hannah – Page 2 – Postcards from GW

Snow days and away games!

AdminJanuary 27, 2014

This week has been a little bit odd, as I have only had 1 full day of classes out of 5. I am lucky enough every week to have Fridays off; but, this week I was also graced with a 5-day weekend!

Monday was Martin Luther King Day, a celebrated holiday in the US, similar to one of our bank holidays at home in the UK. So, me and my friend, Christina, decided to use the day wisely and go to the zoo! I had always planned to visit the zoo, but hadn't got round to doing it yet and this was the perfect time, as there was a new baby panda which I was very excited about. The baby panda wasn’t out for long, but we did get to see the mother, who was beautiful and slightly scary – look at those teeth!
We also got to see the lions and elephants and I learned that elephants can actually lie down and sleep; something I did not know.It was a great day all round and a perfect way to enjoy DC. The great surprise of the week, however, came from Tuesday which turned out to be a Snow day!! Washington DC isn’t known for getting much snow, but over 6 inches fell in one day; the worst snow in three years. Now, this maybe should have been the day for staying in and catching up on TV, but not for me! Me and my friend, Scott, decided to venture out to the monuments to check out how they looked in the snow; they did not disappoint.

The snow was coming down so fast that you couldn’t even see the Washington monument from the Lincoln steps. I also got some cool shots of the squirrels that I was stalking, and a women with a red umbrella – because I thought it was cool! Although we were freezing by the end of the walk, it was totally worth it and something I probably won’t get to see again. The rest of the week was spent dealing with the reality and aftermath of the snow, it was -12c on Wednesday – not a temperature I am used to! Then, all too soon it was the weekend again (it was a strenuous week with 1 day of classes!). My friends and I have been religiously following the GW Basketball team this season so decided to travel up to George Mason University, in Virginia, to watch an away game. Even though it was a 45 minute trip down there (and I swear it was colder than DC!), seeing their stadium was incredible – it was twice the size of ours and seats 11,000 people. They also had a great half time performance from their cheerleaders, which was really cool. . Continuing their winning streak, GW finished 75-69 making it 16 wins and 3 losses for the season, which is amazing! . All round it has been a pretty perfect week full of a lot of great outings and even a snow angel or two!

First week of Classes…

AdminJanuary 22, 2014

By hannahbethdray

The first week back at school is always difficult to get back into; you’re trying to get to all your classes as well as seeing all your friends you've missed for the past month. So my first week has been all about catching up with people, lots of food and going out. And the first event of the week was the GW Basketball game! Our school team have been playing brilliantly this past semester, so it was no surprise that this game was sold out. Luckily though, I managed to get a seat and had a perfect view of the game.It was my friend Christina’s first game of the season as well, and she showed her school spirit perfectly with her GW sweater.

The final score was 76-66 to GW, with the team making our school proud. Hopefully next week I will be able to travel up to George Mason University to see their next game.

The weather as you may have noticed has also turned bitterly cold – I had three layers on the other day, just to run to 7/11! However this meant it was the perfect weather on Saturday evening for a trip to Georgetown and to the ice rink that has been built in the fountain. Now I absolutely love ice skating, however I was surprised to find out that half my friends had never skated before, so were in need of a bit of coaching.We all fell down at least once (but that’s half the fun of it!) and had a great time, finishing the evening off with a burger. The rest of my week has been filled with food, making fajitas for my friends and also going out for brunch on Sunday afternoon with the girls – a perfect first week back to school!

Getting Back Into The Routine

AdminJanuary 13, 2014

By sbruell

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to the holidays, my bed becomes my best friend. Its comfy, warm, and I can sit and watch TV all day in it! I also find myself managing to stay in bed until the afternoon because I have nothing else to do. However, flash forward three weeks, and getting out of bed at 9 o'clock for lectures, or 7:30, as I was crazy enough to pick an 8 o'clock class, and suddenly it is hell! Not only do I need to learn to detach myself from the wonderful place that is my bed, but I also need to get myself back into a routine of studying! And homework! And papers!

On arrival for my first semester, the prospect of studying in a new country was daunting as everything was going to be a little different. My first challenge was finding out that lectures aren't 50 minutes like they are at home, but, on average, 75 minutes or more. Now, 25 minutes doesn't seem like much of a stretch, but it can really feel like it if it meant you could have stayed in your comfy bed longer. And then there are the assignments, which come a lot more often in the US than they do at home in the UK. I struggled a few times during my first semester when I had up to 4 assignments to do at once, but the key to surviving is planning. I know I sound incredibly boring saying that, but by planning, it gives you the opportunity to take weekends away or go to see a baseball game for example.

So here are my tips for starting off the semester well:

1) Try to establish a regular sleeping pattern – yes staying up till 1 am every night watching Youtube videos can be fun, but your body will not forgive you at 9 am!

2) Plan your day, and see if there are gaps where you can fit in an exercise class or a quick trip to the gym – my escape is always swimming; totally clears your head.

3) Plan your work schedule, whether this means reading through the semester’s course guides or the assigned reading list, filling in your diary with important events can really help.

4) MAKE TIME FOR FUN – even if that is just a quick dinner with friends, or ice skating at Washington harbor (the rink is open till march!).

Follow these tips and I promise your semester will be the best ever.

Hello From Hannah!

AdminJanuary 8, 2014

By sbruell

Hi! I'm Hannah, a student from Sussex University in England and I have been lucky enough to have been selected to attend GWU for my third year of study in American Studies and History. When I first found out that I was coming to America and Washington DC in particular, I realized that this could be one of the greatest years of my life. "My goal was to make as many new friends and new memories as I could whilst studying hard and playing hard." No sitting back and waiting for things to happen; I was going 'all in' to experience as much as I possibly could in the US. I knew there would be certain things that I'd miss at home, but after one semester here, never did I imagine that 'Percy Pig' sweets, 'Cadbury's dairy chocolate' and 'Angel's Delight' mousse would be top of the list! However, I have already discovered that I love Hershey’s dark chocolate and blueberry pancakes!

At this point, dear reader, I feel I have to say that I am not usually so interested by such frivolous and shallow thoughts that seem to center around my stomach; however, food is always the first thing that one notices is different when abroad. I think my family and relatives would be 'put out' some that I have ordered them second (or even fourth!) on my list of things that I miss! I think this is because I had always expected to miss them and was prepared for the occasional bouts of 'homesickness'; it is always the unexpected things that hit you harder. Of course, I miss my family dearly, but that’s where new friends come in; they will effectively be your family for 4 months so make sure to pick some good ones! At some points during your first semester you will feel a little down, perhaps when you have a birthday, or when you have too many papers due in at once; but you just have to put your head down and keep going, and remember, you will never get an experience like this again. So, I learned fairly early on in my first semester to just say "yes" to new and exciting things! For me it was about joining the GW Swimming team, going to Baseball and Basketball games and taking road trips with my new friends (even if it meant being cramped in the back seat of a car for 8 hours!) . The best advice I can give is to travel as much as you can while you have the chance. I have just come back from a week in New Mexico and it was honestly one of the greatest weeks of my life; I tried Sushi for the first time, I snow-shoed and skied for the first time and I experienced a real Thanksgiving meal with an American family. I wasn't fully aware of what to expect from GWU, but by embracing all new things and people that I've met, I have had an incredible first semester, and I know that the second will be even better!