<p>president: People add/drop classes all the time until the 2nd week of school. Just be persistent in checking the banweb site; freshman year i managed to score a very coveted spot in a small, afternoon language class (which was definitely closed during regular freshman registration) because someone dropped it in the middle of the summer. Even if a class is closed, many professors will sign you in as a long as there is available seating in the room- just pick up a form from the registrar (in the basement of the Marvin Center) and show up to the class you want to be in.</p>
<p>daily: There are a lot of storage services that cater to GW students. I’ve hear good things about College Boxes- [CollegeBoxes.com</a> - Storage for Students](<a href=“http://www.squidoo.com/collegeboxes]CollegeBoxes.com”>http://www.squidoo.com/collegeboxes)</p>
<p>Are a lot of classes taught by TA’s?</p>
<p>No, TAs do not teach any lectures at GW. In very large intro classes, you will have a lecture taught by a professor twice per week and then a small discussion section led by a TA once per week. In upper-level classes, TAs only help the professor with grading, or there is no TA at all.</p>
<p>Thanks! What are the TA discussion sessions like? Are they mandatory?</p>
<p>It depends on the class how discussions are set up. They are mandatory though (in the sense that attendance at any lecture is “mandatory”). For science classes, it’s actually your labs that are led by TAs. For math and econ, a TA might go over practice problems and give review quizzes. I’ve never had a social science class with a TA, but I’m guessing they would just go over the material and answer questions.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot! Ahh, I completely forgot to ask this one:</p>
<p>Can you live in the dorms during the summer and get an on-campus job to pay for room and board?</p>
<p>Yes you can! There are several jobs that give you free housing and an hourly wage over the summer, including Residential Property Management and Housing Programs. While somewhat competitive to get, these jobs are flexible enough to allow you to have a second off-campus job or internship as well. Other programs such as the summer staff of the Admissions office (VIP) and orientation leaders (Colonial Cabinet) provide free housing and a stipend as well, but they are extremely competitive and will not allow for time for a second job in most cases.</p>
<p>You can also pay the flat summer rate to live in the dorms (it changes from year to year and building to building) and get an on-campus job at places like the Gym or Marvin Center, or an off-campus job that will probably pay more.</p>
<p>Since I’m coming in as a Junior transfer, I’m not guaranteed housing. If I get a horrible pick or don’t get one at all, will it be difficult to get an apartment so late in the summer? I was looking at the Statesman, b/c of its location, but I don’t think I can afford 2k a month. Where do most people live?And Is there a special website for finding a roommate?</p>
<p>Thanks! In your opinion, would you say that people who want to live on campus during the summer (regardless of either program that you mentioned) can do so?</p>
<p>clarix: Absolutely; GW is a hub for housing interns who are in DC for the summer, but GW students get the first chance to sign up for summer housing, whether they are working for the school or not. It can be pricey though; it might be cheaper to see if you can find anyone who needs a sublet for their apartment for the summer.</p>
<p>green: I will PM you with some more specific info about apartments.</p>
<p>Thank you very much! I will let you know if I have any more questions</p>
<p>What is the max number of credits I can take? I registered with 18 (3 of which is a drawing class). Is this ok?</p>
<p>green: The normal courseload is 15 credits, and they will charge you extra for more than 17 credits (so you’d be paying a little over $1,000 extra to take that drawing class)</p>
<p>gwsenior-I hope you have time to answer this, I always appreciate your advice. I took the Spanish placement test and only have two semesters to finish my proficiency for the Elliott School. I also took the Arabic placement test and was able to skip two levels. Since I am interested in pursuing a career using the Arabic, should I finish the Spanish for the proficiency or register for the Arabic courses and work toward a proficiency in that? As always, my Dad is looking at the fact that I’m so far ahead in the Spanish and thinks that I can use the time (and money) that will open up, to use towards all kinds of courses. As an aside, my Spanish teacher last year was a real ass and I’ve just about had enough of Spanish forever, but I could do it if I had to.</p>
<p>waves: If your intended career involves knowing Arabic, I think it is much better use to take those classes instead of Spanish (especially if you like it better!). College isn’t just about the accumulation of random credits, it’s about preparing you for a career. What better use of your credit hours could there be than becoming proficient in a language that will make you really marketable in your future career??</p>
<p>Thank you again for your advice. I’m gonna miss ya!</p>
<p>Hi GWsenior,</p>
<p>I am a junior transfer student. What is your opinion on the best GW housing? </p>
<p>Thanks,
Brittany</p>
<p>The best on-campus junior housing is New Hall, Dakota and City Hall. Unfortunately though, not all juniors get housing, and since transfers have the last pick you might not get housing, or you might get stuck in a non-upperclassmen dorm. However, even if this happens don’t worry; there are plenty of apartment buildings on or near campus, and some end up being cheaper than living in the dorms.</p>
<p>GWU is very well known for International Relations field. Should a student apply specifically to that program, or is it a general undergrad admission?</p>
<p>If a student should apply to the IR program per se, is the admission standard tougher for that program (compared to, let’s say, general liberal arts program, given that it’s a well known and well regarded program?</p>
<p>How hard/easy is it to transfer WITHIN the school across different field, like from general liberal arts to IR, etc.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>hyeonjlee: I don’t work in admissions, and it’s been 4 years since I’ve applied to undergrad, so I really have no basis to determine whether one program is harder/easier to get into. </p>
<p>I can however tell you that generally it’s pretty easy to transfer to/from Columbian and Elliot as long as you have good grades. I’d do it sooner rather than later during your time at GW so you can complete all your requirements and graduate on time.</p>