Next Stop GW #3: Getting Ready for the Fall Semester

Hello Class of 2024,

I am thrilled to see all of you on campus at the end of this month! I know that saying that the past year and a half has been challenging, would be an understatement. However, I am elated that we are going to be back on campus and seeing all of your faces in person, instead of through my laptop screen. 

Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Arzina and I am a rising junior double degreeing in Public Health and International Affairs with a concentration in International Development. I remember walking on to GW’s campus for move-in day and Orientation Week was surreal. I couldn’t believe that everything I dreamt of in high school was coming true. From the game night with my orientation group to the MSCC Block Party and all the bonding events on the Vern, I already knew how happy I was to be a part of this community. I was going to spend my college years in D.C. making so many memories. *someone pinch me* Because my first year was cut short due to the pandemic, I held on to every experience from campus like painting nights in Eckles, monumenting after any minor inconvenience, dominating at Pelham Trivia nights, challenging my dorm to a spice competition, or the many late night walks to Surfside. 

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend my summer working with the New Student Orientation Team to make your welcome as delightful as it was for me. We have so many fun activities and events planned for the first couple of weeks like the Buff & Blue Kick Off and Org Fair Fridays. As we return to being in-person, I can’t wait to see all of my friends, make new ones, and explore our wonderful city. I am so excited that all of you have the opportunity to make GW your home, like it is for me. 

Just Announced: Mask Mandate 

On Friday, GW reinstated the indoor mask requirement in university-owned or -operated facilities for everyone regardless of vaccination status. This updated guidance is consistent with the District's decision to again require that people wear masks in indoor public settings beginning July 31. D.C. takes action based not only on guidance from the CDC, but also as a precaution as COVID rates have increased locally.

Fall 2021: In-Person Instruction

This fall courses will be in person, and students will be expected to attend in person. If you have questions about course registration, please contact your academic advisor. Please be aware that there are very few courses at the undergraduate level that are fully online, so it is not possible for you to plan a remote curriculum. Read the latest update about the in the classroom experience for undergraduates, here.

Orientation Schedule Updates

We will be sharing more details, including a schedule of events in the coming weeks. We will also be posting to our website and using the GW mobile app.

 Let us know if you plan to join us on the National Mall for food and games on Friday, August 27 from 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. RSVP on Engage. 

Learn how to add your unique Engage QR code (event pass) to your mobile wallet. You will need it for events this fall, including during Orientation and Weeks of Welcome!

The entire GW community is invited to gather together in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 1-3, 2021, for Our Moment, Our Momentum: The GW Centuries Celebration Weekend. This culmination of our bicentennial includes in-person events and activities for alumni, students, faculty, staff and GW families, as well as Commencement for the Classes of 2020 and 2021, opportunities to honor our Monumental Alumni and a closing Bicentennial Celebration. More information on the schedule of events and registration will be released in the coming weeks.