What do this year's freshmen have to say about adjusting to life here on the Homewood campus?
Starting at Hopkins is in some ways a chance to start anew, in a new environment with new people and new opportunities. Kevin Huang says, "I didn't have a very good high school experience -- Hopkins is better." The class of 2010 is excited about research opportunities, professors ("my Orgo professor is funny") and surprisingly, the food. "Its good!" said one student of the Fresh Food Caf8e (formerly Terrace).
Most seem to think that the Hopkins community is "accepting" and that people are "generally friendly," "helpful" and "not too competitive yet." Roommates range from "wonderful c9 we are the same person" to "alright c9" to "no comment." "There's a lot of very different people here," says freshman Mike Murray, "Where I'm from, everyone is basically like me. It takes some getting used to." At the same time however, he sees meeting new people as a "fun experience" and thinks that life on campus "feels almost the norm already."
Many enjoy meeting new people in the highly academic Hopkins atmosphere. E.J. Hayes, a tennis-playing engineer thinks of Hopkins students as "people you can relate to." He hopes to start an engineering group on campus and is already recruiting a pre-frosh for next year's class.
Another big change freshmen face is schedule flexibility. "I slept through half my first class" says Kempton Baldridge. "I thought it was at eleven but it was at ten." Megan Wei comments on the "shorter class times" and "more work to do on your own." And the work -for some -begins the moment they step into class. "I had fifteen pages of homework due the next day," says Grace Tan of her first day of classes. Grace is from Singapore, and though it is her "first time out of the country alone" she does not feel homesick yet.
For those that do miss home, or those with concerned family members, e-mail, skype, and daily telephone calls are various ways students can keep in touch. "I miss home," says Kevin, "but I call them every day."
As far as the freshman social scene, SAE was packed this weekend and freshman donned white for the Pike white party. Those not into such tightly packed intimate contact take advantage of AMR public hallways and bathrooms to meet people. "Wolman is only good for watching TV" says one student. Kempton tells of meeting friends in the third person when he says "a boy decided to stay up a bit later. There were many pretty girls. He thought that night would be his nightc9." And what of those community bathrooms? "Living conditions are fine -if people would take the time to flush the toilet once in a while" says Mark of AMR II."
Welcome Class of 2010, here's to free food, crazy sleeping hours, unflushed toilets, unstable roommates, new-found friends and all-night studying.
