Josephine Moore

SFS ’16
Age: 18
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Major: International Politics

How does your hometown compare to Georgetown?
I’m from Berlin, so it’s pretty multicultural, vibrant. Very clean, so I really like Georgetown because it has some of that feeling. I can’t deal with New York, it’s too loud, too busy, too dirty. It’s different in the fact that Georgetown is a nice, clean, almost like a suburb. I live in downtown Berlin, it’s pretty busy. I’m at the center of three Metro stations, four parks. It has the same clean, nice relaxed feeling. I thought I never could live in the U.S. until I came to Georgetown. I think this is the only place I could ever live. I transferred from Holy Cross, and I felt like I could never live in the U.S. Then I came here, and I felt like this could actually work. I went home for spring break to Berlin, and I realized I might even like it here more.

Where and with whom do you feel most comfortable at Georgetown?
I worked on the Ben and Sam campaign for GUSA in February, so I got to meet a lot of new people there, which was really nice. I still hang out with some people from there. I transferred from Holy Cross with my roommate at Holy Cross — we transferred together and we’re still roommates, so she’s like my person. I hang out with people from crew, with all the guys, and then some people from clubs.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
I think the hardest thing I’ve ever done is actually go to college in the U.S. Because, as a child, I would not spend the night somewhere else, I would make up excuses about my parents not letting me sleep somewhere because I was too afraid to go away for one night. That changed over time, but it never really fully changed. When I went to the U.S., and I decided to stay there after the year, that was a pretty significant decision because when my dad said, “Go to school in the U.S.,” it was do one year, if you don’t like it you can come back. I didn’t like it. I had been accepted to law school in Germany, and I stayed and I tried it again. It definitely paid off, I love it here. I’m actually afraid the semester is going to be over so soon. I haven’t been home for nine months.

What would you change about yourself?
I overthink things way too much. If I get an idea, I go through not just scenario A and B, but scenarios A through H. I’m pretty good at running things because I’ve thought about every possible contingency, but it gets stressed upon myself sometimes when it’s things that affect me.

What’s the biggest change you think you’ve consciously made?
Being more outgoing. That goes along with thinking too much — I used to think too much to the point when I wouldn’t do anything. I’ve learned to just be open and do what I want and not care about what other people think.

Do you feel obligated to be busy at Georgetown?
Yes. It’s a good fit because I need to be busy, but I know two people who had to take medical leave because they couldn’t handle it. It’s not bad that Georgetown makes people busy and it’s your own fault, but I feel like sometimes … I have to make sure I have the mental capability to do it. I can handle it, I like it, but I don’t know how good five hours of sleep on average is for everybody.

Do you feel like you fit in at Georgetown?
I think it’s the right school for me. Everyone’s a little bit crazy. Everyone’s over-involved. Everyone takes their work serious and their academics too, and it’s really important. It’s really competitive, but that’s something that drives me.

Interview by Hanaa Khadraoui