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College Prowler

Academics

Despite its reputation as being cut-throat, in most subjects, there’s a lot of teamwork. Students who do best usually work together, especially in math and physics. Most of the teachers seem to care about how students do and are accessible, but in some cases, I feel like they don’t realize how lucky they are to have the students they do. They need to teach at a community college to realize what it’s like to teach students who really don’t care about class.

Athletics

Lacrosse is big here, like really big—apparently people enjoy watching it, and the team has won several Division I championships. I haven't been to a game yet, but I wouldn't mind checking it out. Other than that you don't hear too much about the varsity sports. Intramurals are available and fun. The big plus for me is the indoor climbing wall and nice athletics facility.

Campus Dining

There needs to be more places to eat on campus. There is only one cafeteria/dining hall, which puts pressure on the smaller establishments. Learn to like Subway, Chipotle and Uni Mini mart, as they will be staples of your diet.

Campus Housing

The dorms aren’t that bad. As a freshman, you will most likely be living in the AMRs, Buildings A or B, or Wolman Hall. The AMRs are like regular dorms. All are coed except for a wing in AMR I, which is all female, and one in AMR II, which is all male. They have communal bathrooms and smaller rooms. They are the most social places to live, and are generally the best for freshman that want to get to know people. Buildings A and B are suite-style dorms. It is more fun to have a place in Wolman or McCoy sophomore year with three of your friends.

Campus Strictness

Security and resident advisors are not that strict about underage drinking. They won't bother you if you're pre-gaming in your dorms, as long as you are not being disruptive. If you are bothering people, though, an RA may write you up. First- or second-time offenses get a letter, but it isn't serious at all. Drug use is taken more seriously.

Computers

Students should bring their own computers. The network often gets busy at the library, and it is impossible to get Internet access for hours. The computer labs are usually empty, and their computers work well.

Diversity

JHU is pretty diverse. The majority of the student body here is Asian, followed by white. There are few black or African students on campus.

Drug Scene

Since Johns Hopkins University is in Baltimore, it would be naive to pretend that there isn't a drug scene on campus. However, most JHU students don't do drugs. Students here are very school-oriented, and getting involved with drugs is the last thing that they would do. Some students definitely smoke, but, besides that, there aren't any other dangerous drugs being used.

Facilities

The library and bookstore are top-notch. The bookstore is actually owned by Barnes and Noble, and it has a great selection of textbooks and leisure books. The library has a nice café in it, as well as all the resources you need to study. The athletic facilities are extremely nice, as well. The student athletic center was redone, and it has a nice weightroom, racquetball courts, volleyball courts, a rock-climbing wall, basketball courts, and even a nice swimming pool. Most JHU students enjoy the athletic center weekly.

Greek Life

When you’re a freshman, frat parties are the main place to go and hang out. If you live in the AMRs, you’re entire floor will probably traipse together to frats. However, most upperclassmen not in the Greek system attend private house parties. A lot of the time, girls can talk their way into not paying for entry to frat parties. Watch out for the punch. I once watched guys stir it with a broomstick lying around their basement.

Guys & Girls

Both the guys and girls here are nerdy and not very social. However, this cannot be said about everyone. And, in general, the girls are not attractive. There is a good amount of diversity, but the Asian demographic seems to dominate.

Local Atmosphere

Baltimore is a nice city in certain areas and, overall, an enjoyable place to be. The Inner Harbor offers endless options of things to do for anyone who lives here or is visiting. Right down the road are Towson and Loyola, and about 40 minutes south is the University of Maryland. We interact with Loyola and Towson University a lot but have very limited contact with Maryland unless we decide to go down there.

Nightlife

I love to dance and go to clubs, and I’ve found that Baltimore’s clubs are pretty good. Often, once a month maybe, a group at Hopkins will sponsor a club night and provide free transportation with a reduced entry fee. Take advantage of these. These are really popular, and it’s fun to see everyone out having fun! Sometimes the club is only Hopkins people, other times it’s open to the public, as well. There is a bar called PJ’s that is right next to the dorms, which is a lot of fun! There are also some classier bars that you can go to when you’re actually 21, or want to hang with the older crowd. They are all tons of fun and offer a good variety!

Off-Campus Dining

No matter what kind of food you like, you’ll find great restaurants in Baltimore! It’s a big enough city to have at least one restaurant of almost every ethnic variety. There are some restaurants you can walk to, but others are worth driving or taking a cab. In my opinion, Paul Chen’s for Chinese, India Tandoor for cheap India buffet (about $5 for all-you-can-eat), Holy Frijoles for Mexican, Amicci’ for Italian, Thai Landing for Thai, Papa Salis for pizza, and Angelo’s for subs.

Off-Campus Housing

Depending on whether you want a house or an apartment, it can be very easy to find housing. If you want to live right next to campus or in a particular apartment building, contact a landlord or get on a waiting list early. If you’re open to living several blocks from campus, you’ll easily find something. Housing is a lot cheaper in Baltimore than in many other cities, but you want to make sure that you are careful walking to and from campus.

Overall Experience

I really like Hopkins. For me, it’s a good balance of liberal and conservative views. I think that I’m getting a great education and that students are really working to make the overall social experience better. I still kind of wish that more students at Hopkins got excited about the school. I think that they don’t appreciate the opportunities here. I sometimes feel that way about the professors, also.

Parking

Not many students bring cars before their junior year because it’s not necessary. There are taxis, buses, and the rail system for going to the airport and Washington. Cars are nice, but it’s Baltimore—you don’t need one, and you are going to have to find parking. Hopkins has two main student lots: one on campus and one off campus. The one off campus is a couple blocks away, and the wait list is a year for it. For the one on campus, you have to live a quarter of a mile away from campus and get a permit. There is street parking, but it’s a hassle to find. Don’t worry about having a car.

Safety & Security

We have Hopkins police patrolling the campus at all hours. There are emergency phones throughout campus that respond immediately when they are pressed. Four of the dorms are accessible with access cards and keys to the rooms, and security guards sit at the front desks of two of them. The other two dorms are accessible only with keys. But other than that, I have never felt a safety issue at Hopkins. I live in a very safe suburb, and I feel just as safe at school as I feel at home. Our campus is very enclosed, and you don’t notice strange characters walking around or feel unsafe at all. Of course, you have to be smart. Don’t walk around by yourself off campus at night or wander too far.

Transportation

Public transportation is very convenient. There are taxis everywhere, and the school has a bus that runs every 30 minutes to get to Inner Harbor and different shopping malls in the area.

Weather

Bring clothing for all seasons, although it doesn’t usually stay extremely cold for very long. The weather in Baltimore is really weird; storms frequently come up quickly in the evenings. All in all, it’s not too bad. It’s almost never over 100 degrees or under 30 degrees. The one thing you might want, though, is air-conditioning or a good fan.