to care for my peers alongside the kindest group of people I know in A Place to Talk. My love for kids has landed me in Tutorial Project, where I get to hang out with a kiddo for a few hours each week. And, of course, I am able to continue swimming with the club team here on campus. Looking back over the past two years of my college career, most of my friends are those that I met through my clubs. Not only do we share a passion for learning, and sometimes for the same subject, but we also connect on a level that brings us closer outside of school. I know exactly who I’ll call when I want a workout buddy and exactly who I can run to when I need a shoulder to cry on. The best part is that I’ve shared one of the best laughs I’ve had in my life with each of these people too.
5. The city of Baltimore has lots of greenery and is easy to explore.
Coming from a suburban setting, I was worried about residing in a city and being uncomfortable with my environment. I thought I would be surrounded by concrete skyscrapers all the time, it would smell like smoke, and I would constantly be stuck in traffic. But one of my favorite things to do when the weather is nice is stop by one of the many green places around campus like the Wyman Park Dell, Rawlings Conservatory, and Sherwood Gardens to soak up the sun and enjoy some me time surrounded by nature. I’ve also quickly become an expert in navigating Baltimore’s public bus system and have found such joy and freedom in exploring the different neighborhoods and their small businesses. As an ice cream lover, I’ve made it my mission to try as many ice cream shops in the city as I can. To be completely honest, not a single one of them has missed and I’ve always come back from ice cream runs with a satisfied sweet tooth and a new favorite shop.
Hopkins has surprised me in so many ways over the course of the past few years. I’ve been blessed with an amazing academic program that enables me to learn whatever I want in whichever way is most applicable, while being surrounded by the best group of people I could ask for. Not only is the community within Hopkins super awesome, but I get to engage with the beautiful city of Baltimore and live four years of my life surrounded by places to explore and reconnect with the world.
Now the question is, what do I try next…
