Harvard Safari: The 5 Students You'll See During Finals Period

Ah, finals period. A time for attending endless formals, pretending finals aren’t days away, and actually enjoying the few days of nice weather during spring term. While you’re pushing thoughts of studying for your impending finals aside, channel your inner Bear Grylls and see if you can spot all five types of students you can see during finals period.

The Frequent Traveler

If you look on campus for these students, you won’t find them. Their preferred coping mechanism is to put physical distance between themselves and the problem. A quick Instagram stalking session will tell you exactly where this adventurous student is, but New York City or Los Angeles is usually a safe bet. They may run the risk of being too jet lagged to take their finals, but they’re having a great time procrastinating in a picture-perfect location.

If Spotted: See if they’ll bring back a fun souvenir (or at least photoshop you into a pic or two so you can imagine yourself living your best life), and be prepared to hear all about their trip for the next week.

The Hermit

The work never stops for this student. You can find them holed up in Lamont or Cabot Library, usually with a large caffeine supply and ever-darkening bags under their eyes. The particularly advanced hermits have taken up permanent residence in their study location, and have a toothbrush and blanket nearby. They’ve spent more time clicking through Powerpoints than sleeping in the past few days, and it shows. They’ll ace their exams, but at what cost?

If Spotted: Approach with caution. Some will appreciate human company, but others are too far in the zone to be interrupted. Bringing a snack or coffee offering will increase your chances of a favorable interaction.

The Hibernator

This student hasn’t slept since winter break, and that’s all they’ll be doing this week. They’ll only leave their room to grab a quick snack from the dhall — the hardcore sloths have stocked enough snacks to outlast an apocalypse. While they might log more hours on a Netflix binge than reviewing notes, at least they’ll be feeling recharged enough to take their tests.

If Spotted: Don’t attempt to get them to move from their room. Just bring a blanket and join them in embracing the chill life.

The Pendulum

This student has exactly two settings: unbelievable chill or nonstop grind-a-thon. They’re likely feeling the panic about exams by now, so they may be easily confused with the Hermit, though they don’t yet have that zombie-like look (and smell). They only work under the pressure of a deadline, or in short bursts of productivity. Living a sine wave of working and hanging out is an odd balance, but they make it work. They might seem a little strung out from their irregular sleep schedule, but their chances of doing well on exams are pretty high.

If Spotted: If they don’t register you approaching, they’re probably deep in the rhythm of work and won’t take kindly to an interruption. Otherwise, feel free to interact.

The Unicorn

This rare breed has planned out their study routine in advance, spreading their work out evenly over the course of reading period and finals. Apparently, the whole doing-manageable-amounts-of-work-over-a-period-of-time thing actually works. You can spot these students by noticing the lack of stress in their eyes or their carefully color-coded schedule. It’s kind of strange to imagine a functional student at Harvard, but we promise they’re actually out there.

If Spotted: Take notes on how they function and/or ask for their hand in marriage.