Desert Hoya
A Letter to Incoming First-Year Hoyas
Congratulations on joining Georgetown University in Qatar! You are now part of the GU-Q community.
“Living in Qatar” Posts
Showing 11 “Living in Qatar” posts
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Desert Hoya
An Introvert’s Survival Guide to Thriving at Georgetown University Qatar
Freshman year can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re navigating a new country, a new education system, and a new sense of independence all at once. Now add being an introvert to the mix. What a nightmare. Though I am very much in the process of figuring things out myself, I have learnt a few survival skills along the way. Here are the skills I needed to survive my first year on campus:
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Desert Hoya
From Rwanda to Qatar: The Room That Made Me Feel at Home in GU-Q
When I left Rwanda for Qatar, I recall it with so much excitement, but also a kind of fear I didn’t want to acknowledge. How will I do for the first time away from my family? A new place, new people, new life, leaving everything behind. I kept wondering, How will I make friends? Will I just blend into the background?
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Desert Hoya
I am the First Turkmen Hoya at Georgetown University in Qatar
On my 20th birthday this year, I left Turkmenistan, with excitement, nerves, and the pressure of walking into uncertainty. After a gap year following my FLEX exchange in Texas (Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) is a competitive, merit-based scholarship program funded by the United States government), I was finally traveling abroad, alone this time. In the U.S., I had always had a safety net: a host family waiting with warm meals, a host father who drove me to school, a host mother who answered every question I had – and yes, even the ones that probably made her question her life choices. This time was different.
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Desert Hoya
What I’ll Miss about Doha, What I Can’t Wait For as I Study Abroad at Georgetown’s Villa Le Balze in Florence, Italy
Ever since my first semester at GU-Q, I’ve been looking forward to going abroad. Not because I couldn’t wait to get away from GU-Q, but because I heard from upperclassmen how their study abroad experiences changed them, and I’ve always felt a longing for that feeling that they described. As my junior year was approaching, it started becoming a reality. I filled out the applications, packed my room, and left Doha knowing that I would not return for another 8 months.
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Desert Hoya
Iktashif Qatar: How We Make Adventures Happen at Georgetown
One adventure at a time. That’s basically how I live my life, not just in general, but especially here at Georgetown. For almost three years now, I’ve been organizing Iktashif Qatar trips, and let me tell you, they’ve been some of the most rewarding adventures I’ve had the chance to lead as a student employee.
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Desert Hoya
Becoming a Hoya: Why We Chose Georgetown University in Qatar
Becoming a Hoya: Why We Chose Georgetown University in Qatar
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Desert Hoya
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™: A Journey Like No Other
By Lawrence Maracac (GU-Q ’26), an alumni from Georgetown University in Qatar. After years of waiting, the most anticipated event in Qatar finally happened – the FIFA World Cup!…
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Desert Hoya
First Year Reflections
I have transitioned from being a high school student in South Africa to being an international college student in Qatar within 8 months. It has been a thrill, but most of all, it has been one of the best decisions I have made in my early adulthood.
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Desert Hoya
Embracing Change
As a first-year student, a new resident of Doha and this being my first time in the Middle East, broadening my horizon has been the most exciting aspect of my transition to college but also the most challenging one.
