Georgetown University
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Majors: Government and Philosophy Double Major
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Indian-American Heterosexual Women
Summary
I’m an orientation advisor for new student orientation, which is a program that helps students transition into college the first couple of days they move. I [have a leadership position] in the South Asian Society, which isn’t only for South Asians. I’m part of Georgetown Opportunities For Leadership Development , and I’m part of a service fraternity on campus.
Background
Gender Identity: Women
Race/Ethnicity: Indian-American
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
High School Experience: Public high school in the Bay Area, California with about 650 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Majors: Government and Philosophy Double Major
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I’m an orientation advisor for new student orientation, which is a program that helps students transition into college the first couple of days they move. I [have a leadership position] in the South Asian Society, which isn’t only for South Asians. I’m part of Georgetown Opportunities For Leadership Development , and I’m part of a service fraternity on campus.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience? In what ways?
The South Asian Society. I’ve been part of the dance program, and it defines my college career. I’m studying abroad next semester, but I chose not to go in the Fall because that’s when we have Rangila. I never want to let go of the community I find within this organization.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your majors?
I don’t have problem sets at all. For my Philosophy major, I had to take a logic class which had optional problem sets. Everything is really reading-based, and then you analyze what you’ve learned from the readings with monthly or bi-monthly essays. There’s a final paper on the longer side, but I generally don’t have midterms.
Is there anything that you feel either of your majors’ departments do especially well or especially poorly?
The Government department at Georgetown is ranked the best in the country, so we clearly have a lot of resources that we can use in our classes. We have a lot of guest speakers, and our teachers are people who’ve worked in the government or non-profit organizations that have real-world experience, instead of theoretical experiences.
How would you describe the learning environment? Is it particularly competitive or collaborative?
I think my perspective is a little different, and it varies major to major. There are [multiple] schools at Georgetown, and everything besides the McDonough School of Business doesn’t curve their grades. If you work hard enough, you’ll get the grade you deserve. You’re not compared to your peers, so in that case, it’s not as competitive. People try to do their best, and being at Georgetown you’re amongst the best of the best, so it is hard in that sense. I wouldn’t think it’s competitive. I just had two essays due a couple of days ago, and I had a couple of my friends look over it.
Do you feel people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
It varies. Because we’re such a diverse school, we have to be open to listening to different types of backgrounds and how that shapes people’s identities. This is cool because the stories and perspectives I’ve come to understand, I feel I wouldn’t have gained at any other school. At the same time, we are a very liberal school, so if you’re conservative, it’s a little harder to communicate with some peers. A lot of us aren’t open to listening to that and will protest a lot of relatively conservative policies that our university still has. The College Republicans are not as big as College Democrats. They put on cool programming, and you have a community there, but it’s much smaller.
How accessible have your professors been?
Extremely accessible. I haven’t gone to office hours as much as I should, but talking to them is really easy. One of my professors will clear out hours for you because he talks nonstop if you meet him, which is cool. They really want to help you. None of the professors I’ve had seem to be at the university solely for tenure or continuing their research. They’re there to be an asset for the students.
Why did you choose your combination of majors? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m extremely happy with my choice. I knew this was something I wanted to do coming into Georgetown because of the career path I and decided on back in junior year of high school. I wanted to work for the government, especially in an intelligence agency. At first, I wanted to go to law school, so I thought having a Political Science and Philosophy major would be great. Then, I dropped the idea of law school and working in the intelligence community. I still love my majors for what I’m studying.
Reasons to Attend
1) The opportunities and people you’ll meet.
2) The communities I’ve found and the people I’ve met.
3) The location and city.
4) The professors are incredible
5) The clout. Saying you came from Georgetown, especially if you’re into politics, really means something to a lot of people.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) If you’re not into a very competitive and professional atmosphere.
2) If you’re into the arts and want to pursue that seriously, you don’t have as many opportunities for that.
3) If you’re more conservative-leaning and would feel uncomfortable in an environment where everybody is liberal.
4) If you’re not ready for heavy coursework and a lot of reading. It’s a lot of work.
5) If you’re really looking forward to Greek life.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Harbin Hall with one roommate.
Sophomore: Village B Hall with three roommates.
Junior: Apartment in the Village with three roommates.
What was your favorite living situation?
My living situation this year. Even though it’s a little run down, I’ve felt the people I lived with were much better, and I felt so much more at home with them. Each of the places I’ve lived housing wise hasn’t been bad. In general, housing is really bad at Georgetown. It seems to take a long time to fix any problems.
How was transitioning from the Bay Area to the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.?
I found it really easy, but I feel like I’m a unique case. I remember two days I was homesick, and immediately after I felt like everything clicked for me and it felt like home. A lot of the things I could find in the Bay Area I could find in D.C., but also pricing wise it wasn’t too different, so it’s not like I’m all of the sudden living in an extremely expensive city. The people at Georgetown were really quintessential to my transition, and I found a good group of people almost immediately. That’s not the case for everybody, but people do find their communities.
What is your favorite off-campus restaurant?
RASA, which is an Indian Chipotle place.
What is your favorite place to get away from campus?
The Zoo. It’s free, and you get to see all the animals. It’s not that far, and you can take the metro, so I spend a lot of time there.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on campus?
I’ve found it extremely safe. I’ve been out very late and have been able to come back from anywhere without feeling unsafe. Also, there are so many different programs that the police department implements so people can feel safe. We have Safe Rides, where between 10 PM – 6 AM if you’re on or off-campus and want somebody to pick you up and drop you off, the van will come and take you to your desired destination.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I like to spend time with my friends, whether that be parties, or just going out walking to the monuments. One of my favorite things to do is taking a friend and walking to the monuments because there are so few tourists at that point. Also, the social scene isn’t as wild as some state schools because we don’t have Greek life, although it does exist. I’d like to say the clubs on campus are kind of like Greek life, so if you want to experience the social scene, I’d suggest finding a club you really like. There are always parties. Sometimes I host parties, and sometimes the South Asian Society hosts. As a freshman, I party hopped and went to different organizations which I didn’t even know. A really big fraternity-esque club on campus is the International Relations Club, which also houses the Model United Nations Team. [Georgetown does not officially recognize Greek organizations.]
What nights of the week do you regularly do things?
Fridays and Saturdays. A lot of people go out off-campus Thursdays to clubs. I’ve done that a couple of times, but people always have classes the next day, so it’s hard to find a group of people to go with.
Can you describe a typical night going out freshman year? How did it differ from when you are now more socially established?
I had a group of friends early on. A junior reached out to a bunch of South Asian freshman coming in, and she established this group. We’d either hang out with her, or we’d go to a party that we heard of via text or somebody telling us. We’d be there for a little bit then just go back home.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Georgetown? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m really happy with it. I think it’s a great balance. I see the stereotyped movies and TV shows of other schools, and I think I’d never be comfortable in that extreme of a situation. I feel like Georgetown has a good balance of really wild parties and really great chill nights at home. I feel like I can do whichever I want, and I won’t be judged for it. People encourage others where they’re comfortable.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
Through the junior that introduced all the freshman together. That’s unique as well. She just messaged all these people through the incoming class Facebook group. She created this large group and took people out to dinner, and always had some sort of programming. That quickly turned into a strong friendship.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Georgetown?
Georgetown is really good because there isn’t one defined dominating presence on campus. I feel like everybody has their own communities and cliques. They don’t really overlap because there are a lot of different people and clubs. I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing. If you find a new friend, you’re introduced into a whole new group of people. Each different group has its own programming and parties. There’s this large club on campus called the Georgetown Program Board, and they host a lot of programming throughout the year to make sure people feel included. Every semester, both Friday and Saturday night they’ll have a free movie, and they have a Spring concert. Last year we had Waka Flocka Flame come to campus. I didn’t go, but I heard it was wild.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
It depends from person to person. I feel like I have a pretty broad friend group, but some people don’t. I guess that just depends on who you met first, who’s in your classes, and who you click with. If you’re looking to find a diverse friend group, you easily can. If you’re looking to stick with your own type of people, you can too. It’s encouraged to find different people and try something new that you wouldn’t have done in high school. [The undergraduate population is about 50% White, 6% Black, 10% Hispanic, and 9% Asian.]
How would you describe the student body?
The student body is very diverse. A lot of people say Georgetown isn’t as diverse because there is still a really large population of White people on campus. One thing I’ve learned is every person has a very different background, and you get to learn about their background. You see that even if they seem like they have a cookie-cutter personality for an identity, every person has some nuances in their background and brings a lot to the table. In that sense, I feel that Georgetown is very diverse, whether that be in school of thought, ethnicity, or where people are from. [15%] of our population is international, which is really great.
How do you like going to a school in the heart of D.C.?
I’ve utilized the recourses in D.C. There are so many cool things. The other day I was on Capitol Hill lobbying for the United Nations, which is something I’d never be able to do at another school not in D.C. A lot of people go out and have internships in various political think tanks around D.C., or even on Capitol Hill itself. There are so many speaker events you can go to. In fact, speakers come to campus which is really cool. Hillary Clinton has come to campus twice, in my time here Bill Clinton has come once, and Bradley Cooper came the other day. Overall, there are a lot of different resources that D.C. has to explore. D.C. is this interesting mix of different communities, and it’s really hard to get off the Georgetown campus because there’s so much going on. Transportation wise, getting off-campus is a little harder because there isn’t a metro stop, but when you do, you get a very different vibe and you meet different kinds of people which is educating in itself.
How strong is the South Asian community on campus?
The South Asian Society itself is the largest cultural organization on campus. The community is pretty tight-knit, but there are different groups within it. It’s not one large South Asian family. Even though we have that umbrella organization, I feel like there are different types of people, and they gravitate toward each other. There’s a strong group on campus to help you explore your South Asian identity.
Do people generally seem happy with their choice of Georgetown by senior year? Do people leave loving Georgetown?
Yeah. Georgetown is hard, and there are lots of problems, but by the end of it, people are happy they chose Georgetown.
Careers
Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
I think what’s more helpful than the overall alumni network is finding clubs and getting close to older people in different years than you. The internship I had I got because of an alumnus in my fraternity. I didn’t even apply, he just pulled me in because he trusted me. Finding people you’re personally close to, and being able to contact them really helps you find internships and jobs.
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
They have the career fair where specific organizations come to campus. Every time they’ve had events, I’ve gone by to have them read over my resume and give me interviewing tips. I’ll also go to talk with them about my overall career goals and what I want to accomplish at Georgetown itself. They’re good at guiding you through all of that.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I’ve learned Excel through a class in the business school where they walk you through the basics of Excel. I haven’t learned any other programs. I took a Physics class where I learned a little bit of Python, but very little and very focused towards Physics. I took an Analysis of Political Data class this semester, and I was told I’d be learning R. the professor ended up scratching that all together.