The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Anshul, an ESIA sophomore studying international affairs and security policy.
We are all here at GWU in the Honors Program for a couple reasons. One, we are intellectually curious students who want to learn in an interdisciplinary manner about the world we inhabit in the city that runs the world. Two, we want a job so we can pay back our absurdly high GWU tuition. Internships are a way that students gain work experience while not being paid, in the hopes that they may get a job in the future.
Coming into my freshmen year, getting an internship was all that I had on my mind so much to the point that I made my first mistake. Lesson number one is learn how to say no. I took a position with an expatriate group that ended up having pretty shady connections which led me to resigning after three weeks. Later on, the United States government informed me that continued work for that organization would have led to me being blacklisted for a security clearance. Washington D.C. is full of people who want smart, capable talent that exists in the Honors Program. You are in much higher demand than you think, so take a beat to assess where you are and what risks you are taking. Learn to say no, and leave short term gain for long term benefit.
The decision to leave the internship was a culmination of lesson two. Lesson two is get mentors and figure out channels of advice. When I started working at the organization, I informed multiple mentors of mine about my decision. Some of them were retired, some of them were young, and some of were senior professionals. They were the ones along with my father who first sounded the alarms about the organization. More recently, I used their advice to navigate a complex situation where I had to negotiate with two government agencies regarding conflicting offers. Washington D.C. is run on institutional knowledge, knowledge that no matter how many books you read you can’t get. Mentors use their years of experience to help you get ahead. Make sure that you develop mentors across different fields, ages, and experience levels.
Lesson three is learn to be responsible for not only your actions, but also your team’s. Personal responsibility is one of the most sought after characteristics in the hiring process. As someone who has held a few positions by now, I know that there are good and bad bosses. I have had both. The key to dealing with bad supervisors is knowing how to accomplish the mission while dealing with a frustrating boss. Interns have low to no influence in the organization that they work. You can go to HR but that rarely results in anything. Instead take charge of projects that aren’t going anywhere. If your boss is making you do administrative work instead of your job description, stay late to meet your actual deadlines. Take work home or speed through the nonsense. You have to be humble and tenacious to make sure that you make the most of the opportunity that you can.
Working is hard and make sure that your schedule can deal with the extra time commitment and stress. The more experience you can get, the better prepared you will be when you graduate and enter the workforce.
Category: Student Peer Advisors
Student Peer Advisors are Honors Students with the know-how to help you how-to the UHP!
#HonorsProblems: Reflections from a Humble Research Assistant
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Lucy, a sophomore studying international affairs.
Besides “interdisciplinary curricula” and “holistic applicants”, identifying as a “research institution” seemed to be the hottest trend in university marketing when I was touring colleges. You better believe it – some bright-eyed admissions rep would tell the gaggle of students and parents that had just spent probably a few too many hours in the car together – our students, here at [insert name] University, can do original research with faculty as undergraduates.
Like many things schools tell prospective students on tours (“the freshmen dorms are really nice”; “you’ll never get tired of the dining options”; etc.) I assumed that these alleged research opportunities should be taken with a grain of salt. Ok, so undergraduates can do research with faculty – how many students actually do research and what percentage of these students do research outside of the hard sciences? Knowing that I would be pursuing a major in the social sciences, I was fairly apprehensive about the actual amount of opportunities that would present themselves.
Of course this was because I had a completely incorrect understanding of what working with university faculty actually meant. Clearly, I would probably do more damage than good in a lab setting, but it was ridiculous to think that I could only perform original research from behind an Erlenmeyer flask.
Last Spring, I applied on a whim for a research assistant position that had been posted on the honors blog to work with a Professor Harris Mylonas in the Political Science department. Because I was only in my second semester ever at GW, I was mostly expecting a “thanks but no thanks” at best given the fact that I did not have 15 internships immortalized on my resume. However, I was pleasantly proven wrong, and Professor Mylonas invited me to assist him with his research. Professor Mylonas’s work centers largely on diasporas, nation-building, and Southeastern Europe. Since beginning work with him last Spring I have been able to contribute to various papers and articles. I continued working with Professor Mylonas this semester, and most recently, I have been assisting him with updating Freedom House’s Freedom in the World 2018 Report for Greece and Cyprus.
It was foolish of me to think that as a social science major I would need to wait for a senior thesis or graduate school to develop a close relationship with a faculty members. Professors are doing research in fields beyond just the hard sciences, and student engagement is feasible in all disciplines. My experience working with Professor Mylonas has been challenging and fulfilling, and I know that I am a stronger student and critical thinker because of this experience.
#HonorsProblems: Setting Your Non-Negotiables
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Nicky, a GWSB sophomore studying international business, Spanish, and philosophy.
To Whom It May Concern:
You’re probably reading this because you study(ied) or work(ed) at the beautiful George Washington University, so you most likely are very comfortable with our culture of getting internships like they are the candy on Halloween (Happy October spooky fam!). So, as an 18-20something-year-old attending GW and trying to build the biggest and best resume, you may be seeking an internship, or even be offered an internship at some point (because as UHP students we are just that good). Now, here’s the catch- what if said internship is 25 hours a week while you are taking 18 credits, or if it is in New York City over the summer and you are from Des Moines, Iowa? What do you do? Do you just take the internship because your resume keeps you up at night, or do you try to find something that works better? Here is my answer:
Find your non-negotiables.
A friend last year at my internship said this to me, and it has stuck with me since then. Here is my example:
I (being the GW student I detailed earlier) wanted an internship my first summer after college, because you know… that’s normal? (No it really isn’t please talk to people from other universities they’ll think you’re crazy). My issue came about because I have a life back home in Pennsylvania, and most of the internships I was finding were in DC, and they were exactly what I wanted to do later in my life and they paid VERY well compared to PA’s $7.25 minimum wage. Clearly, the DC internships were enticing, but I sat down with my advisors (shout out Mary) and friends and realized that I was 19, and I should really be focusing on my friends and girlfriend back home, because they are a super important part of my life. Does this then mean I just wasn’t going to get an internship? Nah, it just means that I should make sure whoever my employer is knows about my non-negotiables.
The story has a happy ending of course! I got an internship working for Keller Williams Real Estate, which is something I’ve always been interested in, but I made sure that it was close to home (only 10 minutes) and that I had weekends and one day off during the workweek to see my friends and girlfriend. Setting those non-negotiables did its job: I was able to see my girlfriend every Tuesday and see my friends and her on the weekends, which was a great balance.
This is just my example of setting non-negotiables, but it can really be applied anywhere: in class, at work, at home, with friends, etc. If you take a step back and clearly figure out what you want in the next part of your life, it makes it a lot easier to go out and grab it. Hopefully, your non-negotiables are clear like mine were, but if not, don’t fret, just always be looking out for the things or people that mean the most to you and try to put them first… it has allowed me to live a much happier life.
All the best,
Nicky Cacchione
Tour the Capitol with the UHP!
Are you interested in learning about the American presidents that came before George Washington? Do you want to see the infamous Room(s) Where It Happened? Do you dare to tread on the turf of Demon Cat and the ghosts of numerous political heavyweights? Would you like to learn the artistic techniques that give the Rotunda Frieze its striking three-dimensional effect? Do you wish to see the original draft of the Fourteenth Amendment with your own eyes? Then believe me when I tell you that you want to sign up for the upcoming Capitol tour with the UHP! Join Peer Advisor Kyla for a tour of the US Capitol on Friday, October 12! But don’t just take my word for it. Read these testimonials from recent tour attendees:
“Amazingly informative, educationally stimulating, filled with fun facts – all fall short of describing our recent US Capitol tour by intern Kyla Percival of Congresswoman Karen Handel’s office. She was attentive to our interests and gave details specific to our state and those of the others on our tour. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone.” -A Georgian constituent
“10/10 would recommend. Kyla is an excellent tour guide and will even let you stop at the Capitol cafeteria to get a cookie or donut!” -Honors student Joseph Brecht
“Going on a Capitol tour with Kyla was a highlight of my year for sure. Not only is visiting the Capitol a super cool “only in DC” moment, but Kyla is the best tour guide out there! In fact, she was sought after by different congressional offices to give tours to their VIPs! Kyla tailored the tour to my interests and kept me laughing the whole time! 10/10 would recommend.”-Honors student Ellie Smith
You’ll learn countless fun facts about American history and get to see amazing sights typically reserved for VIP tours. We’ll visit the original Supreme Court chambers, see the location of Charles Sumner’s caning in the Senate, and stand at the desk sites of all the representatives who went on to become president. You will be getting the same treatment as Indian Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad, the members of Zac Brown Band and Sugarland. This tour is bipartisanly recommended by Reps Brenda Lawrence of Michigan and Joe Wilson of South Carolina. Congresswoman Karen Handel calls it “The best tour ever!” This is also the only tour officially endorsed by the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. You’ll be able to dazzle your friends with your extensive political knowledge and the pictures you’ve snapped in these historic rooms. Don’t miss out on what’s sure to be an awesome #OnlyAtGW experience you’ll remember for years to come!
Spots for this event are limited, so please only sign up if you’re actually able to attend! We’ll be meeting at the Capitol building on Friday, 10/12 at 12:45 PM. Make sure to pick up your ticket at the front office by 11:00 AM on Thursday, 10/11 or your spot will be given to someone on the waitlist! If the event is full and you’d like to be added to the waitlist, please email uhp@gwu.edu with the subject line “Capitol Tour Waitlist.”
Sign up here!
#HonorsProblems: No Sleep? No Problem.
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Michelle, a CCAS sophomore studying political science, applied ethics, and law and society. Michelle is also on the pre-law track.
Normally, I wouldn’t advocate for students to get no sleep, but there are times in your life when pulling an all-nighter is inevitable and totally worth it. That time came for me during the spring semester of my freshman year: one of my roommates and I waited up all night in the pouring rain to see the Supreme Court Oral Argument in the case of Trump v. Hawaii, more commonly known as the Muslim Travel Ban. We arrived outside the Supreme Court at about 7pm, and after 14 (very long, very wet) hours, we finally stepped foot into the Supreme Court (#onlyatGW)!
This was my second time attending an Oral Argument at the Supreme Court, granted the first case was very low-profile and we arrived at 5am. Upon entering the building and going through security, ticket-holders have about an hour to explore before being ushered into the courtroom. For my roommate and I, this meant changing into dry clothes, trying to make it look as if we hadn’t been up all night, and getting breakfast. After locking all of our items away (no phones allowed!), we were seated. As a pre-law student, there’s nothing like having the opportunity to envision your future career while sitting in the Supreme Court, waiting to see RBG and the other eight justices.
Soon enough, the case began. I had assumed that the arguments would be about whether or not President Trump’s Executive Order was religiously discriminative. I was wrong. There was an entirely separate dimension concerning the Court: Did President Trump have the Constitutional authority to issue such an order? This was an issue that I hadn’t even thought of, and it made me realize that while pre-professional advising is great, the best way to learn about a field is to observe people actually at work.
Watching a Supreme Court Oral Argument is nothing like watching a trial on Law and Order. Seeing our legal system at work was eye opening, and that’s the beauty of going to school in DC. For as long as I can remember, I knew that I wanted to be an attorney, but I had no real experience. After seeing attorneys at work in the highest court of the country, I know it’s what I want to do with my career. That’s why it’s so important to take advantage of the opportunities around you as an undergraduate – so you can start to see what your career could look like.
For you, your career goals may not dictate an all-nighter in the pouring rain outside of the Supreme Court, but use your resources at GW and in DC to find a way to gain insight into your interests. Whether that means an internship, organizing an informational interview, or going to events around the city, take the initiative to learn more about your dream job – future you will be thankful!
#HonorsProblems: Summer Lovin, Had Me a Blast!
The following blog post is written by Peer Advisor Brianna, a pre-health sophomore studying Public Health in Milken.
Summers are always a crucial time for me to get ahead in my classes, pick up some more volunteer hours, or even make some extra money. Last summer, I decided to take a course at my local university so that I could get ahead in my classes. I only took one course so I was able to relax in the afternoons with my friends. I recommend taking a summer course if you would like to keep learning and get ahead in classes. If taking a summer class is not for you, there are many other ways to spend your summer.
During my summer course, I also worked a part time job at the pool. This was the perfect job for me because I went to class in the morning and I would go to the pool and help run summer camp. I thought that running after little children all day would drain the energy out of me but surprisingly, I had so much energy after my class and work. Working over the summer was a great decision for me because I was able to come into the fall semester with some extra money to spend. Some other activities that you can do over the summer are volunteering, shadowing, research, internships, or externships.
A word of advice: Plan to do something over your break. I know that you may be worn out by the end of the semester but you will get bored so fast if you have nothing planned. However, try not to pack your summer with a huge load of activities because you don’t want to come into the Fall semester drained of energy either! Make sure to have a good balance of productivity and relaxation.
#HonorsProblems: Reflections of a Senior; or How I Learned the True Value of College
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Benji, an SMPA senior studying political communication.
We live in a society that wants to quantify every measure of our lives: Facebook tells me I have 1,060 friends; I have a 4.81 Uber rating; and my Fitbit reports that I didn’t get my 10,000 steps yesterday. As each new app, technology, or website measures a different portion of our lives, there is one pressing question that has evaded calculation – how do you measure the value of an education at the George Washington University?
Is it in hours spent in Gelman Library? – A lot.
Trips on the Vex? – A decent amount.
Dining dollars spent at Whole Food? – One too many.
There are a lot of different metrics – in the classroom and outside of it – that can be used to explain the value of attending GW, all of them impressive on a resume. While these numbers say a lot about the quality of this university, they don’t tell you much about the value of your time in Foggy Bottom. As much as these numbers can tell you how awesome college was, they could also make you feel inadequate. In our rush to put a number on everything – whether it be Instagram likes or grade point average – we end up in a cycle of needless competition. Instead of celebrating each other’s achievements, we compare ourselves to one another and judge those who don’t meet arbitrary standards.
So how do you gauge the value of a GW education?
You can’t – at least not by any conventional definition – because the value of a GW education is only realized when we cherish the things that cannot be measured, and celebrate the singular achievements of every individual.
Whether you are a senior on your way out or a freshman still getting lost around Foggy Bottom, each one of us takes a unique journey through college that is special to every single person in his or her own way. What transpires in your four years cannot be boiled down to one number. Not the power of the connections each student makes with their peers and their professors or the value of learning new ways of thinking, having ideas challenged, and gaining new perspectives.
So shrug off whatever preconceived notions you may hold about what college is supposed to be. Join a club – or don’t. Go abroad – or stay in DC. The story of college is not written in a blue book; there are no right answers, only right attitudes. No matter if you have two months of undergrad left or two years, embrace every moment of your singular journey. Therein lies the value of a GW education.
#HonorsProblems: Taking a Leap of Faith
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Sophia, a CCAS sophomore studying criminal justice.
As much as Honors problems surround doing too much or being overloaded with work, in my case, I heeded those warnings a little too much. I was over-aware of how much I was putting on my plate, and I ended up shying away from having too much to do and a rigorous course-load. Midterms and finals do get stressful, but I’ve always felt like my work was manageable. So, I decided to take a leap of faith and apply for a real, corporate-y kind of job, because I seem to always be happiest when I am doing something career-related and future-oriented. I wanted to challenge myself, and get out of my comfort zone, and the GW bubble.
It was scarier for me just to apply and interview, and get my hopes up, even before getting the job itself. Honors students tend to be high-achieving perfectionists, and often, terrified of failure. I am no exception. However, what I’ve learned, is that the only way to grow and change is to face the possibility of failure and accept the consequences. I would have had to grapple with not achieving a goal, but I would have grown from that too.
However, I did get the job, and I started last week! I’m excited to try something new and learn about a completely different sector of the world. My job weaves two subjects together that fascinate me, law and the internet. I have already had intriguing conversations about AI, how wireless kills bees, people can remotely control your dishwasher, and even Sophia the Robot (not me).
I know it will be a challenge to juggle academics, extracurriculars, work and a social life, but I firmly believe that intellectual stimulation helps people thrive, instead of wasting away watching TV or playing video games. I think being very busy will snap me out of the cycle of procrastination. I hope, as go-getter Honors students read this, that you know that it’s good to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone, do something that scares you, conquer something, and you’ll be so much better for it.
Apply to Be a Peer Advisor!
Honors Peer Advisors are an integral part of UHP advising, providing mentorship to new Honors students and providing a student perspective for the Honors community at large. They advise on honors experiences, classes, housing, and all the facets of life at GW as a Honors student.
Are you interested in applying to be an Honors Peer Advisor? Applications are now open!
- Apply here if you’re applying as a new Honors Peer Advisors
- Apply here if you’re applying as a returning Honors Peer Advisors
- Apply here if you’re interested in a leadership position with the Honors Peer Advisors. Please note that leadership candidates should also fill out a regular application.
The application deadline is Monday, January 22. Please contact uhppeers@gwu.edu with questions regarding the application.
#HonorsProblems: How to Get Over That Post-Midterm Drag
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Melanie, a junior studying political science and international affairs.
So, midterms are winding down. You’ve been stressed out for weeks. Hours and hours in Gelman and cups and cups of coffee. You’ve taken two midterms on one day and turned in those three papers that you had due all at once. And its finally over. What now?
We at GW have a knack for doing the most. We strive to be the best. And while being able to thrive under pressure may be a great asset, we sometimes forget how to relax. The stress of midterms can be overwhelming at times, and when were done with them we can find ourselves in a sort of limbo, waiting for the next exam or project, instead of taking the time we have off to just breathe. This is the time of year that we decide to join another club since we have some extra time, or pick up that extra project.
If there is anything that I have learned in the last couple of years, its how to multi-task. But on top of that, I have begun to learn how to take advantage of the minute I have to relax when I can. I say “begun” because even as a junior, I struggle with this. My Honors mindset always has me searching for the next opportunity and next way to rise above the competition. Us honors kids are professional over-achievers. Freshman year I stressed about everything and anything, and even when I had nothing going on, I was stressing about a future project that hadn’t even been assigned yet.
So I challenge you, in this time between midterms and finals, to take a weekend (or even a week if you’re feeling bold) and do something that you’ve been wanting to do but just “haven’t had the time”. Go to that movie you’ve been dying to see. Go to that restaurant across town that everyone’s been raving about. Lay in bed and take that three-hour nap you’ve been pushing off since you got here. Its time to take some time for YOU. Treat yourself. I promise that when you wake up from that nap or get back from that trip, everything will be just as you left it and you’ll be able to pick up where you left off, with a much clearer head. Some quality R&R can do an immeasurable amount of goodness in the long term. It brings us back to reality as we step back and evaluate what we’ve got going on in our lives. Trust me, you’ll enjoy college much more once you begin to take a breather.
