Love Languages: Harvard Edition

As hard as it may be to believe, it is already February, and that means that it is the perfect time of year to express your love and admiration for those around you! The only thing is… since we’re at Harvard, we do things a little differently. Manifestations of the five love languages are present all around campus, and even if you don’t know it yet, you’ve definitely experienced them all.

PHYSICAL TOUCH — Touching knees on the 9:25 am shuttle to the SEC

Physical touch, out of all of the different love languages, is for sure the most bold. Come on, you’re literally IN CONTACT with someone — they’re going to know what's going on. Fret not! Harvard students have found a way around this issue through ~knee contact~. Hear me out. You’ve all been there in lecture, on the shuttle, or even in the dhall when someone else's knee just *happens* to brush against yours. And neither of you move. Yeah, that's what I’m talking about. Discreet but effective. Just a little reassurance that someone is there with you. Bonus points if you’re on the morning shuttle to the SEC, just because it's a little more spicy of an adventure.

WORDS OF AFFIRMATION — Gradescope CA Comments

We see some of you ramping up your workload with three (or even four!) pset classes this semester, and I have to tell you: I totally get it. Well, not in the sense of wanting to torture myself with that type of workload (even though I’m currently in three pset classes…), but for the extra sense of validation through Gradescope. CAs keep it real. They’ll tell you the good and be brutally honest about the bad. On my math midterm I got a comment that said, “This is not how fractions work,” and to be honest, I totally needed that. But when they tell you the good, it is so good. I feel so loved by the quirky little reassuring phrases left on a PDF during ungodly hours of the night. Seeing “ACADEMIC WEAPON” in the comments bar truly makes me feel warm inside.

QUALITY TIME — Sitting in the Math Question Center (MQC) until ungodly hours of the night

Look, being in any sort of office hours that start after the dhalls close is definitely less than ideal, do not get me wrong. But the thing is, trauma bonding is unmatched. You know that you’re going to be in that room until you’re kicked out, only to have to relocate to one of the 24-hour libraries, where you’re going to end up in conversation about how late it is and how you all should have started working earlier, just to end up further behind on the questions that you originally were looking to get help with. Not the best situation, but one that makes you feel heard, that you are not alone in your nightly struggle of making the 8:30 a.m. deadline. Grinding in general has the same effect, whether it be in a library, someone’s dorm, or even one of those remote tables on the side of the third and fourth floor of the Science Center (a personal fav, especially the one by the meat freezer). Kinda cute, idk.

ACTS OF SERVICE — Saving a seat for someone in the crowded dhall or lecture hall (no seriously, why are they so crowded right now…)

Honestly, meals are an extremely vulnerable time. The same is true with the moments right before a packed lecture. You’re tired, you’re hungry, you’re cold, and your social battery is running low. The fact of the matter is, you’re not at your best. The last thing you want to do is to actively search for people that you know and see if there is an open seat near them (knowing that there probably isn’t and you’re going to have to figure out an entirely new plan). If someone saves you a seat, you know that they truly care about you. Honestly, just marry them on the spot.

GIFT GIVING – Sharing extra free merch from campus

Let’s be real, everybody loves free stuff. There’s just something so wonderful about not having to pay for things (in a non-klepto way, obviously). Luckily for us on campus, there are many opportunities for free grabs, both in class and around campus. We see you with the “I Took CS50” shirts, the CEB sweatshirts, and now the “Let’s Talk LS1B Hats” (I actually don’t know if these are open to the general public yet, but I think I need one). Next time you come across free merch, grab extra for someone you care about. That’s true love — sharing the excitement of free goodies is an unmatched feeling. Extra points if the goodies are Harvard themed, because who would we be if we weren’t constantly advertising our school? Make that tuition do its work.

There you have it, the five love languages as they are represented across campus in their silly little ways. Next time you see someone grabbing an extra Insomnia Cookie from a club fair, or putting their jacket on the chair next to them rather than their own, you’ll be able to recognize what is really going on. Harvard does it better, even at love (don’t fact check me on this).