Hi all! The past two weeks have been crazy, and I can’t believe it’s already October! Since my last post, my life has been consumed by:
1. Convocation. Even though Convocation is typically held during the last night of Freshman Orientation, ours was postponed this year due to Hurricane Irene. We (finally) had Convocation two weeks ago, and I am a HUGE geek when it comes to stuff like this, so I couldn’t resist sharing pictures, even if it is a little late!
Me and my friends from 6 West!
Getting ready to go to the Banner Walk with my floor.
2. Craisins. My floormates say that they can tell when I’m stressed out based on whether or not I have a bag of Craisins sitting next to whatever it is I’m working on. I’ve gone through a bag and a half of Craisins in the past two weeks (overkill?), mostly because of…
3. Classes. The other day, one of my professors jokingly asked if any of us had gotten to the point in the semester yet when we started questioning whether or not we could actually cut it here at Hopkins. He got a few chuckles, but the truth of the matter is, it’s midterm week, and if you haven’t started asking yourself that yet, you will. Now, before all the prospective students and dedicated readers of my blog (Hi mommy!) see this and immediately cross Hopkins off of their lists–don’t!
Don’t get me wrong, Hopkins is an academically challenging school. That is, to a certain extent, why we chose to come here. And, with a week of exams under my belt and another week looming, it’s easy to get swept up into the hysteria of highlighters and all-nighters. But, in a weird way, it’s a welcome reality check. I think it’s safe to assume that the majority of us did well in our high school classes, regardless of the subject material. At Hopkins, however, the rigor and the content of the classes make you evaluate where your true academic strengths and interests are. I’ve noticed that the students who take classes because they’re genuinely interested in them tend to do better and work harder.
My schedule for fall semester.
For those of you who don’t know, I am planning on majoring in English with a double major in either Spanish or Writing Seminars, so my courseload and the actual day-to-day work is actually very different from that of a pre-med or science-related major. My schedule this semester is concentrated heavily around the humanities–in fact, the only class I’m taking that isn’t writing- or reading-intensive is Calc I. So while my Engineering and Pre-med friends are doing problem sets and studying for written exams, I’m writing papers (lots and lots of papers!) and reading. Most of my “midterms” last week consisted of papers (and papers…and papers…), which was admittedly a little overwhelming, but I got it all done with a little help from…
4. C-Level. During the day, I love studying in the Hut, located in Gilman Hall, but if I really need to focus, I always go to C-level in the library. It’s quiet and you can work in the individual cubicles or at the group tables.
And, to end on a lighter note…
5. Collegeproblems. Another thing I’m obsessed with! Created by a student at Boston University, this website is hilarious and perfect for taking a study break (see: procrastinating) and/or preserving your sanity during midterm madness. If you’ve never heard of Collegeproblems, witness the magic here!
My life.