Why We Declared The Most Popular Concentrations at Harvard
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Sure, the semester is online, but that didn’t stop sophomores from having to declare their concentrations mid-November. Picking what to study can range from easy-as-Thanksgiving-pie to difficult-difficult-lemon-difficult, so here’s some perspective from folks at Flyby who decided they wanted to be part of the two most popular concentrations at Harvard.
By Janani Sekar
Computer Science (MBB): Janani Sekar
I just declared CS (Mind, Brain, Behavior). I never thought I'd end up studying CS and didn't even like it that much in high school. But it's honestly grown on me over the last year and a half, and I'm feeling really good about my decision. Although I probably won't be an engineer, I am pretty undecided about what I want to do with my life after graduation. Regardless, I feel like I'm learning a lot of *useful skillz* as a CS concentrator while exploring different types of classes and also understanding how applicable technology is to everything (cliched but true don't deny it!!).
To be fair, in the future, there's going to be a lot of late-night psetting, scary classes, and angry feelings when I can't get something to work. But we're in it for the long haul because the satisfaction of solving a problem definitely makes it all worth it. I guess this is all to say I never saw myself as a "STEM" or "CS" person, but things really can change, and I'm glad I chose to explore CS classes a bit and change my mind. I'm all about that #balance though and look forward to taking a lot of classes in the social sciences too. The only thing I'm slightly bummed about is not getting all that free department swag after declaring. Oh well.
Economics: Nicole T. Rozelman
When I came to Harvard, I knew that as long as David Laibson didn’t assign six midterms and a hundred textbook chapters, and then proceed to throw said textbook at me, I would be concentrating in Economics. I spent my first year (¾ year) on campus shopping classes from the History department, talking to Psych concentration advisors, and even chatting with my fearless AM friends, but I always knew in the back of my mind that Economics was the most direct catch-all for my academic interests.
I enjoy the interplay of analytical and quantitative thinking that is at the core of the discipline, and I also appreciate the incredible range of Harvard Economics courses that tackle issues from healthcare to sports. This economic framework has truly come to enhance the way I engage with the world, helping me balance zoomed-in analysis with high-level understanding. I’ve also found myself in quite a few dhall debates where the data-driven studies we look at in class have come in clutch in keeping those holier-than-thou Gov kids at bay.
Plus, a lot of the concepts that we cover in class, such as the time value of money and fiscal policy within a macro context, are relevant to the work I want to do in the future. Even though I’ll have to wait for that obligatory IB internship to learn most of my Excel and modeling skills, the Economics community is a great space to connect with and receive mentorship from similarly interested and driven students.