My First Week as a History Major at GU-Q

By Janna Alsulaiti
Janna Alsulaiti, is a multilingual sophomore at GU-Q majoring in International History. She speaks Arabic, English, and Japanese. For the Desert Hoya Blog, she shares insights on her classes and life in Qatar as a local.

After a year and a half of attending University, I thought I finally understood what it meant to be a Georgetown Student, to study politics and strive for academic excellence in a challenging environment. While those things stand true, there are many things left to be desired. I had my routines, my study habits, and an understanding of how things worked; or so I thought. Still, thanks to my classes this Spring semester, I was pleasantly proven wrong. Now that I have finished my core requirements, which include all classes that you might not be interested in taking but you have to because they introduce you to a wide range of issues within the International Affairs space, you get to choose your major and all the classes you want to take. This is particularly true if you’re a History major, as you get to build your own degree.

Generally, all three of my previous semesters began somewhat similarly. Not this time. For Spring 2025, I am finally starting to explore my major and degree in depth. While I found aspects of both subjects interesting, neither truly captured my enthusiasm. As a result, I often lacked motivation when attending those classes. This semester has been a turning point. Since declaring my major in International History, I have gained the freedom to shape my academic journey in a way that excites me. I can choose courses that align with my interests and explore concepts that genuinely engage me. This flexibility has transformed my approach to learning, making my studies far more fulfilling.

I am taking classes such as Cinema in the Digital Age, History of China, and Transgression in Victorian Literature. These aren’t just classes; they’re windows into worlds I’ve always wanted to explore. This came as a shock to me, while I engaged and learned during the former semesters, I had never done so with such motivation. It changed my outlook on this semester since I wasn’t looking forward to it with Ramadan coming up (a holy month of fasting, prayer, and community for Muslims), but after attending the first few classes at the start of January , my approach has completely changed. I wake up in the morning looking forward to my classes. I won’t say it’s all easy and fun, but when you enjoy the class or the topic, learning genuinely matters to you. The freedom to choose my path has unlocked a motivation I didn’t know I had, and it’s made me hopeful for the semesters ahead.

Looking back, I realize that being a university student isn’t just about meeting deadlines or checking boxes. It’s about discovering what excites you, what drives you, and what makes you come alive. For me, this semester has been a reminder about pursuing my academic passion and I am glad this is possible at Georgetown.

If you are reading this, I hope you too find your academic passion and when you do, don’t be afraid to pursue it.

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