Settling in at JHU
Last time, we left off when I had just arrived at my flat in Baltimore. Quite a lot has happened since then! This week was the visiting exchange student “orientation”. The aim is to present Johns Hopkins to exchange students and also give us an opportunity to meet each other. We’re a group of 20 students from universities in China, Japan, Singapore, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and of course Switzerland.
Monday
Visiting exchange student orientation started Monday with a series of presentations on various aspects of being an exchange student and studying at JHU. It wasn’t all administrative, the topics included cultural highlights of living in Baltimore, some of the services provided to students by JHU, and undergraduate research opportunities. Near the end of the day, we toured around campus to get a feel for where the different buildings are.
Tuesday
The following day began with a “public safety walk”. Baltimore sadly does not have the kindest reputation. The purpose of this walk was to raise awareness on how to stay safe and what to look out for when navigating through the city.
The walk also brought attention to some of the safety features JHU put in place for their students. For example, I was surprised to learn that 117 of these emergency call stations were placed all around the campus.
For the rest of the morning, we met up with some full-time JHU students who talked about how it is to study there. There was a final presentation before we had lunch. A second walk was organised for the afternoon to discuss certain places of interest like the farmer’s market, a book store, the grocery stores, among others.
In the evening I met up with almost all of the exchange students to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Wednesday
Wednesday was a quiet day. Our flat took care of some administrative tasks we had been putting off. We also went grocery shopping and cooked.
Thursday
A mixer event was held at lunch with the visiting international students (e.g. me) and international degree-seeking students. The latter are students from abroad doing their entire program at JHU, not just an exchange. That evening, we decided to have a barbecue all together. I had a blast!
Friday
Near lunch some of us visited the Baltimore Museum of Art which is right next to campus. The calm meditation of visiting an art museum was superseded by the bustling pulsations of a baseball stadium. The Baltimore Orioles were playing the Houston Astros at Camden Yards. As someone who barely had a grasp of the rules walking in to the stadium… What a game! It had its ups and downs, but I was lucky enough to witness a grand slam (all bases occupied + home run) on my first game.
Saturday
There is a farmer’s market from 08:00 to 12:00 right by where I live. It made for a lovely start to the day.
Our group of exchange students got invited to a “darty” (day party) in the neighbourhood. It was certainly an interesting experience and my thanks to the host. I had fun, but I think one time was enough for me.
Sunday
In the evening I went to the freshmen convocation. This is the official ceremony to welcome new university students to JHU. I must admit that as a “senior” (last year of Bachelor’s) it felt a little strange to relive that first welcome. The experience was quite surreal with the speakers all wearing robes, entering and exiting the stage in a parade with music playing. They definitely know how to put on a good show!
I am looking forward to starting my courses and to
properly begin my exchange year. I have a feeling I am going
to have fun ^_^. See you soon!