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College Prowler

Facilities

The facilities at Georgetown are decent. Yates Field House is a nice gym that offers pretty much everything, including lots of intramural sports. The classes, however, recently went from being free to costing quite a bit of money, even though a Yates gym fee is included in tuition. Lauinger Library has wonderful collections but is much too small for a student body as large as Georgetown's—study space is limited. Quiet study space overall is rather limited on campus.

Greek Life

There is no Greek life at Georgetown, which is something I love! There are still tons of parties and, of course, great bars and such, but none of the stupid Greek stuff. Athletic teams, clubs, and houses all have parties. The parties are always free and at least have kegs. It is kind of a tradition that the upperclassmen throw parties for the freshmen and provide them with alcohol and a good time. But be careful!

Guys & Girls

Georgetown is kind of known for beautiful girls and not-so-great guys. They are kind of nerdy and somewhat pretentious, but there are some good ones. At least they’re not obnoxious frat guys.

Local Atmosphere

DC and the suburb of Georgetown are awesome. There are tons of landmarks to visit. As far as memorials, go to the FDR memorial, it’s amazing. There are also a lot of restaurants, shopping, performing arts (go to the Kennedy Center), and sports (rowing on the Potomac River).

Nightlife

Adams Morgan (another nearby area) has a few bars that are easier to get into; it’s usually about an $8-10 cab ride away. If you want to drink, you will always be able to find a party on campus to go to. Washington has a bunch of fun clubs to go to, as well. Platinum, 9:30 Club, and Modern are just a few I’ve been to; most of them have some type of college night, which is cool because girls get in for free. Modern is the only one within walking distance from campus. It’s kind of picky in terms of letting people in, but it’s probably been my favorite with the least sleazy people inside.

Off-Campus Dining

Wisemiller’s is a combination corner store and sandwich counter located two doors down from the Tombs. It’s the most popular place for students to go for a quick food fix; everyone on campus has been there. It specializes in sub-type sandwiches with hot meat, peppers, and cheese; a lot of people like the cheese steak. It’s $6 for a sandwich, chips, pickle, and a soda. The Chicken Madness sandwich there is a Georgetown classic. Booeymongers is about six blocks up Prospect Street from the campus. It’s the same basic idea as Wisemiller’s, although it’s more of a quiet, sit-down, informal, sandwich place; I like to go there on weekends for dinner with friends.

Off-Campus Housing

They’ve increased the frequency of shuttles for students who live across the river in Virginia, but I’d recommend living in a group house off campus. Most are about a 5- to 10-minute walk, so it’s easier to meet up and go out at night.

Overall Experience

Last year, I adored Georgetown 100 percent; it really is a fabulous school, overall. This year, I’ve gotten kind of cynical in some ways because I’ve done a lot with Student Government, and the administration can be a pain to work with. There is a lot of red tape to get through if you want the school to change. I’m going away for a year this semester to study abroad and clear my head from Georgetown. Some of my friends at home have complained about ‘Sophomore Slump,’ where everyone can get kind of blah with the same old dining hall food, same professors, and same friends. I do love Georgetown, but I’m the type of person that needs a change every once and awhile to keep things in perspective. I have thought of transferring, but only to a school like Columbia because I would want the Ivy Degree.

Parking

There’s really not space to keep a car on campus. Although there will be a large parking garage to accommodate more cars for events on campus in the new Southwest Quadrangle project, students do not have any parking lots on campus to call their own. Your options would be to either pay to keep your car in the school’s existing parking garage under the student center, pay to keep it in the current parking lot on what used to be our baseball field, or buy a DC parking permit so that you can park on the curbs surrounding the campus. You absolutely need a parking permit to park anywhere in DC where there isn’t a meter.

Safety & Security

We have a non-campus security force called the Department of Public Safety, and they’re always around, which is good. The Metro Police (the force for DC) is always right off campus. You can’t get into freshmen dorms unless you use your ID card to unlock the door, and there are student guards who check every ID card from about nine in the morning until two in the morning. All other times the doors are locked, and you absolutely need your ID to open it. There is a service called Safe Rides that will pick you up wherever you are within a certain area off campus and give you a ride home, no questions asked. I feel really safe, but it’s important to make safe choices. I’ve never had to walk home alone, but if I was alone, I wouldn’t think twice about calling Safe Rides.

Transportation

The Metro in DC is really easy and convenient. Getting there, however, can be a hassle. Georgetown runs GUTS buses regularly on weekdays, but only every few hours on the weekends. There's always a Metro bus that leaves Georgetown, though.

Weather

It rains much more in Washington, DC than you would think. Certainly bring rain boots, a raincoat, and an umbrella. Winters can be very cold, but luckily the campus is small enough that exposure to the elements is limited. However, if you want to get out and about in DC for events like concerts, bring lots of warm clothes for bundling up. Overall, you should bring all types of clothing.

Academics

Teaching assistants do not teach classes at Georgetown, unlike some other schools. If you have a professor, you see his or her face in front of the class every section. The TAs will do the discussion sections or recitations, but the teaching is the job of the professor.

Athletics

Varsity basketball is huge at Georgetown. Most students buy season tickets, and going to games becomes a major social event. However, Georgetown definitely isn't the place for huge football fans or people who love to tailgate. Intramurals are really fun at Georgetown and are pretty casual since they are mostly student run. They're a great way to keep up with your favorite sports while still enjoying yourself.

Campus Dining

The dining hall is quite awful. It gets repetitive, although the ice cream and cookies are fabulous. There are many places to get food: in the student center are fast-food chains and around the neighborhood are little sandwich and places to eat—Wingo's, Wisey's, Booey's, and Sweet Green.

Campus Housing

Dorms are okay. There are on-campus apartments, which are pretty nice. I like the Village C dorms because you have your own bathroom—a major benefit, especially when drunk people start to barf in the shared ones. Stay away from New South, even though people consider it social—go there to visit, and then go home to your clean bathroom! Harbin dorms are pretty good, too. They’re done in clusters, so that you make friends with the people you share a bathroom with.

Campus Strictness

As for sanctions, normally if you’re charged with something, you go before the Residence Hall Council for a sort of trial. Sanctions, if convicted, range from mandatory community service on campus, to fines, to (in severe cases) revoking apartment privileges or expulsion, although I’ve never heard of the latter actually happening. Underage drinking is almost always punished by community service or a small fine, but if you get caught three times, you lose your apartment privileges for the next year.

Computers

You should definitely bring your own computer. The facilities here are great; there are 24-hour computer labs in some dorms and buildings, and the library’s always open. Everywhere has Ethernet connections, some places have wireless, as well. Having a computer in the dorm may not seem necessary, but it’s much more of a hassle not to have a computer because everything you turn in must be typed. So many things are online now that it just doesn’t make sense not to have one.

Diversity

It’s very diverse. The School of Foreign Service attracts people with a distinctly international character, and Georgetown students come from all 50 states and a tonof countries. There are people are from all races, religions, and ethnicities. The campus fosters a very rich dialogue and community between people of different backgrounds, and it’s very conducive to making people of any background feel comfortable.

Drug Scene

The drug scene is not huge on campus, especially compared to other schools. In particular, pot use is very low compared to your average school. There are some harder drugs around, like cocaine or heroin, but again, in way lower numbers than other schools. Alcohol use is right on par with your average school.