<p>I remember being a rising senior and looking at threads like this when making my decision what schools to apply to/attend, so I figured I would offer a student's perspective on what life at GW is like. Ask me anything, and I'll be as honest as I possibly can.</p>
<p>Is thurston as crazy as they say it is?</p>
<p>Awesome thank you so much @mayfair</p>
<p>I’ve been wanting to know the best housing for sophomore students based on size, vibrance/partying, newest .
how would you say most students meet their friends ?
also what is the best amount of credits to start the year off ?</p>
<p>Zoidberg93: It’s pretty crazy, but it’s honestly not THAT bad. I lived there my Freshman year and there’s definitely always a party on every floor. Not to mention the occasional smell of vomit in the stairways/elevators on the weekend and the Emerg ambulance pretty much parked outside on weekends. But I would say it definitely does not live up to the kind of ridiculous reputation it has.</p>
<p>ellomeno: Dakora is by far the best for sophomore housing, but that’s really not saying much. Sophomore housing is kind of a crapshoot; there’s no really good options. You have to be in an LLC to get into Dakota though. The best besides Dakota would probably be Guthridge.</p>
<p>As for meeting friends, you’ll probably meet most of them wherever you live. I met a lot of my friends in Thurston. Activities outside that are also a great place to meet friends. I met my best friends while rushing a fraternity, so consider rushing in the Fall or joining other activities.</p>
<p>15 credits is the average, which is 5 3-credit classes. I’d say that’s probably best, but you’re probably going to end up with at least 1 4-credit class. You can honestly get away with doing 4 classes Freshman year if you take UW.</p>
<p>@mayfair thankss lol I’ll be a sophomore transfer
what do most people do on weekends?</p>
<p>A lot of people (including me) go out to bars/clubs on weekends. It’s kind of the problem with the lack of a strong Greek presence on campus; you generally have to go off campus to have fun. If you wanted to open up your options (of course I would never advise doing this ;)) a fake ID goes a long way in DC.</p>
<p>thank you! I will def be looking into some of the options you have suggested :)</p>
<p>Do students at Elliott associate with the other students or is it divided?
What to bring to DC?
and is the male gay population that high? I heard women barely find men
How hard is the coarse-load ? more importantly how hard is it maintaining a 4.0 gpa?
how many credit hours would you recommend one start with</p>
<p>I am in CCAS, and i have friends in Elliott, SEAS, the business school, etc. People generally choose friends based on personalities, not on majors.</p>
<p>Yes, the gay male population is very high, but there are plenty of straight men.</p>
<p>The difficulty of the course-load all depends on what you take. Start with roughly 15 credits (5 courses).</p>
<p>What if I’m taking 17 credits, but one of my classes is a dance elective, is that still too much? (5 classes, including UW).</p>
<p>@ellomeno</p>
<p>-The school a student is in really doesn’t matter a whole lot as you will still take classes together, especially CCAS and Elliott. The school just means your major. Also worth noting that the “Elliot School” building is used for any course regardless if it is in Elliott.</p>
<p>-The Gay population is “relatively” high. The student body is very accepting, but they are no where near the majority. Saying there are “plenty of straight men” is a bit of an understatement.</p>
<p>thanks aaroon21 what year are you and what are you studying?</p>
<p>Rising Sophomore, Political Science major for now. I am active in College Dems and Theatre.</p>
<p>@aaron21 are you happy at gw? is the school spirit really that minimal</p>
<p>I love it here! I disagree with those who claim GW has no school spirit. Those who claim we don’t I believe only look for athletic spirit, but actually the vast majority of students I meet are proud to attend GW and have pride in the school itself. This is shown by the countless number of students dressed in GW hoodies, T-Shirts, sweatpants, etc on campus. There is much more to school spirit then sporting events.</p>
<p>I apologize in advance if this question is a little confusing… how much of a defined GW “campus” is there? It is D.C., so I’m expecting a lot of the buildings to be spread out, but I’d like to know how much of a distinction there is between the actual GW campus and the city itself. I’ve been to American nearby, which to me has a definitive campus that is in its own little area and is separate from the rest of the D.C./Bethesda area. How does GW’s campus compare in that aspect? </p>
<p>I’ll most likely be visiting later in the summer to get a feel for the school myself, but I thought I’d ask here first. Thanks!</p>
<p>Ok honestly,
- How is the meal plan? do you find yourself running out of money by the end of the semester?
- What do you think is the best dorm for incoming freshman who want to make friends. ( Potomac, Madison( for its size), of Thurston for the social scene)?
- What other schools did you apply to lol
- How is the nightlife and do people walk everywhere?
- How is the dating scene for girls?
- Is it really expensive to have fun?
sorry for asking so many questions lol</p>
<p>questions as a entering transfer sophomore</p>
<ol>
<li>do people really enjoy GW or they enjoy DC?</li>
<li>how are the selection of books in the librarby?</li>
<li>is there a math/english lab to help such as free tutoring?</li>
<li>is the Health and Fitness center up to date as far as tredmills and elliptical go? and how is the pool…?</li>
<li>Do you feel as if you are truly getting an education at GW or is it just frou frou?</li>
<li>is it safe to leave your belongings in the dorm (i.e.) laptop,wallet, anything valuable…?</li>
<li>how are the bathrooms… do we have to clean them ourselves?</li>
<li>how fun is GW? like do they through concerts… events…plays etc</li>
</ol>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>@Graduate2016</p>
<p>GW’s campus is actually fairly close together, the furthest you would every have to walk is about 10-15 mins. One of the things I love about the campus is that although its very urban, the campus area is still about 75-80% GW buildings. Take a look at this map:
Basically the streets of Pennsylvania Ave, New Hampshire, Virginia Ave, and E St form the campus boundaries.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.gwu.edu/staticfile/GW/Admissions-Undergraduate/2010-foggy-bottom-map.pdf[/url]”>http://www.gwu.edu/staticfile/GW/Admissions-Undergraduate/2010-foggy-bottom-map.pdf</a></p>
<p>Here is my take on some of the questions:</p>
<p>@collegecrazy
- The freshman meal plan for me was really the perfect amount (as a guy). I found I had to add about $100 at the end, but I also used the money for a few textbooks and supplies. The only frustrating thing is the Dining Dollars which have to be spent at J Street. My advice is don’t procrastinate on it and spend it first.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You’ll make plenty of friends regardless of what dorm you’ll in, just be open to meeting everyone around you. I would reccomend Madison, however they are doing construction across the street next year, so stay away. Crawford is the same exact layout as Madison and just as good location. Potomac is much bigger and slightly smaller rooms but also a good pick. I would stay away from Thurston is given the choice.</p></li>
<li><p>A lot of people go to clubs for nightlife, many are within walking distance of campus and there is always the metro which is fantastic. </p></li>
<li><p>How expensive it is depends on what you like to do for fun. They are so many things to do for free and I found I spent very little money on activities. Going to clubs every weekend might rack up over time.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>@ellomeno</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Yes, I find the vast majority of GW students are happy to be at the school, no just DC. DC certainly is a strong quality and the school’s locations really shapes its image and characteristics.</p></li>
<li><p>No one ever seems to talk about the actual books in the library, but in fact it has quite a collection, several floors of books. It is very easy to do research and books are always available. Given the schools age, it has a great collection of historical books and government files.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>3.There is a writing lab that helps with essays and such. Professors always encourage us to go, but i’ve never gone.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Many of GW’s professor are actual professionals in their prospective careers and work in Washington. So far though, I’ve taken mostly intro courses that just follow the book. </p></li>
<li><p>It is fine to keep things in your dorms, but it is a city and they have been incidents of things being stolen. Only Thurston has 24hr security. Always lock your door. I have a small safe for a few valuables which prevents “of the moment” theft. I also have a laptop lock, but used it less and less as the year went on.</p></li>
<li><p>It is great having a bathroom inside your dorm, but yes you have to clean. You’ll regret it later in the year if you don’t, but its not so bad.</p></li>
<li><p>There are constant campus events put on both by various student orgs and by GW. The problem is not having enough time. DC always has things too.</p></li>
</ol>