College Life

<p>Interested in anyone's feedback, esp. current students, on whether GWU provides the "college experience." Do you make friends you'll have forever, or is it closer to distant acquaintences with people you see in the elevators from time to time? As a LAC grad., I have some question about D's quality of life at a school like GWU, BU, etc. Thanks for any feedback.</p>

<p>Since my dad is a professor at GW, I spend a lot of time wandering around there. So while I can't really tell you about whether the kids make lasting friends, I have noticed that a lot of the students who seem really down-to-earth seem miserable. My dad has filled out numerous transfer reccommendations for normal well-rounded kids who have decided they would rather go to an LAC or other smaller school. I don't mean to dis GW because I do love a lot of the people there, but so many of the people there seem to hang out with people just like them and I can see how a bunch of the students just fall through the cracks.</p>

<p>Your "college experience" at GW is truly what you make of it. If you make the effort to get involved in student orgs, get an internship, etc. you'll have a much better chance of absolutely loving your experience than if you didn't. GW is not the kind of school to hold your hand, and perhaps if you're used to a small high school you'd be less likely to love GW. Though GW won't offer you the traditional "college experience," whatever that is, it can offer you an incredible amount of other things that you couldn't find anywhere else. Nowhere else could I have had the internships that were minutes from campus or the chance to experience the extensive resources in DC on a daily basis.</p>

<p>I know a few people who transferred, but they tended to have not made the same relationships and connections that you get from being involved, or they transferred for money reasons. However, I would say that even though I complain about the price and the administration's red tape, I could not picture myself anywhere else and I have had a truly incredible college experience here.</p>

<p>Hi I just finished my freshman year at GW and this is how i feel about it relating to that college experience:</p>

<p>A lot of ppl dont give GW the chance bc its a school in teh city with open borders. I still get an enormous sense of campus and community, however, and I know immediately whe nI have stepped just one block off of campus. Tehres an energy and a vibe and just like any ohter campus there is always tons going on in our quad, our kogan plaza, in teh streets and in front of dorms. </p>

<p>i know i have met THE most interesting diverse group of ppl across all classes, freshmen..soph..junior..senior. i know these will be lasting friendships bc the people who come to GW come for more than just their education degree; they come to fully mature into grown individuals and when you undergo that process together at a place like GW you form a bond that will def last.</p>

<p>also im typing on a foreign keyboard right now at my itnersnhip so dont hold my typing errors against me or GW. lol</p>

<p>Large universities are a fit for some people, while LAC's are a fit for others. If you transfer from GW to BU, it's the school. But if you transfer from GW to a small liberals arts school, then it's you. Not that that's bad: What I mean is that you simply had an unfortunate choice and found yourself at a school that wasn't a fit for you and your preferences. But it shouldn't reflect on the school you originally chose.</p>

<p>My s just graduated, and he loved every minute of GW. He has now moved into an apartment for grad school, along with 15-20 other GW grads, and they're all very good friends, most of whom he bacame friends with as freshmen. People are people, regardless of the school.</p>