|
|
FactsSlang
- ABP - Au Bon Pain, the popular French food stop in Harvard Square, on the Mass. Ave. side of the Holyoke Center.
- Ad Board - A faculty committee charged with interpreting and enforcing the rules of the Faculty of Arts and Science.
- Af-Am - African American Studies.
- B-School - Harvard Business School.
- Concentration - Harvard’s word for “major.”
- Coop - The Harvard Cooperative Society, the bookstore located at Harvard Square. Pronounced as in “chicken coop.”
- Crimson - The name of the student daily newspaper, the Harvard Crimson; also the nickname of any Harvard sports team.
- Crimson Cash - A declining debit account system that uses your Harvard ID. You can put cash on it electronically in order to purchase copies, food, and other sundries.
- CUE Guide - The Harvard University Course Evaluation Guide, published by the Committee on Undergraduate Education. Though it is still printed as a book, it is also available electronically.
- Div School - Harvard Divinity School.
- Ed School - Also known as HUGSE (Harvard University Graduate School of Education).
- FAS - Faculty of Arts and Sciences, composed of Harvard College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and the Division of Continuing Education.
- GSAS - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
- GSE - Harvard Graduate School of Education.
- HASCS - Harvard Arts and Sciences Computer Services.
- HBS - Harvard Business School.
- Head of the Charles - The annual October regatta held on the Charles River.
- HLS - Harvard Law School.
- HMS - Harvard Medical School.
- HOLLIS - Harvard’s libraries’ online catalog and now also a directory to the suite of electronic resources that the libraries make available.
- House - The residences of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Harvard Houses were modeled on the college systems of Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England.
- HUL - Harvard University Library (the entire library system).
- HUPD - Harvard University Police Department.
- ICG - Instructional Computing Group (technical support).
- IOP - Institute of Politics, at the Kennedy School of Government.
- K-School - Kennedy School of Government.
- KSG - Kennedy School of Government.
- Let’s Go - The series of travel books written and published by Harvard students.
- MAC - Malkin Athletic Center.
- Masters - Faculty members who lead and administer each undergraduate House.
- MBTA - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (i.e. the subway and buses).
- MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology (the other University in Cambridge).
- OCS - Office of Career Services.
- Pit - The area immediately surrounding the Harvard Square T-stop, one of the Square’s hubs of street entertainment.
- Proctors - Graduate students or officers of the University who live among freshmen, serve as academic advisors, and direct the events and programs of an entryway.
- QRAC - Quadrangle Recreational Activities Center at 66 Garden Street.
- Quad - An area separated from the main campus by about a fifteen-minute walk, composed of three undergraduate Houses, a library, and an athletic facility.
- Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study - An interdisciplinary center offering non-degree instruction and executive education programs. The Institute was created when Harvard and Radcliffe formally merged in October 1999.
- Reading Period - The 10-day period of anxiety in which students prep for finals.
- Resident Tutors - Graduate students or faculty members who live in the Houses with students and provide a range of informal advice and counsel.
- Shopping Period - The first five or so days of an academic term at Harvard, before Study Cards are submitted for formal enrollment in a course, when students can visit classes, sit in on lectures, and review syllabi and readings.
- Statue of 3 Lies - The John Harvard Statue (see Urban Legends).
- Tercentenary Theatre - The part of Harvard Yard bounded by Widener Library, University Hall, Sever Hall, and Memorial Chapel. It is the site for commencement.
- TF - Teaching Fellow (like other colleges’ TAs).
- The Core - A set of courses that composes approximately one-quarter of the undergraduate program; students choose seven courses from eleven broad areas of academic inquiry.
- The T - Short for MBTA.
- The Yard - Most universities have a quadrangle, but Harvard has its Yard, divided into two parts. The freshman dormitories border the Old Yard; Widener Library and Memorial Church border the New Yard.
- UHS - University Health Services.
- Veritas - The Harvard motto; Latin for “truth.”
Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming To School
- First of all, Harvard is not completely made up of rich, snobby kids who got in because of their parents’ alumni status. Instead, Harvard students are diverse in every way and no matter who you are, you will find people similar to you. Secondly, I wish I’d realized that even though Cambridge is the quintessential town for college students, it is extremely expensive. Finally, do not be scared away from Harvard because you think you won’t be smart enough or because you think the classes will be too difficult. Practically all Harvard students think it’s tough and think everyone else is smarter than they are. The College offers plenty of study groups and tutoring services, so that even if you are struggling, there is a place to turn to.
- Freshman week (a.k.a. Camp Harvard) is amazing—don’t be shy because everyone is new to the school just like you.
- If you are not from a place where it snows, then prepare for a cold winter.
- Now, if you are set on coming to Harvard, here are some specific things to think about:
- Shopping period—a week or week-and-a-half in which you can visit classes before registering for them—is a great opportunity; take advantage of it.
- The workload is intense; think about how you can manage your time efficiently.
- Though Harvard students have fun, the majority are at Harvard for academics, and a crazy social life is not a top priority.
Tips to Succeed
- Actually go to class.
- Check your final exam dates before you register for classes.
- Get advice from upperclassmen.
- Join study groups, if at all possible.
- Pick classes you actually like.
- Success at Harvard requires the same ingredients as success at any other task. Motivation, hard work, and organization will have a larger impact on success than brainpower. I’ve seen plenty of brilliant students not succeed as they expected to because they became lazy or complacent with a class or two. Additionally, here is a list of things to think about before
- you start:
Urban Legends
- Lie #1: John Harvard didn’t found Harvard (the Massachusetts Bay Colony government did).
- Lie #2: Harvard started in 1636, not 1638, as the inscription reads.
- Lie #3: The representation isn’t even John Harvard. No one knows what he looked like, since there are no surviving portraits of the man. Daniel Chester French, the sculptor, used a 19th century undergraduate for his model.
- School lore has it that the John Harvard Statue, located outside of University Hall, is a statue of the founder of the University. In reality, the story of this statue contains three lies.
Traditions
- Every student should run Primal Scream at least once. (Primal Scream occurs at midnight before the first day of each exam period. Students streak through the Old Yard as a last hurrah before hitting the books for exams.)
- Every student is supposed to hook up in the stacks of Widener Library. However, recent technology changes in the stacks have made this goal a bit harder to achieve—all of the aisles now have motion-detecting lights, so you can’t hide in the dark anymore.
- According to tradition, there are three things that every undergraduate must do before they graduate from the University:
- Every student must urinate on the John Harvard statue found in the Old Yard.
School Spirit
Harvard students are proud, almost snobbishly arrogant when it comes to their University’s reputation, though athletics receive little support, if any. Students wear their colors proudly, especially on the weekend of the Harvard-Yale football game. However, after freshman year, students find themselves wearing less and less apparel with the Harvard name or crest, though the color crimson becomes increasingly present in students’ wardrobes. Overall, student spirit brims high when it comes to University reputation.
Write for Us! College Prowler is actively seeking talented students to be "Contributing Authors," and assist with updating
the College Prowler guide to their school. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain internship experience, be a part of a nationally
recognized company, gain tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is
really like at your college. Read more >
|
|
