Kelsey Hopper
How was the first week of your semester on DC? How does it compare to the first week of a semester on campus?
By Kelsey Hopper
Fall 2013
Left to right: Joy, Brittnee, myself, Taylor, Shelby and Shujie.
The first week of my semester in DC was filled with getting to know my new classmates and learning more about Washington DC. The orientation week allowed us to all get to know each other better, and discover the new city we would be living in. Our program coordinators brought us to local, well known places to eat including Busboys and Poets, and Ben’s Chili Bowl. We went on a tour of the Capitol and learned how to use the metro and bus systems too! We learned about the culture of Washington and how to best network and be professional in our new environment.
One of the best parts of orientation–getting to tour the Capitol building.
After getting some time to get to know the city, the internship students then began their internships and the journalism students began the Newsroom program. One of the most exciting parts of the week was when we learned what newspapers we would be reporting for and how to go about contacting press secretaries and start reporting on the Hill.
Your first week in DC certainly has its differences from beginning a semester on campus back in Boston. Instead of starting with classes on the first day, we were given the chance to familiarize ourselves with the areas where we are living and taking classes. Our schedule is also different in that we intern or report during the day, and take classes in the evening. There is a lot of opportunity for learning and discovering outside of the classroom in your first week in DC. The other students and I attended a BU Alumni event honoring Martin Luther King Jr., went kayaking on the Potomac River, and explored the Dupont Circle Farmer’s Market, all in the first week here in Washington DC!
