Category: Student Voices

The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Emily, a junior Elliott School student studying international affairs and Spanish and Latin American languages, literatures, and cultures. Emily is currently studying abroad in Argentina!
“So where are you interning this semester?”
The question everyone seemed to be asking me during that first week of my sophomore spring semester. I’d just returned from a relaxing, if not slightly boring, winter break at home, and so while I should have been feeling well-rested and ready for the semester ahead, instead I was frantically stressed. Why? Because I hadn’t managed to nail down a spring internship yet.
GW students, and especially Honors kids, are nothing if not ambitious and hardworking. It’s no surprise then that many students take advantage of the availability of awesome internship opportunities in the Foggy Bottom area during their academic semesters – which can be a unique and exciting experience. However, sometimes our ambitions and willingness to push ourselves actually work against us. Sometimes we feel pressure to take on too much even though we know deep down that we’re not going to be able to juggle it all at once.
This is exactly the predicament that I found myself facing at the beginning of that spring semester last year. One voice in my head (the driven, professionally-minded, go-getter in me) was convinced I needed an internship, while another voice (my slightly more rational side) kept reminding me that a more relaxed semester was just what I needed. The fall semester prior had been tough — I’d taken on a time-consuming leadership role in a student org, juggled membership in several other student orgs, and struggled through five difficult classes, all while trying to get enough sleep and spend time with friends. I’d ended the semester exhausted and burnt out, feeling like I hadn’t put my best effort into my academics or extracurriculars because I’d been spread so thin. So while a 20+ hour/week internship would certainly look good on my resume, I knew deep down that I needed a semester to get myself back on track.
After about two weeks of nervous contemplation, frantic last-minute application submissions and even a first-round interview, I finally decided that I would not intern that semester. Instead, I would invest myself in my classes (which I was already loving), my extracurriculars, my friendships and my sleep cycle. Essentially, I would allow myself a semester to be a normal college student, something that I believe is too often undervalued amongst GW students.
In the end, this decision was exactly what I needed. By the end of the spring semester, I felt invigorated mentally, physically and academically. Instead of being burnt out, I felt fully prepared for a busy upcoming summer of interning in DC. Perhaps most importantly, I proved to myself that it’s okay to trust my gut and say no to over-commitment, even though it often feels like the norm in college. This is all to say that while being an intern can be an exciting part of the GW experience, it’s important to enjoy being a college student, too. Learning where to draw your personal line between being ambitious and being healthy and happy is a lesson that will most certainly serve you in the future.

The following blog post was written by peer advisor Sydney, a SEAS junior studying biomedical engineering and biophysics.
I will be the first person to admit that my time management skills leave something to be desired. I, like many college students, am very susceptible to distractions. And by distractions I mean everything that isn’t what I am supposed to be doing. Whether it is a new series on Netflix, a Buzzfeed quiz that will tell me if I am more Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime (I got Hulu btw), or a friend who wants to grab lunch, staying on task is and has always been a challenge. Throughout my college career, I have become progressively better at managing my time, and I wanted to share a few tips with you guys!
1. Use a calendar.

Whether it is a physical agenda or a calendar app, using a calendar is the clearest way to actually see how you are spending your time. It can be hard to conceptualize just how much of your day something that is two hours long can take up. Two hours on its own doesn’t seem like much, but if you block it out on your calendar it is surprisingly time consuming. It is also a great way to avoid double-booking yourself.
2. Get little things out of the way.

If you can finish something in five minutes, just go ahead and do it. Even if it isn’t particularly urgent, getting it out of the way feels good and avoids a major headache later on.
3. Personalize your schedule.

Figure out when you are most or least productive and consider that when setting aside time for things. If you work better in the mornings, block off more time in the morning to do homework or other assignments. If you’re more of a late owl, make sure to reserve time in the afternoon/evening to get stuff done. Figure out which schedule makes you most productive and go with that.
4. Limit your distractions.

Put yourself in a position to stay focused. This can be tricky, especially since we live in the digital age. To keep yourself off your phone try using an app like Forest that provides incentive for you to not use your phone. You can also try various extensions for your web browser that can block certain websites when you turn it on. Find a way of eliminating whatever your most common distraction is.
5. Take care of yourself.

 
You’ve probably heard the “eat healthy, get enough sleep” lecture a thousand times, but in terms of productivity it is actually really important. Think about if that extra hour or two of staying up at night when you slept 3 hours the past night is really worth it. The more tired you are the harder it is to be motivated and the harder it is to get things done quickly. I know it may come as a shock to some people, but you can’t live on caffeine and Chipotle alone. Take care of your body and mind.
6. Don’t be afraid to say no.

 
Your time is first and foremost your time. You don’t owe anybody any of your time, so don’t feel guilty if you have to say no to something every now and then. Don’t be rude about it, but also don’t feel obligated to do everything someone asks you to do. Figure out if it is something you want to do and if you have the available time to do it. If the answer to either one of those questions is no, just say no.
 
I hope you found these tips helpful. Time management will always be a struggle, but if you remember to keep these things in mind your life will be at least a little easier.

The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Kaitlyn, a CCAS sophomore studying Spanish and history.
“I’m so stressed right now,” “I’m totally swamped with work,” and “Ugh I have no time for anything,” are some of the common things I hear from my friends on a given day. Here at GW, it seems that the ‘norm’ is to be overwhelmed by academics, extracurriculars, and having a social life. While your friends might be constantly expressing how stressed they are, what happens if you don’t actually feel that way? It seems that to be successful as a student, if you aren’t completely overwhelmed or overstressed, you aren’t “doing it right.” Being stressed is not an indicator of academic excellence. Why is this the norm? Why can’t someone have a balanced schedule and simply feel confident in what they do? Too often this model is presented as ‘right.’
Stress does not equal success, although this seems to be the predominant attitude at most colleges. Often, when I interact with my stressed peers, it almost feels as if I should be more worried about my coursework. However, it is okay to feel confident in your time management and abilities! Honors students are all a part of a stimulating academic community. We all have the capability of doing well academically, and it is okay to trust yourself and feel confident in your ability to complete your academic goals.
I personally realized this about halfway through my high school career, when my best friends essentially told me to “chill out.” They helped me to realize that I was engaging in the culture of high stress=success, but once I thought about this, I realized it was not true. I learned how to trust myself for the first time. If I knew that I could complete my work and succeed, why did I have to be so stressed about everything I was doing? I was then able to manage my stress levels by consciously changing my attitude about my schoolwork.
Of course, we always have those weeks where it seems that every class has an assignment due at the same time. These unavoidable situations happen, but every week doesn’t have to be completely overwhelming. Try taking a step back sometimes and evaluating how stressed you really feel about something. If you trust yourself to get the work done, you may be surprised by how you feel!

The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Brianna, an SMPA junior studying journalism and mass communication and political science.
Throughout my time at GW, I have become obsessed with checking off the boxes. Whenever I see a requirement gain that coveted green check mark on DegreeMAP I get a somewhat concerning degree of satisfaction.
Like many dedicated and responsible Honors students do, I had made a four-year plan that I thought perfectly mapped out how my four years at GW would go and everything I would do each semester to make sure that I checked off all the boxes. When Mary says that your four-year plan is just a roadmap to guide you through your four years at GW, that it can in fact be changed, listen to her. If I didn’t become okay with letting myself stray from my four-year plan, accepting the fact that simply checking off the boxes isn’t the best way go about completing my college education, I never would have ended up on the incredible program I am now participating in this semester.
So where am I now? I’m in Los Angeles studying film and television while interning for Dateline NBC and NBC News. I knew I wanted to do a semester abroad, and yes, mapped that into my four-year plan, but I always assumed that I would be doing a program through GW, somewhere in Europe, and that all my classes would smoothly transfer so I’d still be checking off all the boxes. Instead I’m taking three courses this semester, which only actually satisfy two requirements, but are courses that directly relate to the career path I am pursuing and that I would never have been able to take if I hadn’t sought out this program and been ok with not doing things exactly as I had planned. I left enough wiggle room in my four-year plan for senior year to allow me to still graduate on time, with all the boxes checked, even though I’m only taking three courses.
Normally I would be cringing at the thought of only get two checkmarks on DegreeMAP for the whole semester, but the experiences I have already had during my first three weeks here in Los Angeles have proven that the best opportunities can often come out of stepping out of your comfort zone and throwing your perfect plan out the window. (But not totally out the window, because my four-year plan, which will soon become my one-year plan for senior year, is still very much a part of my life with its many changes and edits.)
I can’t believe I almost let my fear of straying from my plan stop me from applying for this program. So basically what I’m saying is pursue the opportunities that you think will be most beneficial for you, even if it those opportunities require you to veer off track from what you thought you needed to be doing. The boxes will all get checked – I promise.

The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Jonathan, a SEAS sophomore studying mechanical engineering.

While pleasant, my Christmas break was rather unproductive. Nearly every day of break followed this routine pretty closely, if not exactly:

I’d sleep in until around noon or 1, and lay in bed until I had the motivation to get out of bed. First, I would brush my teeth and go to the kitchen for some food. After breakfast, I’d consider doing something productive, like figuring out which courses I need to take abroad next fall or learning a software for the research project I’m helping out with. More days than not, I ended up doing none of those things and watched something on Netflix instead. At around 2, I’d head over to the gym because it gets busy after 4 when people start getting home from work. After that, I’d return home, shower, then unproductively spend another hour or two before eating dinner with my family. Lastly, I’d go hang out with some of my friends from home for a few hours before returning to my bed to restart the process.

While wildly unproductive, my break was very relaxing. That’s all I was really looking for anyway; to destress for a few weeks between semesters. The tricky part is shifting back to school-mode after a month of being a blob. Luckily, there are some things you can do to make sure you don’t get stuck in vacation-mode.

There is usually a lot of free time at the start of a semester, so finding a productive hobby you can do during that time can be quite beneficial. This will get you in the habit of making the most of your time, which will be essential later in the semester when the workload ramps up. I find going to the gym to be a good hobby for me, because I enjoy it and it keeps me healthy. There are tons of other productive activities you can fill your time with, and it is definitely worth looking into any that seem like a good fit for you. From being active in a student org to writing poetry, finding something other than partying, watching Netflix, or playing video games will make for a more engaging and productive semester.

Another way to get in gear for the semester is to stay ahead of your assignments. During the first month or so, this is not much to ask outside of the occasional paper or exam. Even still, I find it gives me peace of mind, as I do not have homework constantly hanging over my head. If you can keep a few days’ worth of breathing room between yourself and your school work until midterms, you will have a significant step-up over your classmates who have been hugging the deadlines all semester.

By setting good habits early in the semester, you will find your classes much more manageable.

The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Sean, an Elliott School sophomore studying international affairs and political science.

As Honors Students, we’re all pretty familiar with GW’s competitive professional environment. Regardless of how hard you might work, there always seems to be that one person taking 18 credits on top of a 20 hour/week internship and who’s on E-Boards for 3 different orgs. I for one found that daunting as a freshman last year. When you hear every day about how your peers are getting those hillternships or interning for State, while you’re coming up empty handed, it can be easy to think that we’re somehow underqualified for those same positions. I know that was certainly the case for me.
After my first semester, I had failed to get heavily involved with many orgs and I had no prospects for any internships. So, like any Honors Student would, I went into overdrive in the spring, and sent out summer internship applications to any place I could find. I was even more disheartened when, after sending all those applications, I heard nothing — nada, zilch, goose eggs.
But of course, as with any uplifting motivational story, something changed. I was scrolling through my FaceBook feed one day in March, after most of my application deadlines had passed, when I came upon a post that piqued my interest. A woman named Carrie, who I had never met before, posted a link to an application in the “Alumni Network” page for an organization that we had both been a part of in high school. I sent along my application and sent Carrie a message thanking her for posting the application and asking her for more information about the organization. One thing led to another and I heard back with an offer from the organization, a youth homelessness non-profit called Covenant House.
I was elated and relieved to hear that I would indeed have plans for the Summer. But on top of that relief, my experience applying for Covenant House taught me a few things. Importantly, when applying to internships, knowing the right person can often be key to getting the position. Especially when you are an underclassman, it is most important to have the right connection to get your foot in the door. That means that when you have the opportunity, join networking groups, attend networking events, and don’t be afraid to reach out to someone on Linkedin or Facebook if you suspect there might be an opportunity. But, most importantly, don’t let rejection get you down. Chances are, if you keep your head up and work hard, opportunities will come around.

The following blog post was written by Peer Advisor Bri, a Colubmian sophomore studying political science and economics.

“Should I consider taking 18 credits this semester?” is probably a question found frequently in the minds of Honors students. There’s no extra fee for the 18th credit freshman and sophomore year, and in true honors fashion many students probably feel obligated to take advantage of the opportunity.

I got the 18-credit bug last semester (and this semester too, but I’ll go into more detail about that later). I decided to take 6 classes, and reasoned that I could handle it as long as I was able to hone my time-management skills.

Everything was going well until midterms hit. I was taking tests from before fall break until Thanksgiving, which really wore me down. My grades were less than I desired, even though I was working as hard as I could. I even started drinking coffee after years of being proud that I didn’t need to!

As it turned out, my time management skills weren’t as good as I thought. I would be so tired from studying for one test that I’d neglect to do the coursework for another class, which meant that I had to then study twice as hard for the new class (once to learn the material and once to actually study it). If you find yourself falling into this trap, I’d encourage you to physically write out your schedule and stick to it, while making sure to build in breaks.

By the time finals season hit, I still had not quite learned my scheduling lesson. I had a lot more free time, so I was able to study more without overloading myself. I managed my time more effectively by building in breaks, which prevented my from burning out as I had earlier in the semester. However, I found myself still having to relearn material I had been tested on before because I hadn’t laid the intellectual groundwork earlier in the semester. Part of that problem was due to the fact that I was taking so many credits, and part of it was due to my poor time management skills.

Either way, if you’re considering taking 18 credits, the most important thing you can do is make sure you’re actually learning the material throughout the semester. Believe me, there is nothing worse than getting slammed with assessments when you never had time to actually learn the material in the first place. I would caution anyone taking 18 credits to ask themselves before the add/drop period ends if they have enough time to actually devote themselves to learning in all 6 classes.

I’m glad I learned this lesson first semester, because second semester I’ve again found myself falling into the honors trap of feeling obligated to take 18 credits (you can be self-aware and still a victim of the honors mentality, you know). However, I’m only actually taking 5 classes since I’ll be interning two days per week. I hope to budget my time more effectively, and start that internship paper early on so I don’t have to worry about it when finals come in May. I’m confident that using the lessons I learned, I’ll be able to hit the ground running later in January.

Taking 18 credits can be done and I encourage you all to challenge yourselves, but I also advise you to know yourself. You know what is best for you, and you might choose to drop a class – that’s ok! It’s better to learn in 5 classes than suffer in 6; after all, you’re in Honors! You want to soak up all the knowledge you possibly can and then some. Whether that means you take 4 or 5 or 6 classes doesn’t matter in the long run, but what will is the knowledge you are able to take away from those classes.

The following blog post was written by peer advisor Ellen, a GWSB junior studying international business.
College is a journey. It is a time of maturity, and as students we undergo significant personal, professional, and intellectual growth. Our identities change every year, we discover ourselves more and more, and sometimes the commitments we make in our beginning years here are not what we want anymore, and more specifically, not what we want to make time for anymore.
Our responsibilities increase the older we become; responsibilities to ourselves, our family, our work, our future. The freshman experience is like no other: everything is new and exciting, you join groups, classes are easy, and eventually find your people. By sophomore year, classes have geared up, you need to decide a major, you think about internships and professionalism, you assume leadership positions. By junior year, you work hard because classes are hard, your communities are set, you have a deeper understanding of yourself, and discover the things that truly make you happy. By senior year, you are practically an adult; living off campus, cooking, budgeting, thinking about the future, with less and less to see friends. Free time is precious, and the less time we have, the more meaningful this time must be spent.
You are responsible for your college experience, and it may take any shape or form you would like. An activity you are involved in freshman year may lose its value as you discover other passions and activities you are interested in, and that’s okay. As your identity changes, so will your activities. A group you join your freshman year does not have to be a four-year commitment. A best friend from high school does not have to be a best friend forever. Pursuing an activity, regardless of its benefit, solely because you’ve done it before and not because you truly enjoy it, should raise a red flag. Take a step back to periodically self-reflect and ask yourself: do your extracurricular activities and friendships make you happy? Do you look forward to doing them? Will you miss them if you stop? Think long and answer honestly, and if the answer these questions is no, consider letting go. Think of the other activities and interests you could purse during this time that would bring you much more enjoyment and satisfaction. This doesn’t mean to drop every activity to look for the better option. Use the self-reflection period as a cleansing exercise to let go of the past and realize when it is time to move on.
The realization is the first step, but following through and letting go of an activity is even harder. You will leave a community, friends, and a part of yourself behind. While this is difficult, your happiness is worth it. Embrace the change in your identity and make peace with the realization you have outgrown this friendship, activity, etc. Have faith that your true friends will understand and support you if letting go is a decision that is truly best for you. You decide what is worth making time for, and only you know the answer.