The way of life in Washington, D.C. is different in many ways than that of St. Louis, and your life in D.C. will be structured significantly differently than it is while you are at Washington University. Because of these differences, you are likely to go through a period of readjustment upon your return to Washington University that is not unlike the “reverse culture shock” experienced by many study abroad participants.
Often students expect to be able to pick up exactly where they left off. A problem arises when reality doesn't meet these expectations. Home may fall short of what you had envisioned, and things may have changed at home: your friends and family have their own lives, and things have happened since you've been gone. This is part of why home may feel strange at first.
The inconsistency between expectations and reality, plus the lack of interest on the part of family and friends (nobody seems to really care about all of your "when I was in D.C." stories) and missing new friends from D.C. may result in frustration, feelings of alienation, and mutual misunderstandings between D.C. Program participants and their friends and family. Of course, the difficulty of readjustment will vary for different individuals, and each student goes though his/her own gradual readjustment to life at home. If return culture shock is severe, it is important that students are able to seek help/counseling to help them through.
Eventually, things will start to seem a little more normal again, and you will probably fall back into some old routines, but things won't be exactly the same as how you left them. You have most likely developed new attitudes, beliefs, habits, as well as personal and professional goals, and you will see things differently. The important thing is to try to incorporate the positive aspects of your Washington, D.C. experience with the positive aspects of your life at Washington University.
Course listings are available on-line six to nine weeks before registration begins and at least four weeks before the printed version is available. Students who are in Washington, D.C. can access course information through WebSTAC.
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Printed course listings are issued in October for spring classes and March for fall classes. Overseas Programs sends a copy to each location where we have a Washington University site-director (e.g. D.C.). We encourage you to use the on-line course listings to make your course selections, but you may also use the printed copy at the Washington, D.C. Programs office.
You must contact your four year advisor and major advisor(s) by e-mail, or other means, to obtain authorization to register. We also strongly encourage you to meet with your four year advisor and major advisor(s) prior to studying in Washington, D.C. Washington University students who are studying in D.C. are permitted to register via WebSTAC.
Your registration date will be determined by the number of units you have earned, and your registration time on that date will be determined at random. It is your responsibility to verify that your assigned registration time is correct for your level.
You will need your password and advisor authorization before you will be allowed to register on-line. Failure to contact and receive advisor authorization will result in your not being able to register.
It is unacceptable to wait until the day before registration to contact your advisors; contact them at least two weeks prior to your assigned registration date and time.
Students from schools other than A&S should contact their advisors and submit their registration requests directly to their own school or use the on-line registration system.
Registration requests received by OSP from non-A&S students will be forwarded to the appropriate school.
The office of Residential Life wants to make the process as smooth as possible for you to return to Residential Life assigned housing upon completion of your semester in D.C. Please follow the instructions below that are appropriate for your situation. Additional information is also available on the Residental Life website.
If you lived with Residential Life before going to D.C. you will retain the same priority as those students in your class who remained on campus.
If you did not live in Residential Life assigned housing before going to D.C., you are not eligible to participate in the room selection process.
You may, however, participate in open enrollment. Your contract will be accepted on a space available basis.
Washington University students who are returning from D.C. must complete a housing contract. Students can complete this application using their WebSTAC account. You will receive confirmation via email once the office of Residential Life receives your Returning/Exchange Student Housing Application. Please note that once you have submitted a Preliminary Housing Reservation form or an on-line housing contract, your request is subject to all the normal housing terms and conditions.
On-line returning/exchange student housing applications are due:
Check the Residential Life website for the current room selection procedures and timelines as these change from year to year.
In order to receive a lottery number you must meet the room selection lottery deadlines. A lottery number is required to participate in the room selection process.
Late submission of the Returning/Exchange Student Housing Application will result in your being assigned the last lottery number for your class.
You may need a proxy (a designee who you authorize to make decisions for you) if you are applying for housing for the fall semester. This can be another student who is currently on campus.
The proxy is not responsible for submitting your housing contract and/or advance payment in a timely manner.
A non-refundable advance payment of $450.00 must be sent to the office of Residential Life immediately after you submit your contract on-line. Please make the check payable to Washington University.
If you are receiving financial aid and choose not to submit an advance payment, $450 will be billed to your account.
If you have a Stafford or Perkins Loan, or another need-based Washington University (WU) scholarship, including PEP, the advance payment will be automatically deducted from your financial aid award. You are responsible for the advance payment and risk loss of the advance payment if they choose to cancel their contract at a later date.
Quadrangle Housing manages Washington University owned properties near the Danforth Campus that are available to undergraduate students.
Phone: (314) 935-9511 or (800)874-4330.
Note: Quadrangle Housing does not offer students who study abroad or who have extended internships away from St. Louis the option of suspending their rent payments while they are away. Instead, residents will have the option of subleasing their apartment or continuing to pay their full rent. Quadrangle will also be happy to assist students who need storage services while they are away.
Apartment Referral Service provides listings of privately managed apartments near Washington University and in the greater St. Louis community.
Phone: (314) 935-5092
Apartment Search is locally owned and operated and has listings throughout the metropolitan St. Louis area.
Phone: (314) 727-3999
Student Handbooks
Please take time to read the handbook carefully for more information and necessary paperwork before leaving for Washington, D.C.