Johns Hopkins University

Date: Aug 27 2011
Major: Political Science (This Major's Salary over time)
Hopkins is an interesting place, and it's the kind of place where its reputation to people on the outside is much better than to the people on the inside. During my time there I was very popular and involved in everything in student life, but the general impression I got from people was that everybody sensible and normal was very unhappy with campus life; to most people it felt like all work, and no opportunities for play, even if you got involved in Greek life or whatever else. The only people who seemed ok with campus life are the kind of people who are anti-social and generally don't really want to have fun or meet people anyway (think the loner quiet kids in high school).

The academics at Hopkins are strong and good, but the only problem is that they emphasize difficulty for the sake of difficulty. A person who gets a C in the class might have a far better understanding of the material than a person who gets a B+ at a peer university. The school abnormally deflates grades and makes everyone at the school stressed out pointlessly and constantly. That, combined with a lack of opportunities to relax or real campus traditions or entire-campus events (think sports games where more than 5% of the student body attends, or school-wide dances or other traditions) makes life on campus very boring, unrewarding and stunting one's growth as a person.

I eventually transferred out after my sophomore year, and enjoyed my other university, a peer university ranked about the same, far more because it emphasized the truth that college life isn't only about slaving away your entire life in the library (which at Hopkins is open 24/7, and is full almost anytime of the day).