Dear Georgetown Freshman,
Congratulations on getting here, I remember how stressful application season was but I also remember the relief of pressing “submit.” I know how exciting it was opening my letter after checking to see if the postage matched the acceptance letter rate I saw on College Confidential. But, you did it. You’re home free. High school graduation is over. You’ve made the decision to move to DC, and you’re officially a Hoya! The next four years will be stressful but they will be more than worth it. I’m 2 months away from finishing my first year at Georgetown and I cannot believe how quickly it has gone. I’ve had my fair share of breakdowns in Lauinger Library thinking that I wasn’t good enough. But, I was always reminded that I worked hard to get here and that I am just as capable of doing well in classes as everyone else. I learned how to ask for help. I’ve found the quickest ways to get between buildings. I’ve figured out how to live in the city. And I’ve grown as an individual more than I ever could have imagined.
Georgetown isn’t without flaws. DC has a rather vibrant rat population. Unprecedented rainfall led to some mold issues in our buildings. And every once in awhile it starts “raining” in one of the buildings. But, those are the issues you face when your school was founded in 1789. The buildings have been around for decades. Our university works hard to deal with those issues and ensure that students are safe but they work even harder to educate our student body to be the next generation of world leaders. All four undergraduate schools at Georgetown are staffed by qualified, intelligent, and caring professors. Lecture classes utilize TA’s to offer students a personalized approach to the content. Students work together to study and comprehend the material. My educational experience has been filled with collaboration. I have never felt like I was competing with a fellow student to get a certain grade. I believe that our Jesuit values lead students to work together to create a good community and also lead our educators to teach us how to make a true difference in the world.
I know you’re probably concerned about which bedspread to get, how you’re going to split the cost of appliances with your roommate, and who your roommate is going to be. But, I encourage you to take a step back and think about everything you accomplished to get to this point. Between school clubs, SAT and ACT prep, studying, AP Tests, after school activities and everything in between you’ve finally made it to college. Welcome to the real world. You finally get to make decisions for yourself, experience a new city, see Jack the Bulldog on campus, cheer on the Hoyas, and meet the people who will be your best friends for life. Take a moment to be proud of your accomplishments and get excited about everything that is to come.
Welcome to the next chapter of your life and congratulations on everything that you’ve done to get here. As always, Hoya Saxa.
Best,
Margaret