An Introvert’s Survival Guide to Thriving at Georgetown University Qatar

By Anna Lemma, a first-year student majoring in International Economics and a self-proclaimed chronic introvert. She runs on good music, occasional heated debates, and a steady supply of thriller novels.

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:

1. Be Active 

Let’s start with an introvert’s worst nightmare: showing up.

I won’t pretend it was easy. Events like GAAP (Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program 2025), First Year Experience and Hoya Welcome Week involve crowds and a lot of social energy. But trust me it will pay off in unexpected ways. The first day you’ll walk into your microeconomics class, spot a face you vaguely recognize from Hoya Welcome Week, and voila, you have an econ buddy to sit next to.

Showing up helped me build familiarity. You will get to know faces you could greet with a quick “hi” around campus. (Don’t worry, they probably don’t remember your name either.)

2. Find Your Spot

This will come as no surprise, but introverts need a place to recharge.
I still haven’t been to half of the spaces, which says a lot about my exploration habits. But eventually, I found my spot. A place where I could hide, study, and just exist without feeling overstimulated.

I won’t expose it here. It’s my cocoon, after all. You’ll have to search and find yours.
Having a personal campus spot made everything feel more manageable. I highly recommend finding one.

3. Plan Like Your Life Depends on It

Because sometimes, it does.
Google Calendar became my best friend. Classes, deadlines, meetings, office hours, random obligations I agreed to and immediately forgot about. Everything goes in there. Staying organized helped reduce anxiety and prevented last-minute panic.

Tip for students living in the dorms: always have the tram timings saved. Screenshots are your friend. Missing a tram once is enough to teach you how important planning really is. Being prepared saves time, stress, and energy.

4. Water Is Not Optional

This one sounds obvious, but it matters.
Always carry a water bottle with you. The campus has water dispensers everywhere, so there’s no excuse not to stay hydrated. It genuinely affects your focus and energy levels.
I got my water bottle during Hoya Welcome Week, one more reason to be active. Georgetown events come with good merch. If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

5. Use Your Resources

One of the most important lessons I learned was to use the resources available to me.
The Writing Center, in particular, helped me adjust to a writing-heavy education system I wasn’t fully prepared for. Coming from a different academic background, learning how to write essays took time. (Can’t attest that my writing is incredible right now, but the Writing Center definitely made it a lot less terrible.)

You don’t have to struggle on your own. These resources exist to help you succeed so abuse them will you still can.

6. Always stay warm!

Georgetown campus is no joke guys.

The buildings are aggressively air-conditioned, and I don’t know about you, but I cannot stand the cold. Do not be fooled by the scorching Qatar heat outside. It is always freezing indoors. I learned this lesson on the first day of classes. Learn from my mistakes. Bring a layer.

You don’t have to stop being an introvert to thrive at GUQ. The campus has room for you. Trust me, you will find your rhythm sooner than you think.

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