The following blog post was written by peer advisor Michaela, a SEAS junior studying Civil Engineering and International Affairs. Learn more about Michaela here.
During my sophomore year, I was set on studying abroad in the fall of my junior year. I had everything: syllabi from four different schools, appointments set up with my department to approve courses, an Excel sheet set up to track my progress, even Pinterest board of travel ideas.
However, due to restrictions from my major, all of those plans fell apart. I would be staying on campus my whole junior year.
However, an idea struck me as I began my semester feeling like the one junior not studying abroad: why don’t I just go anyways? I had saved up enough money from my summer internship, and I had friends that were already abroad. Even if they were in classes, I’d be in a whole different city and could probably entertain myself. So that’s exactly what I did. My former roommate/other-half-of-my-brain Alyssa was studying abroad in Paris for a year. I booked a ticket to visit her over spring break and for nine days, I got to “study abroad.”
We visited everywhere: Louvre, Centre Pompidou, the Eiffel Tower, Musee d’Orsay, Sacre Coeur, all the things. Since Alyssa had been in France since the fall, she knew a lot about the city. I also got to go with her program to Barcelona and visit the Miro Foundation and La Sagrada Familia. But I also had a lot of fun on my own when she had to be in class or studying. I wandered around fabric shops and cemeteries and Japanese cheese cafes (no joke, wasabi goat cheese will change your life). While I loved traveling with Alyssa, I also learned a lot about myself in my many walks alone. I could only text US numbers with my phone, so I had to become a lot more reliant on maps and aware of my surroundings. I also realized that having barely any structure to a day was actually wonderful. I once literally followed my nose to a market stall in Barcelona and had the best baked potato of my life. I hadn’t planned to find the potato, nor did I know any of the English names of the ingredients (my limited experience with Spanish had not prepared me for Catalonian).
A lot of students dream of study abroad, but study abroad doesn’t have to be limited to semesters. There are numerous opportunities to study abroad during the summer and to work and volunteer abroad. Even with these alternate opportunities, I think that this experience traveling almost on my own was very rewarding. It may seem scary at first, but as long as you have a semi-plan and someone to turn to in case of an emergency (thank you Alyssa) you can really create a wonderful experience.
Category: Student Voices
The Intern Files: Osa Conservation
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Emily, a CCAS junior studying environmental studies and sustainability. You can learn more about Emily here.
Walking into Osa Conservation’s DC Office on a sunny day in August I did not realize I was embarking on a new chapter of my life. I was certainly excited to see what the office would look like, I sincerely wondered if the goals of the organization would be reflected in the office’s atmosphere. I was not disappointed as I entered a warm and cozy floor filled with bright colors and images of the rainforest and its breathtaking wildlife. My personal favorite would have to be either the picture of the soaring macaws or the duck calendar. I instantly was soothed, and knew I was in the right place. As an Environmental Studies major I am extremely passionate about environmental issues and conservation. Osa was the perfect fit for me. Suddenly I was immersed in the world of protecting nature, which is right where I have always aspired to be.
Through my time at Osa I was able to actually make a difference in the environmental world by helping to preserve the Osa peninsula. I think my favorite part of my internship at Osa was the outreach work I did. By spreading the message about our stations in Costa Rica I knew I was bringing awareness to our efforts and potentially encouraging another student or researcher to make the trip to the Osa. With each new person who learned our conservation message I felt as if real change was being made to protect the most biologically intense place on the planet. I learned so much from editing the blogs of researchers and I could directly connect my classes to what I was learning about the Osa.
I never imagined that I would get along so well with everyone else in the office. It seems that caring about the environment attracts a certain type of person, one who is open, friendly, caring, and engaged with the world around them. I loved talking to and learning from everyone in our Office, the neigboring Amazon Conservation Office, as well as our staff down in Costa Rica. My fellow intern, Parita, and I shared a special bond and I am so thankful that my internship not only gave me professional contacts but good friends as well.
In this position I gained a better understanding of how an environmental non-profit functions which is extremely valuable experience for me because working for an organization like Osa has always been a potential career path. I am now better prepared for another internship or even a job that involves non-profit work, communications skills, tropical ecology research, or conservation work. It was so refreshing to be doing work that I could directly see the positive results from. In this role I was helping to improve the larger world and make a significant impact on the wildlife, people, and environment of Costa Rica. When I walked into the Osa office I knew I was doing something that mattered and that made all the difference
The Extra Curricular: Colonial Crossfire
The following post was written by peer advisor Benji, a sophomore studying Political Communication. You can find out more about Benji here.
Hello UHPers and welcome to the home stretch! Spring has sprung and before you know it finals will be over and summer will be here.
GW offers plenty of activities to fill up this last month of school, but one that is particularly important to me, and has been throughout my entire college experience, is Colonial Crossfire. As GWTV’s political news and debate show, Crossfire is a perfect opportunity for aspiring politicos like myself to gain experience and have fun discussing current events with a great group of people.
On each episode of Crossfire we invite two students from opposing sides of the aisle to discuss topics ripped straight from the headlines. The 2016 election has given us no shortage of material but we have also discussed immigration, health care, and foreign policy. We’ve also conduct interviews in studio with GW professors about North Korea and the Zika virus.
As a freshman, I started out doing a lot of work behind the scenes: operating the camera, running the teleprompter, and adjusting the audio. Only a year later I’m the Senior Producer, helping to decide each of our debate topics and playing an integral role in the overall operation of the show. This is an activity where even underclassmen are given the chance to take on leadership roles.
Throughout the past two years Colonial Crossfire has been an instrumental part of my college career. Not only has it has given me the opportunity to learn real world skills that I can use in the workforce; it has provided me with a place to indulge in my political nerdiness. Especially in this chaotic election season, Crossfire is a place where students from across the political spectrum can join in productive, enlightening discussion about important issues.
What’s more, many of those students are in the UHP! Both of our on air talent, moderator Andrew Desiderio and fact checker Casey Decker, are UHPers, as are past executive producers and moderators. There is a long and storied tradition of Honors students playing an important role on Colonial Crossfire. If you ask me, it’s not by coincidence. The two are places where lively discussion is encouraged and community is fostered.
If you’re interested in joining, we are always looking for people who love politics and want a chance to write, edit, research, edit video, and even appear on camera. We use the TV studio in the Media and Public Affairs building, so those on our team also have the chance to learn how to run a control room, monitor audio, work cameras, and more. Colonial Crossfire tapes on Friday mornings several times each semester in SMPA’s fifth floor TV studio. Interested in joining? Email gwcrossfire@gmail.com and hit me up with any questions.
Good luck with the rest of the year!
#HonorsProblems: Asking for an Extension
This blog post was written by Peer Advisor Aaron, a sophomore in the Elliott School studying international affairs and psychology. Learn more about Aaron here.
Why is there such a stigma associated with extensions? Often, asking for an extension feels like an admission of failure in itself. It isn’t. Work piles up. Assignments are due on the same day, or at the end of a long midterms season that’s left you burnt out. Sometimes, we need more time than our professors think we need – they certainly don’t know about the three other midterms you have this week. Asking for an extension, when done correctly, is just like asking for any other type of help. It’s a great way to ensure that you are giving all of your assignments the attention they deserve, turning in high-quality work while avoiding late penalties.
At its worst, an extension arrives in a professor’s inbox sometime in the early AM hours of the assignment’s due date. It’s more begging than asking. It tells the professor two things. First, it tells her that your time management skills are not very good. Second, it says that, even if she grants you an extension, the assignment you will be turning in will not be your best work. This does not bode well for your grade, or mercy on future assignments.
The best way to make an extension work for you instead of against you is by flipping these negatives into positives. Plan ahead! If you’re a few days away from your deadline and you’re already feeling as though you won’t be able to turn in quality work on time, that is the time to go to the professor! Look at you, showing off your strong time management skills and your ability to have the foresight to ask ahead of time. Asking for an extension earlier will absolutely make your professor more receptive to the idea.
Remember to emphasize that the goal in asking for this extension is to ensure that you are turning in your best work. Of course, you could get this paper done by the deadline, but an extra 24 hours to work on it would make the difference between a good paper and a GREAT paper. This demonstrates that you truly care about the work and more importantly, promises the professor that they will be reading something worth the wait by the time it is turned in a day later than originally planned. It’s really a win-win situation. You get extra time to write a better paper and get a better grade. Your professor gets a chance to read your best work and give you that better grade on something she knows you put a lot of effort into making great.
I have asked for an extension before. I was able to finish the paper within hours of the deadline, but because I asked for help I was able to take advantage of a few more hours the next morning. Having that extra time allowed me to make it into something I was proud of and excited to turn in to my professor. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for the help you need. A little extra time is not the most you could ask for (especially when your professor is going to take a month to grade it!).
Study Ablog: From Puerto Rico with Love
The following post was written by Peer Advisor Emily, a CCAS junior studying environmental studies and sustainability. You can find out more about her here!
During my time at GW I have realized that so many students love to give back. Practically every student has a cause that they are passionate about. In high school, I too was an active participant in community service. There are so many ways to get involved with volunteering on and off campus. There are service fraternities, community service clubs, and numerous organizations located all over D.C. that are always looking for volunteers. One day, during my sophomore year, I was searching around on the GW website to find service opportunities when I stumbled upon the page for GW Alternative Breaks. That click changed my life.
I was fortunate enough to spend my winter break that year volunteering on a sustainable farm in Las Marias Puerto Rico. I was drawn to this trip because protecting the environment has always been a cause very near to my heart. While on the farm we spent half the day performing various tasks on the farm and the rest learning in the classroom about green perma-culture practices. As an environmental studies major I am fascinated with the world of sustainable agriculture and the organic food system so this journey was not only educational but it also resonated deeply with me.
During my time in Puerto Rico I got to experience a new and healthier lifestyle, embrace a foreign culture, and form lifelong friendships. I learned how to ingrain sustainability seamlessly into my daily life and I formed a stronger connection with nature. By laying out under the stars and waking up to do yoga as the sun crept over the mountains, I found a sense of inner peace that is simply unattainable in the city. I spent time harvesting coffee, coconuts, and oranges and while doing so I observed a system of farming that works with the natural world instead of against it. I helped to build structures and create compost which taught me the value there is in hard work, especially when working with a team toward a common goal. These are lessons I could not have learned at GW. Sometimes you need to get away from the monotonous pattern of normal life in order to learn about yourself and experience personal growth.
It is commonly said that studying abroad is the most enriching college experience, but sadly due to major requirements or financial issues so many students do not get the opportunity to spend a semester overseas. I have seen many of my friends denied the chance to view life from a different perspective and have a meaningful experience outside of the GW bubble. That is why the Alternative Break Program is so great: it allows students to spend time abroad or in a different community while simultaneously learning from and giving back to the community they are in. If you are unable to go abroad or merely interested in community service at any level, I highly recommend you look into participating in an alternative break. I promise you won’t regret it.
The Extra-Curricular: Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity
The following post was written by Peer Advisor Lindsey O’Connell, a CCAS sophomore studying Art History and Spanish. Find out more about Lindsey by visiting her Peer Advisor profile page here.
Hey everyone!
First off, here’s hoping that your mid-terms are going well! And if they aren’t, remember that Spring Break is just days away, and the UHP Townhouse has plenty of coffee and tea to get you through in the meantime 🙂 Woo!
For this week’s “Extra-Curricular,” I want to talk about something near and dear to my heart: Phi Sigma Pi National Honors Fraternity (because apparently, I just can’t get enough of that #HonorsLife).
Phi Sigma Pi, or PSP, was founded in 1916 upon the ideals of Scholarship, Leadership, and Fellowship. This gender-inclusive Fraternity uses this “Tripod” of values as a way to guide brothers through our academic, professional, and social lives.
Now, you’ve probably heard of PSP before, right? That is because all UHP students (excluding students in their first or last semesters) should receive semesterly invitations to participate in our rush process. That is, if you don’t assume the email is spam and throw it in your junk mail (which of course I totally did not do). Students must have earned a 3.0 GPA or higher in order to become a brother of PSP–which means UHPers automatically qualify!
Personally, I never imagined myself as someone who would go Greek, and yet since I became a brother in Fall 2015, Phi Sigma Pi has become a cornerstone in my college experience.
As my health took a downwards turn at the beginning of this year, minimizing my participation in my Honors course first semester and restricting me from taking further courses this semester, I found myself sorely missing the sense of community and camaraderie I experienced when I was able to fully immerse myself in UHP activities. While I could not handle the courseload, I still wanted to be around other academically minded, interesting, and just plain awesome people.
For me, becoming a brother of PSP has allowed me to bring the best parts of the UHP–the sense of community, the shared values, the common understanding–into a fun and flexible extra-curricular. Unlike other extra-curricular activities I have previously participated in, Phi Sigma Pi’s focus on scholarship ensures that my academics are never put on the back burner.
Not forgetting about the other parts to the Tripod, PSP’s wide arrange of events and activities for brothers includes museum outings, workshops, movie nights, and more! I have found so many wonderful people through this organization, and I am glad to have had the opportunity to get to know them in such a meaningful capacity.
If you think that Phi Sigma Pi could be a good fit for you, look out for the Fall Rush invitation! And maybe bookmark this page, because if you’re like me, you’ll totally forget by then 🙂
Have an awesome break!!
#HonorsProblems: In Praise of Failure
The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Eamonn, a heterodoxic sophomore studying philosophy and international affairs. You can find out more about Eamonn here.
In Praise of Failure: Why the Worst is [generally] for the Best
Though we’d universally prefer another contribution to such riveting themes as “The Intern Files”, “Study A-Blog” or “The World of Dressage[1]”, this week’s post is devoted to the proverbially soft and slimy underbelly of our Peer Advisor canon of wisdom: “Honors Problems”. I suppose that’s an awfully derisive characterization. Excepting snake enthusiasts, soft and slimy aren’t generally employed as honorifics[2].
That was a digression. Sorry. Yet I feel it was an illustrative one. Although we emphasize such laudable mantras as “don’t become overextended”, “know when to quit” and “you don’t need to do everything”, we value these words about as much as Ryan Reynolds does the Green Lantern Oath.[3]
At a university which fixates upon success, Honors students are liable to fetishize it[4]. As well we should, the forceful riposte goes. We were originally identified as possessing capacities deemed exceptional, should our current character not be deemed exemplary? To be less than exemplary is to fail. It is to deny the actuality of our vaunted virtues and sink insensibly into the frothing pit of mediocrity beneath us. That sounds awful, hopefully no one really thinks of it in those terms. I’m tempted to invoke Montaigne’s opinion that “all men are ineluctably stupid”, arguing humanity to be inherently fallible. Yet to do would be as indefensible as it distressing[5]. Failure will inevitably occur, but its effects needn’t be invariably detrimental. I could continue to pontificate upon how success conflates our hubris and conceals our still festering flaws. That sounds unbearably sanctimonious though. I think I’ll instead recount for you a period of my life riddled with failure: first semester freshman year.
As I imagined was the case for many of you, I found high school painless and accolades easy to attain. Although repeatedly warned of how onerous college could be, I was unabashedly blithe for the first month of class, spending more time as a tourist than a student. I remained that way until I received the grade for my first paper, a precis composed for an Introductory Philosophy course. Let’s just say the “C+” jaggedly scrawled across the paper was less than desirable. To my credit, I became a markedly more diligent student thereafter. To my dismay, it didn’t make a difference. No matter how I strained myself, I couldn’t eke out more than a B in either Origins or my Intro Philosophy course. These were the classes I enjoyed. For those I didn’t—Microecon foremost—my work was horrendous enough to make a DMV secretary blush.
I’d experienced setbacks before[6].Yet this was something dreadfully new. My talents were inadequate, my perspective was disoriented and my confidence had been thoroughly emasculated[7]. Every new grade I received was another dull blow to my already broken spirit. To compound what was academically unbearable, my social life was fast going awry as well. Acclimation into the mundane but essential responsibilities of independent living was a haphazard process at best[8], none of the clubs I had joined felt particularly rewarding, none of the girls I attempted to talk to particularly liked me[9] and relations with my roommates weren’t particularly comfortable either. Returning home for Thanksgiving break, I couldn’t identify a single moment of unqualified success over the preceding three months. I had, emphatically and unavoidably, failed.
Kidding, though at that point, I very much would have liked to cut my losses. In frankness, I can’t recall any ballast of stability which enabled me to persevere through the semester. My parents were supportive, my professors solicitous and the few friends I had made, caring. Conclusively though, nothing improved. Still no luck in the classroom, still no luck with the ladies. My final grade for microeconomics was so heinous my academic adviser thought I might be compelled to retake it.[10] I hardly crossed the 3.0 threshold for continuance with the Honors Program. These drear recollections aren’t intended as schadenfreude fodder (but if you need that go for it). Rather their purpose is to establish the context for the two qualities I came to find indispensable in rejuvenating myself academically and socially the next semester: humility and courage.
Humility is to recognize the possibility of failure. Courage is to resolutely persevere despite this possibility. My failures didn’t “teach” me this. They reduced me to it. All other considerations were remote or inconceivable. The will to try and the resolve to keep trying was my last elixir. So I took it. Happily, it was all I required. My mishaps didn’t disappear, though as I adjusted to the rigors of university coursework they did dissipate in frequency and magnitude. What truly changed was my response. Rather than treat failure as condemnation for my inadequacy, I approached it as the opportunity for growth. This maxim—often said and rarely followed—is practical only for those who have dismissed failure as a vice. Adopting humility and courage empowered me to deny failure its ferocity. Failure couldn’t hurt me, because failure isn’t final. Humility taught me to accommodate failure, courage taught me to progress from it.
It’s one thing to discourse on elegant, airy abstractions of virtue. How do you go about practicing “humility” and “courage”? Maybe it’s tempting to treat these traits as fatalistic. We can’t control our failures in finality, so why rebuke ourselves as responsible for them? This would be misguided though. The goal isn’t to accept failure. It’s not even to unencumber ourselves of failure’s burden. Failure should sting, it should prod us sharply, it should rouse us from complacently accepting our immediate limitations. In so doing, failure should be part of a constructive process. This process is a reflective one. It consists in candid, comprehensive self-examination, coupling success alongside failure. The former reveals what we’ve mastered, the latter recommends what ought to be mastered next. Brought to fruition this process tells us where we are, where we’d like to be, and how best to get there. As it would be remiss to write for the UHP without invoking the ancients at some point, let me belatedly harken to Socrates. Before he drank the cup and kicked the bucket, the barefoot sage pronounced to his bewildered companions in the Symposium that Love, for all its virtues, was downright hideous. How could it not be? Bereaved of Beauty, Love is compelled to seek it, to exalt it, and most of all, create it. Failure in my mind, relates similarly to success. Who knows, there’s a lot lost in translation[11]
[1] UHP approval of Dressage section currently begrudged, lack of relevance to and expertise among the student body cited. Minor setback, wait until they see the Olympics.
[2] Hail Hydra
[3] “In brightest day/in darkest night/no evil shall escape my sight/let all who worship evil’s might/beware the power of Green Lantern’s light” I’m not bitter, I just would have preferred a better movie
[4] Don’t read into that
[5] Stick to German philosophy, Descartes thought he was a ghost and Voltaire couldn’t distinguish Xenophon from Xenophanes. Cogito Ergo Done with these Amateurs
[6] One time I wasn’t elected National Honor Society president, it was devastating
[7] Don’t read into that either
[8] Apparently red shirts really do bleed into white socks in the wash
[9] Open to advice
[10] Turns out I don’t…I think
[11] For a lucidly articulated account of such discrepancies in Classical scholarship, review Alan Bloom’s translation of The Republic
Intern Files: Interning During the School Year
This post was written by Peer Advisor Bridger, a junior in SMPA studying political communication. View his full profile here.
When summer rolls around, thousands of students, attending colleges all across the world, descend upon D.C. to pursue one of the many great internships that are available. In this environment, it can be extremely difficult to get a “dream internship.” But, as GW students we actually have a better chance at landing some of the most sought after and prestigious internships anywhere in the world. The reason: we can work at these places during the school year. Companies, charities, government agencies, etc. still like to have interns year round. Thus, if you’re willing to intern part time during the year, you can turn the supply-demand relationship between employer and prospective employee in your favor.
Since coming to The George Washington University, I have held three internships that have allowed me to pursue interests in legislative politics, 24 hour news, and political campaigns. I pursued two of these three internships during the school year., and I can definitely say that this was a great decision for me personally. It allowed me to balance family, professional experience, and academic studies in a way that allowed for the best of both worlds. I made friends and professional connections, and because I was the only intern, I was able to do a little bit of everything for everyone.
Before you go any further thinking about interning during the year, however, it will be important to take stock of the amount of time you have during a given week. The absolute low end of workable hours for an internship in D.C. is usually somewhere between 10 and 15 hours per week, so seriously consider whether you have the time to spare before you get further into the process. Alright, now that that disclaimer is out of the way, I can provide my pointers on how to intern during the year, while keeping everything else in (relative) order. Here we go!
- Make the decision regarding interning before you make your class schedule
One of the most important aspects of interning during the school year is simply having the time during the week to do so. If at all possible, do your best to schedule at least two days during the week that are mostly dedicated to your internship. Otherwise, many places won’t be able to accommodate your schedule. It seems obvious, however for a lot of people the thing that prevents them from holding a Spring or Fall internship really is 11:10 AM classes Monday through Friday.
- Be honest with your potential employer about how much time you have
Adding 20 hours to your weekly schedule could get overwhelming fast, especially if you don’t have the time to undertake such an arduous time commitment. Whether it’s during the interview, in a cover letter, or after an offer is made, be sure to make clear how long, and when, you’re free to be at the office. These places understand that you’re in school, and they’re generally quite accommodating of your schedule. However, if you’re not up front about how much time you can dedicate to their workload, it could lead to greater problems down the road.
- Try to make a weekly routine, and stick to it!
During the Fall of 2015, I interned on a Sunday morning political talk show that required me to be at the studio by 5:00 AM. This meant waking up around 3:30 AM, and thus, made getting any other work done all of Sunday a near impossibility. However, I was able to weather this situation by getting in the habit of doing more work during the week, and by never letting anything due on Monday linger past Saturday. While your internship may not have such odd hours, it will be important to make weekly habits and to stick to them as best as you can, including your non-academic commitments.
So, there you have it: my three top tips for how to successfully intern during the year. While it may not be the best thing for everyone to do, holding a Spring or Fall internship can be an effective way to take advantage of some of the best opportunities available in the district. I hope this mini-guide to undertaking such a commitment has helped you in some way, and that whether it is during the Fall, Spring, or Summer, you’re able to pursue your professional interests during your time at GW.
#HonorsProblems: Knowing When to Quit
The following post was written by Peer Advisor Prakriti, a sophomore in CCAS studying economics and political science.
Making the Most of Student Organizations At GW: Knowing When to Quit
Student organizations are an important part of college; they are where you meet many of your friends, explore passions outside the academic realm, and become involved with your community. As a result, students often struggle with knowing if and when it is the right time to quit a student organization. In fact, it is probably one of the hardest things to consider about a student organization, especially for those of us who tend to overcommit and are highly motivated to be involved.
Quitting tends to come with a negative connotation. But ‘quitting’ is not always bad. There sometimes comes a point when being in an organization is not worth it anymore and quitting becomes the best action to take. It does not make you less smart or motivated or involved. Sometimes doing the right thing for yourself is leaving one organization so you can pursue something else more beneficial.
As a quick disclaimer, this post is not trying to promote quitting student organizations or not getting involved. I am not advising to drop every single organization that takes up some of your time or gives you one negative experience. At that rate, you wouldn’t be involved with anything. However, this post is to prompt students to consider the environment they are in and ask if they are getting the experiences that they want. If you aren’t happy in the organizations you are in, then you should at least reconsider your involvement.
If you are confused about leaving an organization, here are some factors to consider that will hopefully make your choice a little easier:
- Time. Consider how much time your organization is taking up and pay attention to whether you find yourself skipping classes, ignoring homework, or avoiding sleep on a regular basis. You may need to tone down your individual involvement or, if hours are not flexible, consider leaving the organization.
- Benefits and Opportunities. Consider the opportunities that the organization gives you. Sometimes an organization looks great on paper or social media, but it may not actually be what you hoped for, and it isn’t worth being in an organization just so you can list it on a resume; if you cannot genuinely speak to the ways in which it helped you grow, then it probably is not worth your time.
- The Opportunity Cost. Being heavily involved in an organization takes away from other things you could be doing. Keep your options open and know that it is okay at times to leave something when a better opportunity comes your way. You cannot do everything and need to pick and chose your commitments carefully with your personal goals and the future in mind.
- Socializing. Joining a student organization does not necessarily guarantee that you will make friends or more often times, that you will make the friends that you want. If you find yourself questioning the character of people you spend your time with or realize that you are not having fun, then you might want to consider leaving that organization for another one.
- Losing Friends. You might find that a student organization is not worth it for you personally, but you do not want to lose the great friends that you have made. Keep in mind that if these people are actually your friends, then it won’t matter that you quit.
- Time Investment. A major reason I didn’t want to quit an organization in the past was that I felt I had already invested so much time into it. I know it might be hard to negate the time you’ve already spent, but a lot of times, it is just cognitive dissonance and not a valid reason to stay in an organization.
- Quitting is “Bad”. Students feel like by quitting, they are admitting that they couldn’t handle the pressure or that they failed. However, quitting is not always a bad thing. Make sure that you are quitting for the right reasons and are following the path that you want.
Deciding to leave a student organization can be daunting and there are a lot of factors to consider. At the end of the day, however, there is really only one fundamental question to consider – Are you happy in the organization that you are in? If you don’t know the answer, then you should rethink your involvement. While I would not advocate making a rash decision, I would suggest reconsidering the pros and cons with your involvement. You might decide to reduce your involvement, rethink your approach to an organization, or quit altogether. Trust your instincts – you know what is good for you better than you may realize.
Study Ablog: Picking the Right Country
The following post was written by Peer Advisor Maggie, a senior in the Elliott School. Maggie is double majoring in International Affairs and Chinese Language and Literature, and was selected for the prestigious Schwarzman Scholars Fellowship to continue her graduate studies in China.
Choosing the right study abroad program can be hard. There are so many options for the places you can go and the types of programs you in which you can participate. This often is overwhelming, especially considering you prepare for your study abroad experience during freshman and sophomore year when your ideas about what you want to major in and do with your life are maturing. Despite having to make such an important choice so early on, I am here to share my own words of wisdom:
When choosing a study abroad experience you should maintain the perspective that study abroad should not be a vacation, but an academic endeavor. When selecting a program, it should line up with what you are studying in college, enhance your on-campus experience, and help solidify your career aspirations. Moreover, you should think about how you will capitalize on the experience once you return to the U.S.
Students should view study abroad as an opportunity to create a narrative for themselves that makes them stand out from the crowd. However, this means that from an academic and career perspective often times the study abroad experience you should choose will be much more challenging. And this can be more difficult when your friends and classmates participate in programs with less rigorous coursework and allow them more freedom to travel. For instance, while you might be spending your summer in Tajikistan working on your Persian, your friends will be posting photos of them eating baguette and cheese at the Eiffel Tower or from a beach in Fiji. Though this stark difference is hard to reconcile when you come back, putting in the time and effort to complete a rigorous study abroad program that adds to your academic narrative pays dividends.
While on the Critical Language Scholarship in China, I was able to try my hand at calligraphy
If you select programs that parallel your on-campus studies, these experiences can often be used in applications for grants and fellowships that will allow you to study and do research abroad for free – for example, through a Boren Scholarship, Fulbright, Critical Language Scholarship, to name a few. Moreover, if you are able to articulate why your experience abroad was significant, it can be used in applications for graduate school and post-graduation job interviews.
As a double major in Chinese and International Affairs, I began to study abroad the summer after my freshman year. Motivated by my Chinese classes at GW, I wanted to push my language development beyond the pace available in a classroom in the U.S. I chose to attend an intensive, immersive Chinese summer language program in Kunming, where we spoke Chinese 24/7 and the rate at which I felt my language improve was phenomenal. During all three summers I have been at GW, I have participated in three intensive Chinese language programs both in Mainland China and Taiwan. Of these three experiences, I have only had to pay in full for the first one.
My perseverance through a challenging summer in Kunming allowed me to craft a narrative about myself to apply to and be awarded the GW Sigur Center Language fellowship to study Chinese in Taiwan, and most recently U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship to study in Dalian, China. By selecting a first study abroad experience that was well suited to my academic pursuits, I was able to position myself as a serious student of Chinese and China and become a more unique applicant to grants and scholarships for continued language training abroad, and a more competitive applicant for post-graduation opportunities.
Choosing a study abroad program is not easy, and I encourage you to ultimately choose the less easy path. When selecting a program, think: “what program will enhance my studies and develop me for future pursuits?” For me, study abroad has been no walk in the park; it has been three summers of hard, hard work. But I would do it again year after year because it made me a better student and more competitive in almost all aspects of my life.
