One More Time

Today’s guest post is by Alex Laska of Justifiable Anger, an LGBT politics blog.  Alex and I are in the same Social Media class, the one that we have to be blogging for, and he offered to write a guest post about his experiences with preparing to graduate, and something he wished he woulda known before senior year.

I am very excited to be graduating this fall.  I love GW and have had many great experiences here, but now that I’m working on the Hill, I feel as though I’m sort of “over school.”  So I’m taking my last semester of classes here while working part-time and can’t wait to graduate a semester early and enter the workforce for real.

Now, even though I checked, double-checked, and checked again to make sure I fulfilled all of the requirements for my major and minor, took all of my General Course Requirements, and took enough electives to graduate, I nevertheless decided to schedule an appointment with my CCAS advisor, just to be perfectly certain that I’d be able to graduate early.  Again, I didn’t feel like I needed this appointment, as I had taken such great care to make sure I was on track to graduate in December – but, I figured, better safe than sorry.

As it turns out, I did fulfill all of my requirements for my major and minor, I did fulfill all of my GCR requirements, and I did take enough electives to graduate.  But hidden deep within the student handbook (which I can’t even link to because I can’t find it anywhere online) is another requirement – that you must take 120 credits to graduate from GW.

As of this semester, I have taken – and I swear that I am not making this up – 119 credits.  I am literally one (1) credit short from graduating.  At no point in time was I told that I needed to take a certain number of credits in total to graduate.  I figured, if I finish my major, all of my GCRs, and even did a minor on top of that, surely I would be able to graduate.  But no – you have to take 120 credits, or no diploma.  {Caroline's Note - Most schools require 120 credits to graduate}

I reeeeeeally wish I woulda known that.

Had I not made that appointment with my advisor, I wouldn’t have found out about that particular requirement until it was too late. Thankfully, my advisor informed me that you can request to add a credit to a course you’re already taking, meaning that instead of receiving 3 credits for a particular course, you could receive 4 credits in exchange for doing extra work.  So I’ll be doing just that with one of my classes.  I’m thankful that this problem had an easy resolution and that my CCAS advisor has been extremely helpful, but you can imagine how frustrating it must be to find out in the third week of your last semester of classes that you technically aren’t yet eligible to graduate.

I strongly recommend that GW do everything it can to make every graduate requirement known to its student body, early and often.  I wouldn’t be bothered if we received a reminder email laying out the graduation requirements at the beginning of each semester, or around the time we register for classes for the next semester, so that we’re always abreast of the steps we need to take to ensure graduation.  Students have a lot on our plates: we have classes, homework, internships, student orgs, sports, Greek life, etc.  We shouldn’t have to hunt around to find the graduation requirements; the last thing we need is an unpleasant surprise like the one I had.

Sincerely,

Alex


"One More Time" is by Daft Punk.

Dreamgirl

According to doctors across the world, humans need around 7ish hours of sleep a night to function at their highest potential. I'm not a scientist and really didn't pay much attention in psych when we learned about sleep, but from what I remember sleeping helps renew pretty much everything in the body. It's also a break from the day to day activities and gives your body a chance to recharge.

I wish I woulda known earlier in life that these doctors and experts may be right about needing sleep to survive, but sleep, and a lot of it, is overrated.

Overrated!?!? You must think that I'm joking. Well, I'm not. Don't get me wrong, I love to go to sleep and wake up after 10 hours and feel great. I love to cuddle up in my bed, hug my stuffed animals and pillows, and fall asleep in a ball of warmth in my cold room.  However, it took me till this past spring as a junior to realize that you just need a few hours of sleep a night to get by, and it's better to sleep a little than to rush through whatever you have going on just to sleep a lot.

Since getting back from being abroad last fall, my life has been in fast forward. I can't believe it's almost October. I've been interning non-stop since January, taking 5 very intense classes both last spring and this fall, and been active in extracurriculars, from being on the executive board of my sorority to interviewing high school seniors for GW to being a regular member of clubs to anything and everything else. As much as I wanted to just lay down and sleep for hours/days, I haven't. I've gotten enough sleep t survive and not feel super tired, and I've gone about all the things I've wanted to do.

College is about doing what you might not get to do once you graduate. Staying out late partying on a Friday and waking up for a self-defense class the next day and then writing a paper all Saturday night is not something to be avoided - it's something to be embraced. You'll never have another chance to be like this, and once you're in the real world you'll be on a schedule that probably won't change much. BORING.

Early in college I'd sleep my weekends and days off class away. If I didn't have a morning class, I slept till I absolutely needed to get up. However, I rushed through homework and papers, didn't have time for all my extracurricular events, and never felt rested because when I was awake I was always moving. When I figured out that I could sleep less and do what I needed to do, as weird as this sounds, I felt more rested. My time awake was better used, and I'm a completely healthy person, sleeping 6-7 hours average a night.

Do what you want, and don't waste your time. You can sleep when you're a real person.

Always,
Caroline

"Dreamgirl" is by the Dave Matthews Band.

Cookie Jar

Everyone loves something that is free. And why is that? Obviously, because it's free. It costs you absolutely nothing in order to have it, and that is a very good incentive to have it. There are tons of ways to get free food, from entering sweepstakes to just going to events with free stuff.

Everyone loves food. And why is that? Because it sustains you and keeps you alive. Plus, food tastes good.  Most people have a favorite food (or foods) that just lifts their spirits when they eat it. People follow food blogs (like this one or maybe this one) just to learn about the new things being thought of for our stomachs.

Put those two together and you have: FREE FOOD.

I wish I woulda known to take advantage of whatever free food is offered before this year. I'm realizing now how many opportunities on any college campus involve some sort of free food, although the first few weeks of freshman year I tried. Obviously I forgot about it and didn't take the free food after about two weeks. Especially at the beginning of the year, free food is at every turn. Different clubs, from the College Dems to GWU IFC to whatever else, offer welcome barbeques. Maybe your major offers welcome back nights (like mine did a few weeks ago, and I literally went, stuffed a piece of pizza in my mouth, grabbed a soda, and left...hey, don't judge. I had a meeting to get too and it was free so why not!?).

There are student organization fairs with free candy and snacks. There are coupons in the school newspaper for free and discounted things at local restaurants, as well as coupons put in dorms. Anywhere you go, you might find free food.

You may be wondering, why is this important? Well, as you may know as a current college student or a past one, a college student is perpetually broke. You might have your meal plan, but it can only go so far and satisfy your cravings so much. And when you're at your worst and just want that nice meal from your local Thai place, for example, you realize that OH CRAP I'M BROKE.

But, if you take advantage of the free things when you can, you might just save enough so that doesn't happen to you much. It can really help. Trust me - I've had that craving multiple times and multiple times realized that the money on my meal plan card is low or that my wallet is empty.

In addition, it's just free. You aren't losing anything from taking it, and you're gaining a full stomach. You don't have to worry about finding something open or figuring out what you want to get because its there and you have to take what is free (it'd be extremely awkward to be like, "actually, can I get this hot dog cooked only on its left side and with the ends cut off?"). Free is simple. And simple is good because college isn't simple and life can sometimes be really hard.

So, I advise taking that free food when you can. If a friend offers to take you to an event with free food (and maybe an open bar - which is even better and if you said no you're friends will think you're crazy), take it. Maybe the event you go to is benefitting lupus research and is having steak for dinner, like happened to me once last spring (it was awesome). If you notice on the weekly email from the university that there are events with free food listed, go. Whenever you see something you can go to, do it, because it will definitely be worth it.

Always,
Caroline

"Cookie Jar" is by Jack Johnson.

You Can Close Your Eyes

This time last year I was in Prague, reflecting on how different commemorating the 9th anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks, realizing although for the Czechs it was another day and for me a day of remembrance, that we had a common thread of certain horrible acts that changed our courses history.

Now, as a senior, I wish I woulda taken more time the past few years to reflect more on the things that have changed the world, and specifically my life. In the past ten years, I have grown up a lot, and most of it in the past three years. As a senior, I wish I woulda looked more at my growth over the past three years, whether it was a time where I was growing up or growing down, and taken the time to evaluate where I was.

I know that college is supposed to be a time for fun, and I promise most of my entries in this blog won't be as somber and seriously reflectful like this one, but every now and then you need to take some time to just stop. Stop and think. Think about what you are doing with life - whether you are seriously looking at it or just remembering (or not remembering) the night you had last night.

I was 11 when 9-11 happened, and didn't fully understand what it meant. But as a 21 year old who watched memorial coverage this morning while getting ready, I realize now the impact it had on my life, and I realize that I need to now take time each day to just remember. I've never forgotten, but each day, I need to remember. Not just the things that have directly come from what 9-11 has shown the world - for example, the resilience of the American people, the compassion we have for our fellow countrymen, the loyalty of a nation, just to name a few - but also the indirect things that continue to teach us every day, such as how one decision can end or save a life, how its the little things in life that mean the most, and so many more.

This year, I'm going to take time more "stoppage time." I'll reflect on what I've done so far and where I may be going in the future. I'll think about each day and what I have done, and maybe try to make each day better than the last. I'll remember where I came from and what I have been taught in my life in order to try and make the world a better place for posterity. I'll live each day like it's my last, even if only to honor those over 3,000 people who were lost that fateful day ten years ago. I will close my eyes, even just for a few seconds, and do all these things.

One more thing - I wish I woulda payed my respects in DC already. As patriotic as I say I am, I've never been to Arlington Cemetery. I've never been to the 9-11 Pentagon memorial. But I'm going. And going soon.

And then it'll be something else I'll have to reflect on.

Always,
Caroline

"You Can Close Your Eyes" is by James Taylor.

I Love College

College is great. I mean, it's literally been the favorite time of my life so far. Being in Washington, DC at The George Washington University has been an incredible experience, exploring the city, taking interesting classes, and doing what a college student does. But now I'm a senior, and graduation in May seems closer than ever.

I'm beginning to realize that there are a ton of things that I've learned since starting college that I really wish I knew before stepping onto campus back in the fall of 2008. Learning these lessons has probably helped me grow, but at the same time I feel like things could've been a lot easier. It might just be that graduation is causing a freak out in my mind (which, let's face it - it is), but I have some of these lessons for people out there, whether you're a freshman just starting out, a senior knowing what I'm talking about, someone in the "real world" who just likes what I'm saying, and everything in between.

If you have any suggestions of things you've learned that you wish you would've known sooner, please don't hesitate to let me know!

Also, the title of every post will be a song lyric that relates to what the topic is. It's something I started when I blogged while I was abroad, and I like it so I'm continuing it.

I hope you find me interesting, because I'd really like to have more readers than just my professor and TA of the class that is requiring me to blog and my parents. But if not, that's ok. At least you clicked over here once!

Always,
Caroline

"I Love College" is by Asher Roth.