Students in a row take notes in a class at Georgetown
Category: Academics, Student Blog

Title: So, Let’s Talk Academics

Author: May (COL'20)
Date Published: February 23, 2018

What’s that, you say? College isn’t only about the clubs and food and fun?

As much as I’ve enjoyed my extracurriculars and exploring Georgetown, we actually are here to get an education. That means that I’ve inevitably spent quite some time in various classrooms. I’ve come to notice, in the 20-or-so courses I’ve taken at Georgetown, that different class buildings tend to have different… personalities, each one of them vibrant and unique. Some examples:

1) The Language Labyrinth: Bunn Intercultural Center (ICC)

I’ve had the privilege of taking a couple of incredible Chinese courses with the Mandarin department here at Georgetown, and each one has taken place in the ICC. Now, don’t be intimidated: the ICC is big and winding, and it may take you a few tries to find your Language Seminar on your first day (it certainly did for me). But the ICC also offers ample small-sized classrooms for an intimate language learning experience. There are also Language Learning Labs where you can access voice recording resources and audio tapes, polishing your pronunciation, distinguishing your third Mandarin tone from your second, etc. You won’t be able to hide from your professor in these classes, and that will speed your fluency right along.

2) The Gothic Beauty: White Gravenor Hall

Sorry, Healy– my heart goes to White Gravenor for this one. I took my Liberal Arts Seminar here during freshman year, and the beautiful white cobblestoned exterior won me over. This building is home to the Psychology Department and various other social science courses. Caution: don’t take that cozy seat near the stain-glassed windows– it’s just a little too cozy, and you’ll find yourself staring out of that stain-glass with a little too much comfort, and before you know it you’ll be drifting off (not speaking from experience….).

White Gravenor peeks through the trees on a sunny day

3) The M-Street Secret that Nobody Really Knows About: The Berkley Center

The secret’s out: that building on M Street between Georgetown Cupcake and Sweetgreen? Yup, it’s affiliated with Georgetown, and it has some pretty awesome classes if Religion, Ethics, and World Affairs are your cup of tea. A lot of professors here have ample professional experience outside of academia, and the seminar rooms have some pretty sweet swivel chairs, too (just a side note…). Since this is my last class of the day, I often find myself venturing out on M Street and maybe grabbing a cupcake to go.

4) The Scientist’s Haven: Regents Hall

I’ll admit it: I’m terrible at science and quantitative subjects in general, and the only reason I’d ever consider taking a science course would be to feel glamorous and professional in one of Regents’ pristine labs. One of the newer buildings on campus, Regents is chock-full of resources for pre-med and other science students, and it’s also really sleek and modern. I sometimes study in one of Regents’ many quiet study spaces and pretend I’m cool enough to do Titration calculations, but really I’m just envying the lab-coat wearing students who actually are.

These are only four of many buildings where you may have classes during your four years at Georgetown, so don’t limit yourself– explore! From the math-and-techy St. Mary’s to the historically cool Car Barn to the tiny mystery that is McGuire (it’s that tiny hallway within Healey, just FYI), there are plenty of interesting class spaces, and study spaces to hijack within, and I’ve really just scratched the surface. Now, back to studying…