Freshman year: Profs, parties, beer

Welcome to your freshman year at Hopkins. To ensure a successful freshman year, a few hints have been complied by a recent survivor of AMR II.

Classes

If you think that the breadth of your Hopkins education ends upon completion of your departmental requirements, you will miss out on some of your most exciting educational opportunities. Pick out the freshman seminar with the quirkiest title and immerse yourself in a subject that you never imagined you would be studying. If your major is prone to large lecture classes, then make sure to fit in some smaller classes in which you work closely with the professor on a individualized research project. When you're figuring out your schedule for the semester, don't hesitate to add or drop classes (but make sure to stay attentive to the deadlines imposed by the registrar).

Professors

Before registering for a class, research the professor. Find out what books they've written and what area of scholarship they specialize in. Once you're taking the class, get to know your professor. They've set up office hours because they want you to visit.

Parties

"Work hard, party hard," is a mantra well suited for the typical Hopkins student. As long as you watch for the quarter fliers that frat boys shove beneath the door of your dorm room, there's no way you will miss the "Dalipalooza" or "Pimps and Hoes" frat or house parties.

Student Groups and Volunteer Opportunities

If you support Israel, enjoy tutoring students, want to play rugby or would like to join the Greek scene, then check out the wide spectrum of student groups available at Hopkins. If you're interested in volunteering, the Center for Social Concern can assist in matching you up with a program that will make use of your talents. Rush for Hopkins's four sororities and eleven fraternities takes place in February. Auditions for a variety of a capella and other musical ensembles occur in the fall.

Libraries

Whether you are a pre-med or an English major, an integral part of the Hopkins experience involves becoming buddies with your textbooks in a cozy corner of the library. If the library's 2 a.m. closing time is too early for your studying needs, trek across the quad to Gilman's Hutzler Undergraduate Reading Room (Hut).

Exploring Baltimore and Beyond

Get to know Baltimore beyond your Homewood home. Immediately east of campus you'll run into the Charles Village area. Within walking distance to the northwest of campus you'll step back into Baltimore's "Hon" culture of the 50s in Hampden -- a neighborhood crammed with friendly thrift stores, boutiques, and cafes.

A short walk or taxi ride south from Mount Vernon and you'll arrive in Baltimore's recently revitalized Inner Harbor. From the Inner Harbor, both Little Italy and the Federal Hill bar scene are accessible. Across the harbor is Fell's Point, a waterfront community that swells with college students every Halloween.

Baltimore as a "College Town"

The Baltimore collegiate scene is clearly jealous of Boston, so they've dubbed themselves a "College Town" and set up a shuttle route that transports students between Hopkins, Goucher, Towson, MICA, Loyola, Penn Station and now even the Inner Harbor. Also, if there's a class that you'd like to take but can't find at Hopkins, check into the cross-registration policies with these universities.

Hands-On Learning

Did you know that your J-Card can get you more than a meal in Terrace or access into the library? It'll also give you admission into local art museums: the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum in Mount Vernon, and other Baltimore exhibits.

People

Four years of college and 4,000 peers. At what other point in your life are you going to be surrounded by such a wealth of possibilities in friendship and knowledge? Take advantage of your surroundings and meet students in your dorm, in your classes, in the cafeteria and in the library. Get to know your fellow Blue Jays!