When I got to GW, I dreaded living on the Mount Vernon Campus.

I spent my first year living on the Vern as part of the University Honors Program. I had been in my high school honors cohort and hoped that joining the UHP would give me a similar sense of community. When I made my top college lists, proximity to a large city was my number one priority — landing me at GW. So imagine my disappointment when I discovered that students in the UHP had to live on the Vern. I was devastated, but I still wanted the benefits of the UHP, like early registration, so I accepted my Foxhall fate. But as my first year comes to a close, I’ve learned to love the Vern with all of its quirks and charm, and I realize how much I will miss it.

Coming from a graduating high school class of 68 students in Louisville, Kentucky, I was excited to express myself outside of small-town dynamics in the city. While I knew beforehand that I would be placed there as a part of the UHP, I still felt dismayed at the thought of being separated from living in the heart of the nation’s capital, as the GW experience is typically marketed. While UHP students take classes on Foggy Bottom, there is a disconnect from those who reside on the Foggy Bottom Campus because our homes are in an entirely different location. 

Surprisingly, though, the Vern provided a better space to transition from my tiny graduating class to the much larger body of 2,459 first-year students and 11,182 total undergraduates at GW. The smaller campus and built-in community gave me a sense of grounding that I hadn’t expected I’d need.

When I was searching for colleges, I saw many students lamenting the absence of school spirit at GW due to the tunnel vision of internships and political opportunities. But when I got to the Vern, I was able to carve out a space for myself within the much smaller subset of the GW community. There is a sense of fellowship among the students on the Vern, born into the GW student body from shared campus experiences, like being late to class because of the long Buff & Brew line or falling down the stairs on the way to The Eatery at Pelham Commons.

Many students hate on the Vern because of its inconvenient location and the dreaded Mount Vernon Express schedule. It’s rare to not hear complaints about how “far” it is or how unpredictable the Vex timing can be when running late to class or sitting in D.C. rush-hour traffic. But even though I originally had my heart set on living in the city, I appreciate the work-life balance that residing on the Vern offers. After long days surrounded by noise and ambition downtown, stepping back onto the Vern allows me to decompress and make time for myself.

Part of the Vern’s charm comes from the neighborhood that surrounds it. I’m from Louisville, and the neighborhood and parks around the campus remind me of home in a way that Foggy Bottom never has. There’s plentiful green space in Foxhall. The neighborhood brick houses resemble the ones from my hometown and the quiet streets feel like the ones I spent my high school years driving through. Unlike Foggy Bottom, I never have to shout to be heard over the screaming of a siren or worry about taking late-night strolls alone. 

Finally, perhaps most controversially, my favorite component of living on the Vern is the Vex. Believe me, I’ve fallen victim to the Vex’s unreliable schedule. Nonetheless, nothing beats a late-night Vex ride — headphones in, forehead against the cool glass window, watching the blur of downtown D.C. as cars speed past. Those 15 minutes became my relaxation time, a break from the constant hustle and bustle of school, work and social life. Or, in some cases, I could do a last-minute Quizlet or memorize my Spanish vocabulary right before my test. Once, after taking two tests back-to-back, I collapsed into my seat on the Vex, a much-needed respite as I left the stress of the exams behind me. 

Yes, I’ve been late to my economics midterm because the Vex was stuck in traffic due to former President Joe Biden’s motorcade. And the campus doesn’t offer many choices for food, as there is only one dining hall open after Buff & Brew closes in the late afternoon. Yet the administration has been taking steps to improve the situation, such as opening a grab-and-go station in Ames Hall. That said, for me, the pros outweigh the cons. Community is one of the most important aspects of the college experience, and the Vern has allowed me to develop my own. 

I’ll miss the little bubble of peace that the Vern gave me during a chaotic first year. I’m glad that I was able to have it as a helpful transition into the college experience, but now I feel ready to take on life in Foggy Bottom. Like everywhere else, the Vern isn’t perfect — but for 10 months, it has been home. And for that, I’m incredibly grateful.