There are so many things you would never think to ask on a college tour or learn from a Chance Me thread, so I figured it would be cool to have thread where you can learn random things. It’s against the rules to have an “AMA” thread for some reason, so perhaps more of an open forum where any prospective/current student can post will work.
~Of course, feel free to ask any questions and give answers.~
Here’s a fun fact:
- Cupcake wars: Everyone here swears by (usually) one of three cupcake stores in Georgetown. There’s Georgetown Cupcake (Yes, the one from the TV show DC Cupcakes - they film here occasionally, and Martha Stewart visited last year), Baked & Wired, and Sprinkles. I’ve personally never been to Sprinkles so I can’t say anything about it except that it’s likely the least popular of the three. Gtown Cupcake is cheaper (around 2.75) compared to B&W (around 3.75), though B&W cupcakes are bigger and have less icing. Hipsters will swear that B&W is objectively better and that the line is infinitely shorter, but neither are really the case. True, Gtown Cupcake’s line length is inflated by tourists, but B&W’s line can get equally as long. It’s all up to you. I personally hate/hate/hate the people that look on Gtown Cupcake with scorn and disgust because their opinions are really just uninformed.
Cupcakes are lame. Pie Sisters >>> all. Or, you know, Tombs Brownie. If you must get cupcakes, you can call or go online and order ahead and skip the ridiculous Georgetown Cupcake line. Baked & Wired is better for everything else, though.
I only get the Tombs brownie when it’s free on my birthday 
Edit: Yeah, free brownies on your birthday! They aren’t strict about it. You get a free meal at Mai Thai on your birthday but you need ID to prove it.
How about where to study?
- Lauinger Library - not all floors are created equal. You enter on the third floor which has a quiet reading room and a semi quiet room (with the hum of printers and the circulation desk). Four and five are pretty much silent and feature my favorite cubbies. I always go to the fourth floor in the far left corner in a specific cubby (LOL) - mostly for writing essays (which I would never do in my room). There's also the graduate study room on the fourth floor which has a nice view. You don't really need to be a graduate student. Lau 5 has even better views, but I don't see the point in walking up the extra flight of stairs unless there are no seats on Lau 4. Lau 2 is a party floor where everyone does group projects and buys coffee at Midnight Mug. I would never study down there as the noise is constant. Anything below 2 starts to move into horror movie territory where you can listen to your heart beat. Not much seating there either. Lau during finals is a wreck so don't expect to get a spot after ~11 am.
- MSB - technically only open to MSB students at night (or is this not a thing anymore?) but you'll always be able to get in. There's the undergrad commons where the rounded glass windows are. Pretty decent amount of talking here. Then there are scattered booths and chairs inside the building. Very hard to get a spot here. I personally don't like how open it is so I've only studied here with a group of friends.
- Regents - Scattered chairs on all floors and it's pretty quiet all day. There's Sellinger Lounge in the Leavey Center (attached to Regents) where it's pretty loud because of UG (coffee/bagel store).
- ICC Galleria - only available during the day because there are no lights and it gets pitch black at night. Pretty loud all day, decent couches though. During finals they set up tables to fit more people.
- Healey Family Student Center - the new building next to New South. I personally think it was horribly conceived. It's set up as if it's supposed to be a study area (many couches and chairs) but the salad store plays music at an ungodly volume and everyone is generally loud.
- Your room - underrated. Assuming you have a normal roommate who does stuff, you'll have the room to yourself for at least an hour or two per day. Sophomore year in VCE I really took advantage of studying here for finals and loved not having to walk to Lau where seats were not guaranteed.
- The common room - they're usually empty anyway, so it's another place people tend to forget about.
- Outside - Everyone tells you they love to study on the Leavey Esplenade but no one ever actually does so it's empty. Of course Healey/Copley lawns but I find they get tons of bugs. The tiny hill between Regents and MSB. That area no one goes to behind and around Leo's.
BONUS! During finals week when everywhere else is taken:
- Healy Hall - they open classrooms at night to study in during finals week.
- ICC - clubs have most of the rooms booked and for the ones that aren't someone will already have claimed it, but it's not like one person needs a whole classroom to study, so just sit on the other side of the room.
- Leo's - use a meal swipe and eat while you study.