Author Topic: How has JHU Helped You? (Read 1815 times)

upadhr · « **on:** December 27, 2008, 10:45 PM »

Hi,
I am currently a freshman student attending a small liberal arts and I am planning to apply to Jhu as a transfer student entering as a sophomore. I have a couple of questions that I wanted to ask a currently enrolled JHU student.

Firstly, how did JHU help you figure out the things you really wanted to do in your life? or how did JHU help you decide ur major?

I also wanted to ask a transfer student coming in from a small liberal arts college what things did you find at JHU that you did not find at your previous academic institution?

thanku! :)

JHU_Mandy · « **Reply #1 on:** December 28, 2008, 12:07 AM »

First, I would recommend you check out any of the blogs if you have not already done so. These are written by current students (and there are archived blogs written by former students, now alumni). Throughout many of the blogs you'll find that many students describe their paths to discovering just what it is they want to do with themselves. Many entries are just fun and random, but keep skimming through until you find something that suits you.

Though I was not a transfer student, I can tell you about what attracted me to JHU over other institutions. Hopkins offers amazing research opportunities for undergrads, in addition to our incredibly strong academic programs. It's a challenging environment that really forces you to grow as a student and as a person.

JHU_Stefanie · « **Reply #2 on:** January 05, 2009, 01:03 PM »

It really is important to assess two things prior to deciding which university to attend:
1. What can this university do for me -- which stepping stones will it offer (whether with programs, faculty, facilities, and etc.) me to get to future aspirations?
2. What can I offer this university -- can I be someone at this institution (size, opportunities, research, and etc.)?

The more I reflect on my academic journey at JHU, the more I realize that this university really was a perfect fit for me. First, this university has done A LOT for me. Prior to enrolling (and even throughout the application process), I was pretty narrow-minded in being a "Biology-Spanish" double major because of my current interests of medicine, Latin America, and the United Nations. Little did I know that there was a world of other health professions that would better suit my interests. And I would not have known this if it were not for the core classes taken as a Public Health Studies major. (Read here about how I ended up choosing Public Health Studies) here In Fundamentals of Health Policy & Management, Dr. Deborah Dang from the Johns Hopkins Hospital came to speak to us about nurses in the United States. It was the first academic exposure to a health profession outside of becoming a physician. And I was thrilled! Immediately, I got a book about nurses from the Pre-Professional Advising Office and spoke with faculty and peers. My faculty adviser, Dr. James Goodyear, was also a great person so bounce of the possibilities of pursuing nursing school as well.

After that exposure, I actually did end up enrolling in all of the pre-requisite courses for the nursing schools on my list. And the senior academic advisers were also accommodating in helping me schedule out the following two semesters to be able to fulfill those requirements. In the end, I was accepted to the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing (into their Second Degree, BSN-MSN program). And I think I got into the school (ranked #4 in the nation) because of how the university opened doors for ME to contribute to the UNIVERSITY throughout the years. I was able to teach kids mathematics as a Student Teacher throughout the school year and summers in conjunction with the JHU Tutorial Project, be a member of the Division III JHU Crew team, do research at the medical school, become involved in undergraduate admissions (through SAAB and Admissions Representatives), act as the Philanthropy Chair for Delta Xi Phi - the multicultural sorority, be the President of HAPA - the multicultural club, and more.

JHU_LaurenB · « **Reply #3 on:** January 11, 2009, 10:32 PM »

I think that JHU has helped me realize that I really don't know what I want to do with my life, which may not sound like a good thing, but it really is. I came into the school with a very narrow-minded idea of what I wanted to do--in terms of a major and in terms of jobs. After a few months here and the exposure to all the amazing things that are on offer at Hopkins, I realized how ridiculous it was to limit myself so early. The classes I took at the people I met convinced me that there was a lot more I needed to know before committing to any one thing. I realized that I could major in things I didn't even know existed, and pursue jobs and internships that I hadn't even considered before. Hopkins has a ton of strong programs, and a lot of them don't get as much attention as they should, so I want to take some time to explore all of my options. Because I'm only a freshman, it's not a problem that I have no idea what to do, and I'm sure during my years at Hopkins I'll be able to get a good idea of what it is I would like to do.

JHU_Laura · « **Reply #4 on:** May 02, 2009, 10:01 AM »

I think one of the best things about JHU is meeting all of the people here--the professors, other students, staff members, graduate students--because so many people are doing amazing, wonderful things, and are really passionate about what they are doing!

Seeing other people passionate and engaged, makes you want to be passionate and engaged too--and I think that makes Hopkins such a great, active environment; I am constantly being inspired by all the cool things going on around me.

JHU_Dominique · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2010, 11:16 PM »

Bumping this thread!

JHU has helped me to realize that if I want something, I must go get it...real world prep.

JHU has shown me how different I am from so many other people, and how I can learn from them. Through simple conversations, by attending cultural club meetings from other student groups, etc. I went to my friends panel on the Islam religion and learned a lot. I went to an African Students Association meeting and learned about the political turmoil many nations are experiencing there. I went to my friend's Ethopian coffee ceremony last weekend and learned about the importance of coffee to Ethiopians.

JHU has shown me the difference good professors and advisers can make. I email mine all the time with questions about homework and assignments, and they email back. I asked a professor for help with a paper, and she ended up liking the finished product so much she asked to use it as a model for other students' papers. I went to my orgo lab professor's office hours and her TA help session and ended up getting a really high grade on the report. I went to my orgo lecture professor's office hours and he helped me understand some mechanisms I was having trouble following. I had an academic adviser meeting and she is giving me a lot of personal attention, regardless of the fact that she has so many other students, to help me find some public health summer opps. Get my drift? lol

JHU_Sarah · « **Reply #6 on:** April 12, 2010, 12:44 AM »

Hopkins has taught me to be ambitious on a much higher level. I've learned that I consistently accomplish the most when I expect more from myself.

JHU_Jessica · « **Reply #7 on:** April 13, 2010, 07:58 AM »

Great question. JHU has helped me by supplying with me a tremendous array of classes, people, and opportunities. JHU definitely helped me decide on picking a major. I love my major, public health, and could not imagine getting such a well rounded interdisciplinary health experience at another school. However, all of these opportunities and classes have definitely made me continuously question my future and what exactly I want to do. I seem to keep getting more confused the closer I get to graduation. However, the great thing is that JHU, and public health in general, has made the paths that I could possibly go on limitless.

JHU_Keith · « **Reply #8 on:** April 15, 2010, 12:52 AM »

Honestly, how HASN'T Hopkins helped me?

-Pre-Med advising: the office of pre-professional advising has helped me every step of the way in my journey to medical school. I'd be pretty lost without them.

-Socially: living in Wolman taught me how to live cooperatively with a roommate and cooperate in a community setting. Our floor bonded and, though we had our differences, we all had a positive experience

-Academically: I've learned how to push myself to do my best on everything I turn in. Hopkins is not like high school -- you need to work really hard for your grades. Sometimes it's an A and sometimes it's not; learning how to accept that your best might not be perfect is also an important skill that Hopkins has taught me. Had I gone to a less rigorous school, I probably would still not understand this.

-Professional experience: I work at Union Memorial Hospital as a patient companion, a position that I really enjoy and that gives me good experience for medical school. I found the job through a service provided by Hopkins called J-Connect, which is basically like Monster for Hopkins students. It lets you upload your resume and send it directly to lots of employers, like a common app of jobs. It's great.

Hopkins has helped me in more ways than I can imagine, and I'm not even halfway done.

JHU_Brian · « **Reply #9 on:** April 18, 2010, 10:28 PM »

I feel that Hopkins has helped me tremendously in a number of ways but the key element is that going to Hopkins gives you the confidence to go out and do things that you never realized you would be able to do.

From my challenging coursework to my research to managing my student group's budget, I learn new things each day and also realize that I can do more than I thought possible. I am confident that this confidence will be very beneficial to me once I enter the workforce.

JHU_Kate · « **Reply #10 on:** April 30, 2010, 01:17 PM »

In a nutshell, my past four years as an undergraduate at Hopkins have taught me to set higher standards for myself in almost everything that I do. People are intense (which, I think, is a positive attribute) about their academic, extracurricular, and even social interests here! Also, I think my academic, extracurricular, and work-study experiences at Hopkins have prepared me well for post-college life, both in terms of learning how to be a better student (which will prepare me well for graduate/medical school) as well as having a better work ethic (which will prepare me well for the year I'll spend immediately after graduation working full-time, as well as working in my future career once I'm finally done with schooling altogether).

JHU_Joe · « **Reply #11 on:** April 30, 2010, 02:47 PM »

Hopkins has taught me a lot of things since I first came here last August. First and foremost Hopkins has helped me to utilize all the resources necessary if I need help with something. This doesn't necessarily mean entirely academic things, a few weeks ago when I had personal issues that were conflicting with exams I went to my academic advisor (after Admissions_Daniel told me to do so) who referred me to the Dean of Student Life who wrote an email to all of my professors letting them know what was going on and that I'd be missing some classes and may need to reschedule some exams. Hopkins has also taught me to get involved because no matter what day of the week it is there is ALWAYS something going on that you can be a part of. After all, this is how you get to meet new people!

JHU_Dominique · « **Reply #12 on:** May 04, 2010, 11:01 AM »

^^That's great Joe!

Well this is not about me and it is a couple of years old, but I figured I'd post it considering one of my professors in on there as well as my RA and a few other people I know. Amazing!

http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2009/06apr09/06pura.html

This is what JHU has done for many undergrads.

JHU_Dominique · « **Reply #13 on:** November 14, 2010, 06:10 PM »

Thought I'd add something.

JHU has helped me so far by giving me chances to do such cool things...specifically, I am a TA for chem lab..something I wouldn't have ever dreamed of being. It's one of the few classes where undergraduates are the only ones who are TAs, so that's something special and I am learning so much from it...organizational skills, how to interact with students, how to be safe in the lab, and more!

As I always say, there's so much here for you to do and have...you just have to reach for them and see what happens. :)

JHU_KateT · « **Reply #14 on:** April 10, 2011, 01:34 PM »

JHU has allowed me to make really awesome friends. The people I meet here are not only smart and friendly, but absolutely passionate about everything they do. It's pretty inspiring. JHU has challenged me and taught me a lot. They say you learn something new everyday, but here I feel like I learn something new every hour (every hour I'm awake haha). JHU has allowed me to explore two different areas of studies (French and ChemBE) with outstanding faculty; while looking for colleges, it was hard to find a school that was strong in both of those programs. JHU has allowed me to also participate in very diverse activities (dancing, volunteering, writing blogs, going to museums for free) with people that are also interested in those topics. So, yeah it's been a big help. :)

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Author Topic: How has JHU Helped You? (Read 1815 times)