Freshman Survey: Part I

It’s been a rough start to the year, what with the loss of hot breakfast and that full week before classes. Feeling down, FM decided to visit Annenberg to remember a time when we also had hopes and dreams (also, for the hot breakfast). We surveyed some freshmen about their expectations of Harvard; they revealed that the “I’ll-explore-Boston” delusion is alive and well, the mere prospect of meeting a professor is exciting enough to warrant three exclamation points, and that it’s not worth even spelling out “Pfoho.” Below are some of their memorable answers:

Looking forward to:
“Freedom.”
“Exploring the city, making new friends, and trying new things. I’m from California, so when I made the decision to go to Harvard, I was excited about my new adventure.”
“Meeting new friends because otherwise I’ll be a loner for four years.”
“Forgetting even more names.”
“Five week winter break.”
“Destroying my ego.”

Anxious about:
“Doing laundry.”
“Getting along with my roommate.”
“A comp I’m comping..”
“Not being able to taste every kind of cereal in Annenberg.”
“Seeing grades lower than the ones I usually receive.”
“Destroying my ego.”

Leaving the Harvard bubble:
“Often. Why? Yale, am I right?”
“I think just a couple times a month.”
“Maybe once a week.”
“MIT parties.”

One elective you’d like to take:
“Introduction to Still Photography.”
“Archeology 1130—the one where you get to dig in the Yard.”
“I want to take something dance-related. Because I can’t dance. Not even slightly.”

One professor you’d like to meet:
“No idea! A famous one! Maybe Diane Paulus!”
“Niall Ferguson—the guy is a rock star.”
“I’ve already semi-met him, but Howard Georgi. The beard is awe-inspiring.”

Where to find you at 3 a.m. on a typical weekend:
“At least, hopefully I won’t be cleaning up my roommate’s vomit.”
“Sleeping. Hopefully in my own room.”
“Pretending to do homework.”
“Straddling John Harvard’s head reading an organic chemistry book with no pants on.”

Which House you’d want to live in:
“Lowell, Leveritt [sic], Winthrop, Adams. Basically anything but Mather.”
“Don’t care.”

Which House you’d want to avoid:
“Pfor [sic]…anything in [the] Quad.”
“I hear Adams House is the one to avoid.”

At graduation, one thing you would like to say you’ve done in college:
“Avoided [the] freshman 15.”
“The men’s soccer team.”
“Been in a main stage show at the Loeb/ART and been president of a club and published a book.”
“Figured out what I want to do with my life.”
“I would like to say that I did what made me happy.”
“I’ve peed on everything here. Everything.”

Your candor and enthusiasm are refreshing, Class of 2013. FM wishes you all the best!