Throughout my time at Hopkins, I have mastered the art of the perfect class schedule. Don’t believe me? I not only have Mondays and Fridays completely off, giving me a four-day weekend, but I also have a semester packed with classes I love.
Here’s what my week looks like:
Monday
10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
I’ll sleep in, usually. This gives me a chance to catch up on some sleep, as my personal sleep hygiene could use some serious work. I also like to take this day to catch up on any homework or housework (like laundry or tidying up my apartment). Adulting is real, y’all.
5 to 9 p.m.
Near the end of the day, I might have to go to campus to rehearse for the JHU Theatre production.
Tuesday
12 to 1 p.m.
My first class is Craft of Fiction, a slightly higher-level fiction class you can take after Introduction to Fiction and Poetry I and II. It’s a smaller, seminar-style course, so you get a chance to really talk to your fellow students. There is a decent amount of required reading (usually a selection of four or five short stories and a literary essay), but as a bookworm, I absolutely love it. Some of my favorite readings so far have been “Who Will Greet You at Home?” by Lesley Nneka Arimah and “24, Alhaji Williams Street” by Pemi Aguda. This is also a smaller, seminar-style course.
6 to 8:30 p.m.
My second and final class of the day is The Lab – The Actor/Director/Playwright Lab. This elective is like an independent study in a larger group, where students bring in personal theatrical projects to work on. Students are involved in one another’s projects and give feedback as well. I am directing a cabaret-style musical performance with songs from film and TV. Other students are writing full-length plays or bringing in scenes and monologues to perform. his has been one of my favorite experiences at Hopkins because I get to spend time with people who are passionate about their own projects, and you get to see them develop in real time!
Wednesday
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
My first and only class is none other than Foundation Drawing, offered at the Center for Visual Arts. It’s truly amazing that I can simply wake up ready to draw something, go draw something, and then come right back home. I have another blog post that goes more in depth about this class, so if you’re interested, check it out!
Thursday
12 to 1 p.m.
We’re back to Craft of Fiction. I appreciate how this section of the course is split into two days, so it doesn’t feel like too much time at once. Some people prefer longer, less frequent classes, while others prefer shorter, more frequent classes; I am somewhere in the middle, where it sort of…depends. In this case, I think the latter option works really well!
5 to 9 p.m.
Usually, I’ll have another rehearsal in the evening. Productions through the theatre department usually rehearse anywhere from two to five times a week, based on the number of cast members and their availability. As this production is a four-person cast, we have been meeting on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays!
Friday
10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
I’ll sleep in, again. Then, I’ll take the day to catch up on any homework, meet up with friends, have a little study session, or go explore Baltimore!
5 to 9 p.m.
Typically, there is another rehearsal for the production. Now, you may be wondering why I’m including my rehearsal schedule (quite inaccurately, as times vary each week), but that is because this is actually my last “course” of the semester. The theatre department at Hopkins offers Theatre Practicum, which is academic credit for “in-depth contributions to a JHU Theatre production.” As I am acting in the theatre department’s spring mainstage production, this counts as part of my class schedule. Pretty cool, huh?
And that is my senior spring semester schedule!
My biggest piece of advice to mastering the perfect schedule is filling it with courses you are genuinely excited for (and if you can, leave a day open for rest and homework). It will not only make getting out of bed easier (if you also have a messed-up sleep schedule), but it will make your college experience that much more memorable!
There is enough wiggle room (especially by senior year) to fit in a range of electives—even if they have nothing to do with your major! The professors here are so passionate about what they teach, and many would be more than happy to guide you in personal projects and offer advice. By taking a course that appeals to you, you might be opening other doors for yourself too. You’ll meet people with similar interests and learn things you’ll actually remember for longer than the semester. Seriously, give it a shot; college is about so much more than simply fulfilling course requirements.
Let me know how it goes!
