It is the fourth week of my being here at Georgetown, and although I’m enjoying it, it has been far from an easy transition. First, I had to say goodbye to my parents. Then, New Student Orientation was overwhelming and every moment of every day was planned for me to hinder thoughts about how much I missed Delaware. As busy as I was, they were always present. I kept telling myself I wasn’t that far away from home and I would see everyone soon, but my homesickness would not alleviate. NSO ended and with it, occurred the second big change: complete independence. No one was there to tell me when to eat my meals or to socialize. I had to take it upon myself to make friends and discover a comfortable schedule. But to me, it seemed like everyone here somehow already knew each other and I had started late. Everyone seemed to know which parties were where and who was flirting with whom, and I was still absorbing that I had just completed my first five days of college.
Everyone says when you’re about to begin at Georgetown that clubs define a lot of your social life. The problem is clubs are hard to get into here. There are applications and interviews for a majority of the popular ones. This makes sense because they receive so much interest that they need a way to control the influx of new members; however, it can be really disheartening at the beginning of your freshman year, when you’re rejected from everything. Like I was…
After the emotional rollercoaster that is college applications, I never thought I would have to go through something so similar, so soon. And I’m not going to lie, it was really hard being turned down from so many amazing clubs. But honestly, I’m proud of myself for trying. Apparently it’s pretty common for freshmen to be rejected. It’s a rite of passage in a way. It’s not a comment on my character or my resume, it’s the abundance of wonderful applicants similar to me that maybe just tickled the fancy of the club at that moment. Even though a “no” is never easy to hear, the clubs at Georgetown teach an important lesson of putting oneself in uncomfortable, trying situations at the beginning of college. It’s not going to be easy here, but there are always more opportunities, more applications, and plenty of other avenues that don’t require business casual attire.
With each rejection, I had to look at the bright side. I know I can try again next semester if I want, risking being turned down again, and I probably will give it another shot; however, there are so many equally impressive clubs that are also inclusive that I have been lucky enough to join here. Clubs may be the center of one’s social life, but I’ve learned the big name clubs are not the only good ones.