The thought of starting grad school was daunting to me before I stepped foot on the George Washington University campus. I was an excellent student in undergrad, but naturally, I was questioning whether I would be up to managing a graduate-level workload on top of the numerous other things I have going on in my life. I was nervous because I was unfamiliar with the campus and knew only one person who went to GW. I moved 2,668.3 miles on pure instinct, and I had to trust my gut that I had made the right decision and everything would work out.

The beginning of this semester has been smooth sailing, with a nearly seamless transition from undergrad into grad school. Everything has felt so new, fresh, and exciting. The location of GW is something I love the most. My only significant adjustment was getting used to walking around everywhere!

I still remember how excited I was during my first week of class. I went to the New Graduate Student Orientation for my program, which was held the Friday before classes started. There, I met most of the faculty for my program and many of my peers. My classmates come from all over the world, bringing in a diverse background and subset of knowledge from their respective fields. I have friends from India, South Africa, Germany, Brazil, China, Korea, and other places I interact with every class. My class sizes are relatively small and typically consist of twenty of us sitting around one large table and sharing ideas. As the weeks have passed, I have noticed myself speaking more and more in class. My classmates are brilliant in my professors are eager to pick our brains. It feels like we’re all colleagues, and I appreciate this learning style.

I’ve never spent this much time in the library. I am embracing it. I find it exciting to tell people what I’m studying. The weeks go by so quickly here, as I’m only taking class three days a week. There are so many enriching opportunities that my professors are eager to share with us. For example, just last week, I was in the Embassy of Finland listening to my professor give a talk to members of the Finnish Delegation. Tomorrow, Valerie Biden (the president’s sister) will give an address at my school, the School of Media and Public Affairs, and I will likely have the opportunity to meet her. These are opportunities that I find invaluable, which is why I came to DC.

The first half of my semester here at GW has been outstanding. I’m feeling so comfortable, and I love my academic life here. I look forward to updating you all as my first semester of graduate school continues to unfold.