Student-Subway ^alpha

George Washington's classes vary drastically in all aspects. Because the university is in the middle of Washington, DC, nationally renowned experts in many fields come to GW to teach on a part time basis. Some of these adjunct professors are exceptional because they bring their experience to bear in the classroom, but others never really develop a knack for teaching.

Academic difficulty also varies widely. As a school that just misses a first tier ranking, George Washington student run the gamut in terms of scholastic ability. Classes reflect this, and some are unbearable while others are a walk in the park. Students opinion on overall class difficulty falls into three general categories: 1) Nearly all classes are relatively painless, 2) It is very hard to get an A, but very easy to get a B, and 3) Incompetent professors make classes hard.

The Student Subway opinion is that George Washington offers a sound education in nearly all fields of study. Even smaller ones, such as Theater, are able to draw from the resources of the nation's Capitol to provide a quality education. Because George Washington is respected in many areas and professors provide students with important connections, graduates should be able to find jobs in the field of their choice.

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The biggest benefit that GW has to offer is the city of Washington itself. If you’re thinking about a career in the political world, then going to college in DC is a must so you can intern during college. Political jobs are always in high demand among recent college graduates, and these internships will give you a leg up when competing against all of the college grads that flood the city when they graduate. And if you want an internship in the political world, Capitol Hill is square one.

Depending whether you come from a rural area or an urban one, internships on Capitol Hill are also in high demand, especially during the summer when people from other colleges flood the DC market. Going to George Washington will allow you to intern during the year, when there are fewer people applying for these jobs. Given that the positions are short on responsibility in the first place, the only way you’ll get to do anything beyond sorting mail is by taking a job during the year.

GW is pretty flexible as far as giving you credit for your internship. You can get up to three credits, which is about one class. All you need to do is have someone from your internship sign off, and you’ll have to write an ungraded paper at the end of the semester. You may have a harder time getting credit if you aren’t a political science or international affairs major.

The social aspect of these internships can be cool. There are a lot of interns on Capitol Hill, and they’ll often hang out together. The staff on Capitol Hill also tends to be pretty young and cool. The job itself is relaxed, with little stress and not a whole lot of work. Capitol Hill interns have access to most of the gossip and info in DC, so you’ll almost certainly get the master spreadsheet of bars and happy hours that’s emailed around.

The downside to a Capitol Hill internship is that there really is not a whole lot of substantive stuff to do. You’ll often find yourself waiting around, which can be pretty boring until you get to know people in your office. Capitol Hill interns also find themselves starting by sorting mail, answering phone calls, and taking signature sheets around to other offices. You might be able to work your way to more responsibility, but the coolest thing you’ll end up doing is drafting non-committal letters to constituents (you will learn how to write an entire letter on a topic without actually saying anything).

The biggest plus to a Capitol Hill internship is that is builds your resume. People at GW go on from their internships to work at places like the Democratic/Republican National Committee, government agencies, campaigns, the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee, FreedomWorks, and other political organizations in DC. Even though the work is menial, you will learn a lot about the legislative process, and a lot of people are able to use this to get well paid jobs during their summers. If politics is your thing, a Hill internship is a good idea.

GW Career Center

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