Advice from the (Peer) Advisors: Tips from an Extrovert on Enjoying Time Spent Alone

Check out Peer Advisor Claire Shelby’s tips on how to make the most of your alone time, even if you’re an extrovert!

Well, we’ve made it through half of our online semester (or a quarter of our online year if we’re being real)! I’m truly proud of us all, because this is NOT easy. This whole online thing can feel really lonely at times. Your Zoom meeting ends, you send a quick “Thank you” in the chat, and boom, silence. There’s no goodbyes to your classmates, no awkward after class questions with your professors, and no walking to lunch at Sweetgreen with your friends. As an extrovert living alone in a studio apartment in DC, I’m going to share a few tips on how to learn to enjoy time spent by yourself. 

Indulge. Whether this means baking cookies at 12am because you need a sweet treat or going to sleep early on a weeknight because your brain needs a break, take advantage of alone time to do what’s best for you. You’re not held back by what other people want you to do, so the world is your oyster!

Put down your phone. I know it’s tempting to grab your phone to feel like you’re connected to friends even when you aren’t physically with them. I’ve found through experience that this usually does nothing more than remind me how alone I am. Turn off your notifications, put on some calm music, and make yourself dinner or read a book. We’re trained to feel like we have to respond to people immediately—especially when we’re already online all day—but it is more than okay to not respond the second someone tries to contact you. You deserve a break.

Get outdoors. I often forget how important fresh air is for my well-being. Even if you step into the world for no more than a minute, it will freshen you up and brighten your day. Studying in parks or other outdoor spaces is a great, peaceful thing to do to break up the monotony of studying in one place for 12 hours.

Write. Instead of turning to your friend to share that random thought that comes into your head, write it down! Having a record of what your train of consciousness is up to is very fun to look back on, and it can clear your mind of jumbled thoughts.

Have a dance party! This goes hand in hand with Indulge, but turn up some good music and let loose. It feels so good to move your muscles and listen to your favorite bops while singing at the top of your lungs (or mouthing the words with excitement if you’re in an apartment like I am). 

Do 1 thing a day to seize the day. This changed my perspective on how much fun you can have even without friends. This can be something as small as cooking a meal, or as large as waking up at 4am to watch the sunrise. You don’t need other people to justify a fun adventure! Remind yourself that the world is a pretty cool place even with all of the chaos and stress. You can document it with a cheesy 1 second a day app, or you can cherish the memories in your own mind (which may be even better!). 

All of these things can help you get to know yourself and who you are without other personalities affecting you! I may not know you, but I’d put money on the fact that you’re a pretty cool person. And remember, if the loneliness does get too overwhelming, your friends and/or family are only a FaceTime call away. 

Sending love and positive vibes to you all <3

A Writ of Writing “Right”


Check out these writing tips from Peer Advisor Matthew Stauder!

Coming into college, I thought I was a great writer. I soon learned, however, that simply utilizing a number of words one would only find in a thesaurus plus sentences with 3 separate clauses was not what constituted “great writing.” And I will be honest—upon getting back my first ever writing assignment, I went back to my dorm room, laid on my bed, and cried. Since that first paper, I have been able to grow in my writing abilities, and with midterm papers and exams with short answer questions looming in the weeks ahead, I want to share some tips you may find helpful.

1. Create an outline. Outlines help you organize your initial thoughts to the prompt you have been given, and also help you recognize the main points you want to make, and the supporting details to those points. Most likely, your outline will start out very vague (even in timed exams, I would recommend writing out even a vague outline if you are having writer’s block. It is better to think about what to write on paper than in your mind where golden ideas may suddenly slip away out of memory!), but as you do research, you will be able to add more detail, and may even change what is in the outline. Which brings me to the next point…

2. Do not be afraid to change your thesis! Perhaps one of the greatest mistakes I have made writing research papers is “declaring” a thesis and sticking with it even as the research consistently debunked what I wanted to argue. Better yet, if it is not required to declare a thesis straight away, do some preliminary research first just to get an idea of what the data and scholars say.

3. Work out of order. This tip used to bug me. In fact, as a little kid doing word searches, I had to find and circle the words in the order they appeared on the bottom of the page. This made things difficult, especially as I tried to remember where that word was so I could circle it once I found all the other words before it! It is similar when writing a paper—the wonderful gift of technology
and word processors is that we can write above, below, and in between what we have. If a thought comes to mind, do not hesitate to write it down and write down everything you want to say about it. Furthermore, the introduction of all things should be the last part of the paper you write. Since it is meant to serve as a summary or foreshadowing of what is to come, it is easiest to write after you already know what is to come.

4. Be straightforward and concise. Believe it or not, writing long, “complex” sentences going in multiple directions is not a great way to keep the readers attention. Just because the literature you may read sounds complex and “heady” does not mean you need to be, especially when you do not understand what you are saying! Always err on the side of shorter sentences with one or two clauses.

5. Use strong verbs. This may seem as a given, but it is always a good idea to proofread for the number of times you have forms of “to be” or “to go” or “to do” in your papers. Replace when possible!

6. Avoid using the word “this.” This tip comes from the great Professor Winstead. As you can see from my writing so far, it is neither possible nor encouraged to fully eliminate using the word “this.” Instead, you should always eliminate its usage as a noun. In other words, specify what you mean by “this.” Notice above, I said “This tip comes from the great Professor Winstead” not “This comes from the great Professor Winstead.” This example may not seem to bring the point across too much. But trust me, when you are on the reading side of a long essay, it helps to have a reminder of what came in the last preceding sentences. Otherwise, this word “this” can be very confusing and cause your reader to backtrack and lose interest. If you still do not understand this point, try reading Zhuangzi and then get back to me.

7. Avoid passive voice. I was disappointed by my brain when I was told by it that I had to write this one. The passive voice was used many times by me in the past. But not anymore, because it only further complicates your readers’ understanding. Plus, it is easy to fix. Just flip the subject and the object of the preposition and conjugate the verb accordingly. If you are saying to yourself, “I was confused by this point,” then please stop. This point confused you.

8. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your professors, TAs, and the Writing Center. Check your syllabus for your professors’ and TAs’ office hours. I assure you, they will be happy to meet with you! If these types of meetings make you nervous, I would suggest finding one or two specific questions you may have or thinking of one or two specific things to bring up, just to give yourself that sense of structure. It is also a great idea to go to office hours after an assignment is graded, and ask questions about the professors’ comments about what you can do for next time! Secondly, the Writing Center is a great resource that you should be able to use for almost any class at GW. If you are unsure whether you are allowed to use it for a course, reach out to your professor. They typically offer one-to-one peer tutoring and maintain academic integrity.

Finding Community at GW

Check out the following discourse about finding community, even in this virtual semester.

Like many incoming first year students, I struggled a lot in finding community within GW. My first year I shopped around with student organizations, met loads of fellow students, and became incredibly close with my roommates. But ultimately I was craving a deeper community to call home at GW. So, I joined an Alternative Greek fraternity in the second semester. Finally, I had found a group of like-minded people who could support me in my academic goals as well as become my group on campus! And while I still love my fraternity and am so glad I found it, I’ve changed a lot since then. My goals, identities, and needs have changed. The best thing about that organization is that the community I’ve built can grow with me.

A piece of advice my peer advisor gave me in the first semester of college is that your student organizations, academic groups, or community in your first-year dorm don’t have to be your best friends. While these spaces can bring about great friendships and community support, do not feel discouraged if you don’t initially find your place. For first-years out there, shop around with some student organizations! There are plenty looking to welcome new members when remote and there is truly a space for everyone. (There are 555 organizations registered on GW Engage !) Try to find a group that supports you in whatever your educational goals and values are. But, remember that this doesn’t have to be your one home on campus.

I’m now a senior and am still meeting new faces (socially distanced, of course) and finding my space in college. And while I’m still incredibly close with my roommates from first year (<3), many of my closest supporters now were met later in college. Ultimately, your community can come from many spaces. This doesn’t have to be one organization, one group of friends, or even the UHP. And while many people find their community outside of even student organizations, it’s a great place to start looking.

photo of peer advisor Andrew Butt

An Overview of the Performing Arts Orgs at GW

Check out Peer Advisor Andrew Butt’s overview of the performing arts at GW, and how you can get involved with them!

Hello UHPers!

I hope everyone’s first week of online classes went well! While last week’s peer advisor blog post touched on some tips for succeeding with online academics, there is so much more to the college experience than just schoolwork. There is a whole world of student orgs at GW that are just waiting to meet you! Though the variety of orgs range from club sports to pre-professional groups, one community that has faced unique challenges in the virtual world are the performing arts. So, I’d like to give an overview of the performing arts scene at GW and how you can get involved!

Instrumental Music

GW’s instrumental music scene has something for almost everyone! For the jazzophiles, GW’s Jazz Orchestra is a group passionate about creating and promoting jazz within the GW community. The University Orchestra offers another great community for students with a more classical taste! In a traditional year the Orchestra performs in 2 to 3 concerts, and membership is not limited to music minors and majors! A campus favorite,  GW Colonial Brass, or C-Brass, is the university’s pep band! They perform at basketball games and never fail to instill team spirit! Check out Engage to see how you can get involved.

Vocal Music

GW has a thriving vocal music community as well! With six different a cappella groups and several choirs. The a cappella groups include the Troubadours, the Sirens, the Pitches, the Sons of Pitch, the Motherfunkers, and the Vibes. These groups are consistently invited to ICCA competitions, and GW even hosted the Mid-Atlantic Quarterfinals this year! Each a cappella group on campus has its own vibe and repertoire, so be sure to check out their social media to learn more. GW also has two choral groups: the University Singers and The Voice Gospel Choir!

Theatre

In addition to the Department of Theatre and Dance, GW also has a vibrant student theatre community! GW has four main student theatre orgs: GW Shakespeare Company, Generic Theatre Company, Forbidden Planet Productions, and 14th Grade Players! GW’s Shakespeare Company primarily produces Shakespeare’s work, but does other classical pieces like The Importance of Being Earnest and Antigone as well. Generic Theatre Company puts on both plays and musicals and traditionally does a Freshman Showcase every fall! Forbidden Planet Productions focuses on  musical theatre while also doing the occasional straight play. FPP also hosts an annual shadow cast production of the Rocky Horror Picture Show every fall and puts on a Cabaret of musical numbers in the spring! Finally, 14th Grade Players produces straight plays and is well known for their Welcome Back One Acts which usually happens in the fall! In a normal semester, each company puts on three shows, so there is plenty of opportunity to get involved both on stage and behind the scenes! These four organizations are overseen by the Student Theatre Council which is a community-elected governing body that helps maintain performance spaces, schedules shows, and hosts community bonding events.

Dance

GW is home to several dance organizations. Perhaps the biggest dance group at GW, Balance offers students a wide variety of dancing opportunities. Normally, Balance offers dance classes to its members while also putting on shows for dancers of all levels. Balance also produces its annual Nutcracker performance in the fall! In addition to Balance, there are a wide range of cultural dance organizations at GW: GW Bhangra, Fuego, District K and so many more! Check Engage for a full listing of all the different cultural dance organizations at GW. GW is also known for its First Ladies who perform at GW’s Basketball games! Finally, GW also has a Ballroom team that offers lessons and competes.

If any of these groups have piqued your interest, make sure to give them a follow on social media! If you have questions about how you can get involved in this semester, don’t hesitate to direct message an org or send them an email with your questions! These groups are only a small sample of the performing arts community at GW. For a more comprehensive list and to find contact information for these orgs, be sure to check out Engage!

 

How To: Online School with Peer Advisor Meilian Kurlas

via GIPHY

Hello lovely person who’s reading this! If this is around the time it was posted, then happy beginning of the semester!! Sadly, it’s not the traditional beginning, meaning endless use of Webex, Zoom, and Blackboard Collaborate. Virtual learning can make focusing and finding motivation difficult, but I have some tips for you! Thanks to my experience of online school from last semester, meetings with peers and faculty, and TikToks, I have compiled a list of tips:

  1. Find your dedicated workspace where there is less chance of you falling asleep (so your bed may not be the ideal place to have class:/). It helps to have the separation of work and life, so leaving the place where you relax as solely the place you relax will help you get the break from work you’ll eventually need.
  2. Eliminate distractions – that includes phones (TikTok is a black hole for me), people (don’t let your family distract you), and even laptops. Since everything is now online, don’t let yourself stray away from class by playing an online game or scrolling through a feed in another tab. Try to give yourself a clear workspace when in class (you can do that by having a desktop for classes where the only tab open is what’s related to the lecture you’re in).
  3. Set goals for yourself. They can be small like once you finish reading a page or section, reward yourself with a piece of candy. Or they can be large like once you complete an assignment, allow yourself to watch one episode of a show you’re currently watching. But just ONE. That can easily turn into the whole series, which has happened to me, but please try to practice self-control (which I am still trying to figure out) – because practice can turn into habits!
  4. Schedule your day. I bought this planner from Target that has each hour listed so I can plan the exact times I will complete an assignment and take breaks (and don’t forget to drink some water and eat!). If you’re motivated to stick to your schedule, then you’ll be more productive during the allotted time. But also note that you can use Google Calendar or any other type of planner system that’s best for you.
  5. Create study groups with friends. Even though we’re in different parts of the world, we can still connect through video chat! Being productive can be much easier when you’re surrounded by other productive people.
  6. Know when to give yourself a break. It’s easy to say you’ll go to sleep after you finish this assignment, but if that turns out to be harder than expected, then accept it and give your brain a rest. If staying up late works for you, then go ahead and do that. But remember that you may have synchronous classes early in the morning. Just know how your body works and what’s best for your mental health.

A little side note: one account I found on TikTok (@oneoldkid) posts videos with brain breaks. He strengthens your cross lateral skills by giving small exercises to practice. One example is pointing with one hand and giving a thumbs up with the other. Then you switch them. You can find other exercises on his account, just be aware of how long you’re scrolling! It can easily turn into hours, so be mindful.

Speaking of mindfulness, here’s a quick breathing exercise. You can practice these anytime throughout the day. They’re nice ‘resets’ for when you may feel overwhelmed.

via GIPHY

Good luck this semester! You all will do great things 😊.

Best,
(from your peer advisor) Mei

Advice from the (Peer) Advisors: Self-Care in Quarantine

Check out the following self-care tips from Peer Advisor Sydni!

UHPers, we’re living in some very unnerving times. Quarantining at home sure wasn’t how I planned on spending the next few weeks, and I’m pretty certain you might feel the same way, but as a peer advisor and resident mom-friend, I want to make sure that the rest of your semester goes as smoothly as possible. Taking care of yourself both mentally and physically is of utmost importance right now, so here are a few socially-responsible ways to maintain normalcy in the abnormality that is the world at the moment:

Set an alarm every morning

We unfortunately just gained the ability to sleep literally all the time, it’s in our best interest to get up at a ~normal~ hour during the week. Even if your classes are continuing asynchronously or your morning LSPA is no longer running (pun fully intended), waking up every morning at the same time is going to create a routine that will help to transform home-life-mode into academic mode. Sleep is still important, but getting too many ZZZs can begin to throw off your motivation or harm your mental health in the long run. Sleep in on the weekends, but the sooner your semester online starts to resemble your school life, the better.

Netflix Party (Who doesn’t love a good party?)

Missing movie nights with West floor 2 or in the townhouse? Wishing you could hang out with your friends in a safe, socially responsible way? Look no further than Netflix Party. This Chrome extension may be my new favorite thing, period. Have all of your friends download it, pick a movie or tv show, and send them the link Netflix Party generates. Not only will your movie/show be synchronized, but the chatroom sidebar allows you to make all the same jokes you would make at a movie night in Foggy Bottom. Happy watching!

Take a walk

I know this is every mother’s advice right now, but hear me out. As a huge dork that still plays Pokemon Go, walking around my neighborhood for a half-hour not only gives me an excuse to hatch eggs and catch whatever Pokemon may be nearby but also the opportunity to clear my head. Being at home with family might be nice for some time, but having some alone time to get some air, try to process whatever bit of Platonic wisdom Origins teaches, or just to have a change of scenery can be really beneficial to your wellbeing. Even if you’re going outside to sit and read a book or learn a new TikTok dance, getting out in this CDC-approved way can make a world of a difference.

Continue to meet with professors, academic advisors, and your peer advisor

Just because we’re not physically at GW doesn’t mean your professors, academic advisors, and your peer advisor aren’t here for you. Like our love of the Hippo mascot, the support these individuals provide is unconditional! Professors are still hosting office hours and your UHP academic and peer advisors are more than happy to schedule a video call to talk through schedules for next semester, new grading policies, or any other concern that comes to mind. One of my favorite parts of the UHP, if not my favorite part, is the power of the community we have; no one here is going to let you struggle in any way, especially not now. Continuing the semester online presents a unique set of challenges and worries, but as the cast of High School Musical once said, we’re all in this together. 

Intellectual omnivores, we have your backs now more than ever. In unprecedented times we must continue to keep ourselves and our loved ones as happy and as healthy as we can. Continue to check in on one another, continue to ask for help if and when you need it, and continue to have hope. Raising high is what GW does best, so keep raising your head high and stay positive, focused, and healthy. We’re here for you.

Advice from the (Peer) Advisors: “Silver linings — Smiling in the Face of a Pandemic”

 

Check out the following refreshing perspective from UHP Peer Advisor Nicky Cacchione!

72 hours ago, I was sitting in Buenos Aires, Argentina about 5,000 miles from our beautiful Foggy Bottom campus. I had just been on “vacation” (lol all of an abroad semester feels like a vacation… but just go with it) in the province of Salta in Argentina and had seen Las Salinas Grandes, which are these incredible salt flats (seriously look up some pictures it’s nuts!), but all of a sudden, I found my semester abroad turned upside down. Now, I find myself writing this blog, after 24 hours of straight travel, in a friend’s apartment here in DC. To say this isn’t how I expected things to turn out is an understatement, and I know I speak for a lot of people when saying that sentiment probably resonates with you all. However, in the face of all of this uncertainty, tragedy, anger, sadness, and confusion – I want to implore the UHP community to do something that seems almost too hard to do right now: find the silver linings.

I think for all of us, these are incredibly stressful times. Personally, I have no permanent housing until my lease starts in mid-June, I am out thousands in planned personal travel, I can’t see relatives in fear of spreading the virus, I was thrown back into a culture I didn’t think I’d experience for another 50+ days, I had to abruptly say goodbye to newfound friends abroad, and the GW I was forced to come back to is almost completely desolate. To be honest, I can’t, and don’t even feel bad for myself in all of this. There are people dying, losing their jobs, and losing their homes. There are high school and college graduating classes of 2020 that aren’t sure if they will get a proper commencement, and are now positive it won’t be when it was expected to be. There are even other students like myself, who were abroad, who had only been in their respective locations since the first week of March. No matter how bad, or comparatively “okay” your situations are to any of these people, I think now, of all the times in the world, it is time to stay positive and take comfort in the small things.

For me, the first silver lining was reaching out to my business fraternity pleading with someone to let me crash at their place, not expecting anything of it, only to be received with 8 text messages from different people, some who I barely am close with, saying that I could use their apartments. The next was a 6-hour flight home from Panama with a friend that I had wanted to get to know better on my program, we talked the whole way. The others have included unexpected reunions with my best friends here at GW who I didn’t expect to see until May at the earliest, monument runs instead of crowded gyms runs in Buenos Aires, and support of a GW community on my return from abroad (thanks for the free toilet paper guys, I didn’t realize how hard it’d be to find some).

For all of us, it can be the fact that we are blessed with technology. We have the ability to keep in touch with all of our friends through this fiasco via facetime or video games or whatever platform you choose. Or it could be that some of you get to see your families earlier than expected – hold them close even if they get on your nerves, because family is forever. More trivially, maybe you were not having the best semester academically; well now you can choose to take that tough UHP class pass/fail and it won’t affect your GPA. Moreover, do you know how many tv shows and movies and books we are all about to get through? Choose one with a friend and call them about it after every few episodes (if anyone still needs to watch the Marvel Universe movies, your boi is making his way through those as we speak). Regardless of what it is, there are silver linings to every situation: yes, even COVID-19. The process to find them isn’t easy, and they aren’t going to fix the problems that the world has right now at all, but if there is one thing I learned from being abroad in Buenos Aires, it’s to smile in the face of uncertainty, and learn to relax because a lot of things just aren’t in our control. On the contrary, what is always in our control is what we do to try to make ourselves happy.

So UHP, I’m happy/sad (great Addams Family reference right here if any of you get it I already love you) to be back so soon with you all – keep lifting each other up on social media and posting pictures and workout routines because you are all gorgeous and strong, keep drawing fruits and veggies and tagging your friends, and keep on finding the things throughout this that are going to make you happy.

I hope to see you all soon – stay safe and healthy!

Much love,

Nicky Cacchione

Advice from the (Peer) Advisors: Humanities Research and Wisdom from the Creative Writing Department

Check out the following post from Peer Advisor Chrissy House (CCAS ’20)!

Photo of Peer Advisor Chrissy

I’ve spent the last four years facing the infamous “exchange of glances” when I tell people I’m majoring in Creative Writing and English, the glance which means, “Ah, another unemployed English major will soon be released into the world.” And though I have long fallen victim to those glances and often worried for my future, I have an offer of employment for after graduation: an employed English major soon to be released into the world. As the picture I chose to accompany this post signifies, there are some doors you might not see at first glance, but once you push past the undergrowth and daunting requirements lists, you will find the door open to you. Don’t be discouraged from pursing opportunities for which you feel underqualified, apply and you may be pleasantly surprised.

I found myself in a similar position last year when my major advisor pushed me to apply for the GW Undergraduate Research Fellowship. I felt unqualified to pursue research in a sea of SEAS students—what does humanities research even entail?—but decided, what the heck, I’ll apply. I continued to feel unsure of myself as I chose a topic and wrote my research proposal. A section of the application asked about my previous research experience, a field in which I continued to feel underqualified. I’d done an extensive research project in high school on utilizing native pollinators in the face of dwindling honey bee populations, but that had been scientific research, and since coming to college, my only research had been research papers for German history and literature classes, which consisted of reading books and journal articles.

My major advisor and faculty mentor read five different drafts of my application until we were all satisfied. Subtle plug here for utilizing GW staff! I got more excited about the project as we discussed different directions my research could take—beyond just reading books and journal articles, my research proposal included taking advantage of my semester abroad in Germany to further my research on playwright Friedrich Schiller by attending modern productions of his plays and visiting museums and Schiller cultural sites in Germany. And as I got more excited about the project, I began to look at how my past experiences could benefit my application, instead of just seeing how few experiences I’d had. My research in high school prepared me to identify experts and reliable sources, taught me professional email skills for contacting experts in the field, and gave me practice in preparing for and conducting interviews with professionals. Additionally, my prior experiences required me to hone presentation skills that would benefit me in preparation for GW Research Days. My German papers here at GW had already exposed me to German music and cinema, so I wasn’t entering the theater sphere completely ignorant of German culture.

The conclusion of the fellowship saga, as I’m sure you guessed, is a positive one: I received the GW Undergraduate Research Fellowship. I travelled all over Germany seeing plays and visiting museums, an experience I likely wouldn’t have had without the fellowship. I continued my research upon returning to GW and transitioned the fellowship into my Senior Thesis.

What I’m trying to say here is don’t sell yourself short. Even if you feel underqualified, apply for that internship, fellowship, or job; don’t be afraid to take a chance on yourself. Find the strengths in your experiences that will make you a better candidate and highlight them. Believe in yourself. If this English major can get a job, so can you.

Advice from the Peer Advisors: DC’s Best Bookstores

Check out the following DC bookstore tips from UHP Peer Advisor Chloe Wagner!

UHPers love books, so here is my rundown of the best bookstores in DC (both New and Used) so you can find your next favorite pick. 

Capitol Hill Books — Located in Eastern Market, Capitol Hill Books has a wide range of used books and records. The small local shop keeps book foreign language books in the restroom, but it has quite an ~aesthetic~ and has a huge range of history/political books for the poli sci majors among us.

Politics and Prose — You’ve probably heard of this one before because it is a staple among Washingtonians and anyone who worked under the Obama administration. Other than the amazing authors who speak at their venues across town (I’ve seen Pete Buttigieg and Ta-Nehisis Coates there recently), they also have a remarkable selection of social science, African American literature and feminist books for you to dive into.

Second Story Books — Located in Dupont Circle, Second Story has lots of really cool vintage books and maps. The highlight of this store is their fantastic $1 and $2 sales on everything from short stories to cooking books and travel guides on the sidewalk outside.

Potter’s House — Potter’s House is my personal favorite where I could spend an entire day. This nonprofit bookstore, cafe and community event space has everything a college student needs: coffee, baked goods and a wonderful selection of social justice books. In addition, all of their proceeds go back to the Adams-Morgan neighborhood and the organization’s community-centered programming!

Idle Time Books — Another Adams-Morgan staple. I found a book of satirical cartoons about the Arab-Israeli Conflict from 1967 here, and it’s one of my most prized possessions. They have a great poetry selection and lots of fun postcards. 

Advice from The (Peer) Advisors: Doing Homework Is a Skill?

Image of Peer Advisor Gwen Umbach

Check out the following study tips from Senior Peer Advisor Gwen Umbach (CCAS ’20)!

On the second day of this semester, the slam of my apartment door startled me from a social media stupor yet again, to see my homework spread around me, long since abandoned. I hadn’t intended to spend thirty minutes checking my notifications, I actually wanted to get ahead on my work this time.

UHP students are notorious even within GW for doing lots of things at once, and for me one of the biggest challenges of college has been keeping myself focused enough to finish all those things. Though it’s always a struggle, this semester I’ve finally managed to implement some of the great advice I’ve gotten over the years, and I want to share a of the few things that have actually helped me not only start my work, but finish it.

As the brilliant Ben Faulkner pointed out to me, not all homework is created equal, and choosing what to work on first helps maximize time. Whether you’re a morning person, or one who only does homework when it’s dark out, knowing what time of day you focus best (not just when you’re the most
panicked) helps manage those assignments that require the most brainpower. Similarly, when I have lots of assignments to do in a night, working from hardest to easiest, or giving myself easy work between the hard assignments, has helped make my brainpower last much longer than it used to.

The second and the biggest change I made to my work habits was defining where I work. In high school, I always studied at home, and when I started college I continued that without any real thought, but over time it has become apparent that I am terrible at concentrating in my own home. After trying most places on campus, I have finally settled on the DC Public Library as my place for more intensive homework. For easier or less pressing work, I choose a different location—maintaining the sanctity of
the library as a hard-work-only zone has helped me stay on task when it matters the most. Regardless of what the best place is for you, finding it and committing to it makes a big difference.

The last, and hardest, piece of making a work schedule, has been the actual ‘schedule’ part: deciding when to work. This is the advice that I heard repeatedly from professors and advisors, and failed repeatedly to put into place: Block off time for homework, and if anyone asks you to hang out during those times, say you’re busy. In order to stay focused, not just during one afternoon but in the long term, consistency is key. That means tricking your brain into thinking that you absolutely have to sit down and work, even though there is nobody forcing you to follow through. This is a big adjustment to make from high school, where parents, teachers, and coaches oversaw most of our activities and knew if we skipped out on something. And it’s even harder when you start long-term projects like an honors thesis, that might require a lot of self-discipline. Last semester, I utterly failed at this. I ditched my scheduled work hours for activities with friends, campus events, and even peer advisor meetings. Now, though, I’m holding to that schedule (so far), and it has made a huge difference in the amount of work I get done.

It is both frustrating and heartening to realize that now, as I’m about to leave GW, I have finally discovered some strategies for working and studying that I can actually stick to. As useful as this would have been four years ago, it’s remarkable to think about how far my habits have evolved from where I was in my first year. I’ve finally accepted the reality that study habits are a skill to be practiced, and despite the many question marks in my future as a soon-to-be-graduated senior, I’m starting to trust that as time goes on, I will continue to improve at the skills that I’ve gotten a grasp on in college. Even when I still find myself hopelessly distracted, it’s comforting to know that if I’ve come this far, I can get even better in the years to come.