Harvard University Top Questions

I have three best things: The people, the resources, Cambridge One thing I'd change: It should rain less here Size: I think the size is just about perfect. I will never know everyone here so I have new people to meet every day. However, I also don't feel lost. Any time I go out walking through town, I run into a number of people I know. Where I spend time: Coffee shops, bubble tea shop, dining hall talking and working with friends College town: Cambridge is the best college town I know. I know this place and feel comfortable here, but I will never get bored. There are a million coffee shops, restaurants, bars, theaters, street artists and unique shops, and I'm never bored with my options. Administration: It is a bit big and impersonal, but if you make an effort and take the initiative to reach out to top administrators (professors, deans, president, etc.), they are usually happy and even excited to meet with students one on one. Controversy: Party grants. Should Harvard pay for alcohol at student parties? They had been paying for both food and alcohol at private student parties but recently they stopped paying for alcohol which angered many students. School Pride: People do not usually advertise their school pride (probably because of modesty), but if you talk to most students, you will see that they really lover Harvard. Unusual: You are thrown in a world of 6,500 incredibly talented, inspirational people. Every day a friend surprises you when you find out they won the Olympics or Intel or published a book or started a multi-million dollar business. I don't think any other school has that. One Experience: This was such a simple experience but one of the best in my time here. After performing in a play during my freshman year, some of my friends and I went to CVS and bought ten pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Then we took the elevator in the Science Center to the top floor. The building is really high and you can see the entire Boston skyline from the top. We sat up there and ate our ice cream straight pints we were passing around. A friend of mine, an Earth and Planetary Sciences Concentrator, had a key to the star observatory on this roof. All of went inside and used Harvard's most powerful telescope to see Jupiter and Mars, and Saturn, and we ate more ice cream, and started to dance, and it was incredible.

Harvard is a trade school for future investment bankers, corporate lawyers, and directors of non-profit organizations. The rest of us don't fit in.

Ok, here is the deal. If you want attention from people, do not come to harvard Ever. Harvard is filled with people who craves for attention and they figure out ways to get them. I have friends with 4.0 GPA and come cry to me every single time after a test to say how he messed up and he is actually sick and deserves a make-up test, i will be foolish enough to take him out to dinner to make sure he does not kill himself that night, even though I have a work due the next day. of course, a few days later he will call and tell me he got the highest score in the whole freaking class and the teacher/prof invites him to do research,etc etc. this is all because NO BODY CARES ABOUT YOU at harvard. Think about it. the prof s are super famous busy important people, they are not going to care about some stupid undergrads, students were all stars in their high schools, and they do not want to spend time praising someone else. Expos teachers are hired under a 3 year contract, they are forced to leave after that. they are not even qualified teachesr. they can not be more cranky when they teach freshman expos, supposebably the most important class. if people care, ie, the expo teachers, they think like this: "oh, ok, harvard students. you guys think you can rule the world huh? let me give you a C on your first paper, SUcK ON THAT!" Of course, the TOp TOp students at harvard MAY get Some attention from Some people, but don't bet on that. one thing I will change? i think harvard should care more about its STUDENTS! harvard is the coldest place on earth. yet the system is so beautifully politically-correct. you run into a prob, fair enough, go talk to the resident dean, and you will get the beautiful lady with a huge and fake smile on her face and oozing the idea of "ha.. i can't care less, but i m a professional,let me make sure you rant it out and forget about it the moment you walk out of my door." No one can count on anyone for support, true help, etc.

Best thing about Harvard: the people, definitely, and the amount of resources that you learn to take for granted. It's phenomenal. One thing I'd change: the weather. The constant gray and freezing temperatures of Cambridge in February are absolutely unbearable. Size: I think Harvard is ideal for me. It might be too big or too small for other people. Reaction: People tend to be like "oh my God" or "you must be really smart" or whatever else...but I just mention it, not brag about it, and they see me as fairly normal so it stops being awkward after a few minutes (with some exceptions, of course). Where do I spend most of my time on campus? My dining hall. I study in there because there's free caffeine and friends to talk to. Other than that, probably walking back and forth through the Yard on the way to classes...most of which are in William James Hall (otherwise known as Siberia because it's so far away from everything). College town: Cambridge is a pretty urban area, and Harvard Square has a ton of stuff to do/eat/shop for/etc. However, Harvard is right on the Charles River, so there's nice jogging trails and you can walk around the Business School campus across the river, as well as some beautiful residential neighborhoods to explore. Harvard's administration: I mainly pay attention to the administration at the House level and the academic level (such as new programs being implemented etc.). As for the larger Harvard Corporation's actions in the world, I try to keep up-to-date on them but am not really involved in Undergraduate Council or other groups that remotely act on those things. Biggest recent controversy on campus: Uh...the women's only gym hours? I'm not actually sure... Is there a lot of school pride? I think that Harvard students tend to be wrapped up in their own lives and the lives of their close friends, but we do tend to band together over things like Harvard-Yale (and only Harvard-Yale...other schools don't count. Seriously.) Is there anything unusual about Harvard? Aside from the huge amount of resources, the amount of tourists is unnerving at first. Also, the fact that they touch the John Harvard Statue's foot...which people pee on (and which I would not admit except in the hopes of stopping people from touching the thing...) One experience I'll always remember: I don't know. There are far too many. One experience, I guess, was staying up all night freshman year talking with my blockmates and then running around in the snow at 6 in the morning when the sun was barely rising and everything was blue and pink and white... Most frequent student complaints: Too much stress (not only from the work, but from extracurriculars etc.), not that great of food (I think it's fine...and it's FREE...)...and I think that's about all. Oh, and the weather sucks for about 4 months each year.

I'd like a more personal feel. I feel almost forgotten as an undergrad. Everyone who doesn't go to Harvard thinks this school is really hard or that I'm really smart for being here, but it feels overrated (except fot he housing). School pride only shows up, for me, at Harvard Yale games, but I'm sure it's there at sports games.

Best thing: opportunities. Being at a school with such a large endowment makes almost anything possible. The size is pretty good. At times I feel like it's too big, but I can say 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} that whenever I walk to class (or anywhere) I see a few familiar faces and say hi to a couple of people, so it's big in a manageable way. When I tell people I go to Harvard, there's often that "H-bomb" effect, like the "Oooh, so you go to Harvard?" look on their faces. I mean, it does not mean I'm a genius, it really means that I was lucky enough to be favored during the admissions process. I spend most of my time doing homework, in meetings, or rehearsals (I do a lot of performing arts). Free time is usually spent just hanging out with friends, sometimes going into Boston. School pride, yes. School spirit, no. Frequent student complaint/controversy: food SUCKS!

Harvard is wonderful. I love every minute of my life on campus, from going to class, hanging out with friends, eating in the dining hall, and taking in my experience. Most of my friends feel the same (they love Harvard) but there are a surprising number of people who are unhappy here, and I'm not sure why. I personally love the size, the houses (Kirkland!!!), and the Cambridge neighborhood. The one thing I would change is that I wish there were more school spirit and school pride. Harvard students like to complain about a lot of things, whether or not they are truly bothered by it, and that undermines a lot of pride they might have in their institution.

People are really nice here but it is difficult to have deeper relationships.

Harvard is really fun, has nice people who bond, school size is small and just right. If you drop the H-bomb and tell others you go to Harvard, you get praises to your face and whispers behind your back. I spend most of the time in cabot or in my room. Science center for most of my classes and section. Cambridge is the cutest college town, I LOVE the environment. Complaints: expos (writing class) sucks, Orgo really really sucks, but overall I LOVE Harvard!

The people. The housing and the food. Just right. They think one is a god/goddess and stop acting natural. My room. "What college town" Too complicated. Don't remember. You kidding! Who doesn't feel proud of going to Harvard! Is there anything usual about Harvard? My roommates. "I'm tired, I'm busy"