After moving your belongings in on what probably felt like the hottest possible day this summer, welcome (back) to campus! From all of the editors, reporters and staffers at The Hoya — Georgetown’s oldest and largest student newspaper of record for over a century — we are so excited to have you here. 

Like many of my fellow staffers at The Hoya, this school has changed my life in ways I didn’t think were possible before college. I truly hope that all of you find the experiences at Georgetown that give you the same feeling, whether it be in friends, classes, clubs or something else. Still, any life transition can be difficult and a bit scary. We hope we can help ease some of your worries with this guide.

If you find yourself asking, “Why is Lau 1 genuinely frightening?” or, “What’s the difference between a meal swipe and meal exchange?” or, “What even is a Hoya?” (I’m embarrassed to say that one was answered for me in my junior year while editing a crossword puzzle), we’re here for you! The Hoya’s annual New Student Guide can help answer many of your questions and hopefully make you more comfortable as you get to campus.

While you’re focusing on making friends and getting used to lecture halls, feel free to refer to our numerous guides written by seasoned Georgetown students for all the little questions: where to eat, where to buy cleaning supplies because your New South sink has toothpaste stuck to it, what GUSA is and why they keep emailing you. We were all eager new students pretty recently; we remember what it was like to give our Georgetown intros 50-plus times in one week, or walk to the waterfront for the first time with a seemingly endless line of new faces. As much as my lovely executive editors like to call me old for being a senior, I remember how intimidated I was to come to Georgetown without knowing a single other person. I hope that the love my fellow staffers and I have found here comes through in our tips and tricks. 

In my personal experience, college is intense and wonderful and enables you to figure out who you are. My advice is to let it. Use this guide to help you with logistical questions, and then throw yourself into being a new student. Introduce yourself to the girl waiting next to you at the elevator. Stay a few minutes after class to chat with Georgetown’s amazing professors — I promise they’re (mostly) not scary! Join clubs that make you feel a spark (shameless plug: https://thehoya.com/join/). Explore Washington, D.C., and revel in the fact that you get to call this beautiful city home for four years. And as scary as it sounds, be yourself and know that even if it takes time, you will find a place here to belong. If you get lucky like me, which I hope you do, you’ll tear up three years later telling new students what this school and the people you met here mean to you. 

From all of us at The Hoya: Welcome, good luck and Hoya Saxa!

— Nora Toscano, Editor-in-Chief

Starting college is notoriously difficult. No one will arrive on campus with all the answers. More important than having everything figured out is knowing where to go when you don’t. Fortunately, Georgetown is home to a host of campus resources designed to ease your transition. 

Transitioning to college is difficult for everyone, but it can be especially challenging when you’re moving to a new country. Hundreds of international students attend Georgetown University, which offers plenty of resources to support them. There’s a large community ready to ease your transition to the United States and Washington, D.C, and we’ve compiled some of the top resources you can bookmark.