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An Open Letter to my First-year Self

May 12, 2026

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By Anna Lemma (GU-Q'29)

By Anna Lemma (GU-Q ’29), an undergraduate student at Georgetown University in Qatar.

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Dear First-year me,

You just got into Georgetown University in Qatar. You’re excited. You’re anxious. You’ve already made three Pinterest boards titled “Uni outfits” and “college glow up.” You think you’re prepared. I’m writing to you from one semester in the future. Sorry to inform you that the glow up is still pending but it is safe to say that I have learned a few things. So before you overpack, overthink, and over-plan your entire academic career, read this. 

Let’s start with the thing everyone stresses about: Jobs 

Hard pill to swallow: landing a job at GU-Q as a first-year student is hard.

Not impossible. Just… humbling.

Yes, there are a couple of lucky first-year students who somehow secured a job within three weeks of breathing Education City air. We don’t talk about them.

But don’t let that stop you from applying. Build your experience. Show up to events. Talk to people, especially those in Career Services. Build your network before you actually need it. Opportunities exist. You just have to chase them a little. But also… if you crack the code, please share the formula.

On Fashion

You think you’re going to be a fashion icon. You packed outfits. You planned combinations. You even imagined strutting in your new heels. 

That lasts one week.

It’s sweatpants. It’s a jacket. It’s whatever you grabbed while running for the tram.

And if you spot me in my oversized Georgetown Qatar hoodie, leggings, and hair that clearly gave up — mind your business. 

Since we’re on the topic of poor decisions, let’s discuss scheduling.

NEVER. TAKE. AN. 8:30 AM.

I repeat: never. 

Unless you are one of those rare individuals who enjoys waking up before the sun for intellectual growth. You’ll say, “I woke up early for high school, how bad could it be?”

You don’t want to know. I have never met a Hoya who does not complain about an 8:30 am. We still take these classes because Hoyas always choose to do hard things.

Which brings us to something you’re going to obsess over more than you admit: grades

Be ambitious. But also let yourself be a human.

Please leave the high school mentality in high school. Grades matter. Yes. But they are not life or death. One bad midterm will not destroy your future. It might humble you, possibly. It might ruin your mood for 48 hours. You might dramatically question your intelligence. I have done all three. But university is not just about GPA. (For context, I once almost cried over an A-. I am self-aware. Growth is pending). But would we rather graduate with a perfect transcript and zero stories? Or a strong one with friendships, experience, and memories attached to it?

Aim high. Study hard. But don’t disappear into the library and forget to live. And while we’re being serious for a second, let’s talk about the people grading you. 

Professors. They are human. I was shocked too.

Where I come from, you greet professors politely and disappear. Here? You can actually talk to them. About life. About ideas. About things that aren’t on the syllabus. They are not intimidating creatures. I now visit office hours partly for academic growth and partly to rate their office décor.

Some of them have… peculiar taste. Go talk to them. They are not aliens as we might have suspected.

Beyond classrooms and office hours, there’s also the city we call home: Education City.

Use your QF student privileges: the gym, swimming pool, football fields, golf, and many other amenities I still haven’t finished exploring! Take advantage of what Education City has to offer. 

First-year students,

You will stress over packing. You will overthink your first week. You will compare yourself to everyone around you at Georgetown University in Qatar. 

Relax, lol.

Take my advice with a grain of salt. I am only one year older and still figuring things out. I do not have life mastered. I barely have Canvas mastered (and based on recent news, Canvas barely has Canvas mastered). But you will be okay. If I could survive my first year, trust me you will too. 

Anna.

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