Georgetown University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: American Studies
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Asian Queer Female
Summary
I’ve written for a student publication called the Georgetown Voice. It’s a news, arts, and culture magazine.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Asian
Sexual Orientation: Queer
High School Experience: Public charter school in Sarasota, Florida with about 247 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: American Studies
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I’ve written for a student publication called the Georgetown Voice. It’s a news, arts, and culture magazine.
What impact has the Georgetown Voice had on your experience?
I’ve met some of my closest friends through the Voice. It’s a good community. As a whole, Georgetown has a stereotype of being professional and business-focused, and there’s not a real natural home for the arts and creative thinkers. That’s definitely changing, but I think the Voice has helped me connect with like-minded people who may want to go into fields that I want to.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
One of the things that drew me to American Studies is it’s really flexible. We have six or eight core courses, and the rest you can fill with electives. They’re mostly smaller classes with 20 or 30 students which I appreciate. They can span from government and history to English literature and pop culture. One thing I really like is there’s a real focus on community. We go on field trips, have guest speakers come in, and are encouraged to hang out outside of the classroom. The main assignments are mostly papers, and in certain classes like history we have exams. All my finals this semester were papers.
How would you describe the learning environment? Is it particularly competitive or collaborative?
In my field of study, it’s more collaborative. For the classes where we have exams, I’m on different Google Docs with people making study guides. With papers, my personal writing style is more individual, so I don’t collaborate with anyone.
What was your favorite class in your major?
I took an English elective class called New York Story. It was a class talking about literature in New York. Every day I was so moved by what we read because the writing we looked at was beautiful.
What was your least favorite class in your major?
There was a class called Cutting Class, which is about the turn of the century America. The professor was probably the nicest man I’ve ever met, but there was no structure to the class, so it was easy to zone out, which I did. It wasn’t the most fulfilling experience.
Do you feel people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
I feel like a majority of places of higher education skew liberal, and that’s true in the circles I run in at Georgetown. Again, it’s a Catholic institution, so I’m speaking from my experience. In my classes, there’s an assumption that people are liberal.
How accessible have your professors been?
All the professors I’ve had have been super accessible. I’ve pretty much enjoyed all of them. They really want you to succeed. They tell you their office hours and encourage you to come in to chat with them even if it’s not about anything specific. That’s been the benefit of taking smaller sized classes.
Why did you choose your American Studies major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m so happy with my choice. It’s one of the best choices I’ve made in college. I chose it because it’s pretty flexible, and it’s interdisciplinary, which I enjoy because I came to college not really knowing what I wanted to do. I was thinking about being an English major but wasn’t sure if I wanted to commit to just studying text out of context. Also, the community aspect really appealed to me. The professors and advisors are the most welcoming teachers I’ve had. It’s been a really good experience for me.
Reasons to Attend
1) The academic rigor has been great. I’ve felt challenged but also supported.
2) Whether it’s true or not, people usually recognize the name Georgetown, and it might make a difference for you at a future job.
3) Being in D.C. I never saw myself living in D.C., but I’ve enjoyed it, especially with all the stuff happening in the political world. It’s been eye-opening for me.
4) The people and professors I’ve met here. I’ve experienced the most meaningful relationships of my life at Georgetown.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) The stress culture is kind of intense, so if you find yourself buying into that lifestyle of work hard play hard, it might not be the best place for you. Also, that’s true of any school with a certain academic rigor.
2) If you’re super into sports. Our basketball team isn’t doing that great right now, but our women’s soccer team is really good. If you’re into that kind of school spirit, it may not be the best place for you.
3) It’s pretty expensive tuition wise, and so is just living in D.C. [Undergraduate tuition is $53,520.]
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Village C West with one roommate.
Sophomore: Reynolds Hall with one roommate.
Junior: Henle Village with one roommate and three other girls in the apartment.
Senior: Nevils Hall with one roommate and three other girls in the apartment
What was your favorite living situation?
Probably this year because I’m with all of my really close friends in a good location. It’s also bigger than our old apartment.
How was transitioning from Sarasota, Florida to Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.?
It was a pretty easy transition for me. Even though Georgetown is in a city, it does have its own campus in the neighborhood of Georgetown, which isn’t really D.C. I love being in a city.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on campus?
I’ve always felt pretty safe. The on-campus police send out alerts when there are instances like sexual assault, theft, or robbery. I travel in groups and am alert at night, but they have a bunch of safety precautions in place.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I like to go out. There are parties, but because we’re not in the city it’s a little tricky. A lot of people go to the popular bar that’s kind of on-campus called The Tombs. It’s unfortunately like 20 feet from my house, so I end up there a lot. People do take a Lyft or Uber out to the city to the Adams Morgan neighborhood, which is popular. Otherwise, people just go to house and apartment parties, especially focused around [on-campus] clubs. I do a mix of parties and going out into the city because I like to dance. My main priority when I go out is dancing, so I usually like to go to clubs in Adams Morgan or U Street.
What nights of the week do you regularly do things?
Usually Friday and Saturday. I know at some schools, people go out four days a week, but I don’t think Georgetown is necessarily like that because people are stressed with work and that’s not really the culture.
Can you describe a typical night going out freshman year? How did it differ from when you are now more socially established?
Freshman year, I would just go to house parties associated with the Georgetown Voice. I’d have someone to go with and hopefully find someone I could attach myself to and hang out with them most of the night. I didn’t go out that much freshman year.
What is the impact of clubs and organizations on the nightlife?
From what I’ve heard, clubs have an outsized impact on Georgetown’s social life in general, which includes nightlife. We don’t have Greek life, so the main social organizers are clubs. They’re hard to get into, and each one has a certain culture. If you want to have a social life on campus, you usually have to be involved in some sort of club. [Georgetown does not officially recognize Greek organizations.]
How has identifying as Queer influenced your nightlife experience?
I go to certain bars I probably wouldn’t if I didn’t identify this way, but otherwise, it doesn’t really influence it.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
I’ve always grabbed a late-night bite with people at restaurants around campus. There’s always the library, or just relaxing in my apartment with my friends. Or, a movie at the Georgetown Waterfront Theatre.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Georgetown? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m happy with it. Sometimes I wish things were open a little later because usually things are dying down by 2:30 or 3:00 in the morning, but I could stay out a little later than that. Otherwise, it’s a good diversity.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I consider my roommate my closest friend, and she came with a couple of people from her school, so I had a fully formed group right away, was helpful. Then, the group evolved into those friend’s roommates. All the people I’m living with are from that same group freshman year.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Georgetown?
It’s formed around clubs and organizations. There is a work hard play hard mentality, but I don’t think it’s as hard as going out four nights a week as it is at some schools. Work-related things can be social. There’s a certain floor in the library where people go to hang out and pretend to do work together. It’s a healthy mix of low-key and elaborate going out scenarios.
How would you describe the student body?
It’s definitely evolving. The stereotype of a Georgetown student is White, preppy, and rich, who is going to be involved in politics or business. Luckily, that’s changing and to keep talking about the stereotype as I do is often harmful because that doesn’t reflect the reality. The stereotype is engrained in truth, but it’s changing to be something different. [74% of students come from the top 20%.]
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
Most of my friends are White. From my experience, I’d say there isn’t a whole lot of mixing because these groups are formed out of the social organizations which tend to be fairly separated. This isn’t on purpose, it’s just how it works out. Usually, there isn’t a huge amount of intermingling. I don’t think it’s any worse or better than other schools, it seems pretty standard to me. [The undergraduate population is about 50% White, 6% Black, 10% Hispanic, and 9% Asian.]
How do you like going to a school in the city?
I’ve really liked it. Being in D.C. specifically has given me so many opportunities, like all the speakers that come and the ease of access. We get exposure to cool restaurants, the art scene, the Kennedy Center is a mile away, and we have another cool arena stage by the waterfront in Southeast D.C. Having access to all these activities and opportunities keep life from getting too boring and has been the best thing about living in the city.
How strong is the Queer community on campus?
I’m not super involved in it which is unfortunate for me, I wish I was. I think there is a strong presence, I’m just not super tapped into it.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
No, because I haven’t taken advantage of it. There is a strong alumni network presence, and the career center really pushes it. I know people who’ve taken advantage of it, and if they haven’t gotten something directly from it, it’s been helpful for them to feel out some options.