I’m the type of girl who takes a notepad to movies. The habit comes after years of friends telling me to stop asking questions (Me: “I don’t understand how they don’t realize Leo is the undercover cop.” Friend: “Nicole, just watch the movie.”) It’s helpful, because I can now offer the “Nicole Movie Wrap-Up,” which includes not only questions, but also commentary and observation.

For years I’ve tried to incorporate this idea of commentary and observation into my life on the Hilltop, often by writing long e-mails to friends back home in New York, describing everything from my first week of classes (exciting) to my first all-nighter at THE HOYA (even more exciting). Thinking back to these e-mails, though, I’ve realized that most of them are just random ideas and theories I tend to come up with (i.e. modern humans have been around for 250,000 years while dinosaurs were around for 165 million years – is it not slightly pathetic that they weren’t able to create some sort of advanced dinosaur society?) It is in the same fashion that I can reflect upon my four years at Georgetown.

Have you ever noticed that the one thing you plan on not doing in college is the activity that inevitably draws you in? I joined THE HOYA at the beginning of my freshman year, even though I had no intention of working for a college paper after four years of working at my high school paper. Luckily for me, my sister was heavily involved in THE HOYA at the time, and so I decided to attend the first open house just to “check it out.” This preliminary curiosity quickly turned into all-nighters and 40-hour work weeks in Leavey 421. It’s a good thing, though, because being senior news editor of THE HOYA is the accomplishment I am most proud of after four years at Georgetown.

Have you ever thought about the fact that you can sit with your friends day after day, night after night, and still have new things to talk about? Office nights spent discussing the rules of our 3 a.m. miniature golf tournament (the ball must land directly inside the boy’s bathroom and cannot touch Big Table in any way) or the newest addition to the “Hoya Hookup Chain” (which actually exists on paper) are what I’ll remember most from the office.

Have you ever noticed that decorating your house with fun notes and signs for your roommates increases house morale? They don’t need to be anything deep or important. The best ones in my house advise roommates to increase their “Roommate Likeability Quotient” by attending the Hoyas vs. Duke Game Watch (located conveniently on our couch); or remind roommates of the upcoming “Super Fun Weekend” we planned (highlights of which included pitchers of margaritas at Cactus Cantina and Cherry Tree Massacre, followed by auditions for our very own “The 1261s” because, honestly, who secretly doesn’t want to be in an a capella group?)

Finally, have you thought about the fact that in 20 years what you’ll remember most about Georgetown is not your organic chemistry recitations but the people who made your Georgetown experience what it was? This of course includes multiple professors, mentors and a certain men’s basketball team that brought us to the Final Four. Most importantly to me, though, are my housemates at 35th and N and my friends from Leavey 421. These are the people who will continue to receive my e-mails, humor me by nodding along with my “theories” and remind me of just what the past four years were all about.

Nicole Tingir is a senior in the College. She is a former senior news editor, contributing editor and a member of THE HOYA’s Board of Directors.