Welcome to Georgetown. You have more time left here than any of us on the Voice. That makes us all a little jealous, but we’re trying to channel that feeling in a productive direction by offering you some unsolicited advice.
The ICC is the big brick one with the solar panels. Weekend brunch is Leo’s at its best, but any other weekend meal is Leo’s at its worst. None of the freshmen dorms are that much better than the others, despite what you may have heard about Darnall.
Those are the basics. Here’s a little bit of the deeper stuff.
To start, let go of what everyone’s told you about this being “the best time of your life.” It’s not completely wrong, and you’ll probably look back fondly on these four years, but it makes college seem like a place without difficulties. Sure, during your time here you’ll experience some of the highest highs of your life, but also some of the lowest lows. Be ready for that. Everything won’t always work out for you, but you can probably manage the consequences. When you can’t, that’s what your friends and university health services are for. Ask for their help.
Having said that, while you are here, things sometimes will go your way. But don’t let success get to your head. Keep in mind the stereotype that exists of a certain kind of Georgetown student. This archetypal student is sustained by self-importance, and convinced that their achievements are entirely the results of their own talent and effort. Their daily activities are resume builders, and their groups of friends synonymous with their LinkedIn connections.
In subtle ways, you’ll probably feel pulled in this direction. You’ll sense that you have to wear certain clothes, or not wear certain clothes, or get the proper summer internship, or take a course with the appropriate vaunted professor. You will feel like everyone else is perfect, and that you must constantly match their perfection.
Here’s a secret gleaned from our experiences on this campus: they’re not perfect. The ones who try their hardest to seem that way grow less convincing with time.
So be flawed, and weird. We need that from you. It deflates some of the ego and self-importance that unfortunately tends to build up around talented, ambitious people at an elite institution.
That’s another thing—you will soon find yourself surrounded by people with equal or greater talents than your own. Don’t be thrown off by that, and remember that you deserve to be here.
And while you’re here, use your talent to contribute to this strange and wonderful place where we all live and study. Stay informed about issues on campus and in the wider DC community. Go into the city as often as possible. There’s a lot to see out there, and too many of us take for granted that we can take occasional late-night strolls to the empty steps of the Lincoln Memorial. That’s a pretty incredible thing to have a few miles from your college campus. Take advantage of it, and don’t ever become so worldly and unimpressed that you can’t still get excited about something like a bunch of marble stacked ever so carefully atop reclaimed swampland.
The oldest among us are just about done making our mark on this place. A lot about our time here has been good, but we’ve also failed in some ways. Do better than we were able to do. At the moment, it’s hard to picture it, but this will be your place soon. Take good care of it.
And if we haven’t yet convinced you that the imperfect can survive at this school, feel free to swing by the Voice office in Leavey 424 and take a look for yourself.
Much Love,
The Voice
