Things I Missed About Harvard on Break

I know that I can’t speak for everyone else, but honestly, I’m going to do it anyway. Spring break was definitely needed, and man, it felt great to finally be home. But, as nice as no responsibilities for a week felt, I did find myself missing parts of campus life. When our day-to-day schedules are clogged by midterms, late-running labs, and last-minute psets, it can be hard to take a step back and smell the roses. But, when you do, it’s clear that there are a lot of things to love about this place. Here are a few of the things that I missed about Harvard during our weeklong hiatus.

The Wednesday $1 Drinks at the Capital One Peet’s

There is nothing better, in my humble opinion, than getting a cute little treat to bolster your motivation for studying. Just kidding, there is something better: when this doesn’t break the bank! Even though I might stand in that god-forsaken line for more than an hour, the Wednesday after 3 p.m. Capital One Cafe $1 drink is exactly what I need in the middle of every week to lift my spirits. It is criminal that I missed one of these Wednesdays while I was at home.

My suitemates <3

I absolutely ADORE my roommates. They’re genuinely the sweetest people to walk the surface of this Earth. Not having them in my company for a week (with the exception of the one I brought home with me) was definitely lonely. It wasn’t even the fact that they weren’t there to talk to, we definitely texted over break. It’s just the little moments, like walking back into the dorm at 3 a.m. disheveled after a night in Lamont— thinking that you’re so deep in the trenches, beyond the point of saving, only to find your lovely suitemate sitting at their desk in the dim lamplight also suffering. An even better scenario is if they’re making the late night trek back to the dorm with me. It’s always so comforting to know that I am not alone in my struggles, and I definitely missed this special bonding over break.

Late night food runs

Speaking of Lamont and silly little treats, the best type of late night treat is not coffee (or shouldn’t be, at least) but instead food. I don’t think that there is anything that brightens my mood more than when I am in the Lamont basement and the friends I am studying with suggest a food run. Yes, I will gladly leave my backpack in the library at 1 a.m. to take a quick walk down the street for a burrito. No, I’m not that hungry. But the journey to the Jefe’s register when we are all hysterical makes it worth the $10 and change. And even better, on the weekends, food after the function never fails to hit the right spot. There aren’t a lot of places that have the same aesthetic at home. It’s just not the same.

That One Class

I definitely have a favorite class this semester. Let me just say that the TF and people you’re with can make all the difference when it comes to dreading or loving your first class of the morning. I have never been so awake during a math class in my life, but the people that I am surrounded by constantly have me holding my stomach laughing, tearing up while trying to understand who Green is and why his theorem is important. Yes, I was happy to not have to bear the horror that was the MQC last week, but deep, deep (very deep) down inside, I missed it.

The River

Since the weather has been nicer, I have finally been able to appreciate the beauty of the Charles river without wearing the heaviest jacket that I own. It is such a wonderful feeling to put everything down for even a half hour and just take a walk with a few friends, talk about life, catch up. Definitely fuels the Cambridge and Boston aesthetic, and was something that I was missing back home in Connecticut.

My twin XL

I genuinely believe that I have never slept better at any point in my life than I have during college. It could be the late nights, but more than likely it’s the mattress topper that I got on sale from Bed, Bath, and Beyond last summer. Sleep in my twin XL always hits the spot. This is not to shade my bed at home but here, my bed is especially comfortable exactly when I need it to be. I know my twin XL is here for me in the darkest times, and I missed that loyalty away on break.

The colors in my GCal (like yes I was stressed but at the same time at least it looked pretty)

I religiously use my GCal, and last week it was sad to see her so blank. Even though it was break and the time to relax, I kind of missed having all the pretty colors staring back at me while I would switch between tabs during lecture to see what was in store for the upcoming week. Sure, it’s stressful, but it’s also a good aesthetic.

The library social life

Even though the social life at Harvard parties might not be comparable to what other colleges have going on, the social life at Harvard libraries never seems to fail. Cabot Library, I’m looking at you. You could walk into that building at any time of day, especially night time, and find at least 10 people you know: that person from your FOP group that you haven’t seen in a while, that one CA from last semester — you name it, they’re probably there. Sometimes you just need that type of social interaction, and I missed having this hotspot to lean on.

Sidechat/Dean Khurana’s Instagram

There is only so much that can be posted on Sidechat while we are all at home, and nothing compares to the pictures and jokes sent in while we are all on campus. I missed seeing the daily HUDS content, or the overheard quotes from lectures. And the same goes for Dean K’s Instagram. How am I supposed to be featured if I’m catching up on sleep at home? I was definitely excited to come back for this one.

Remy <3

This is a given. Who doesn’t like cats? Who doesn’t absolutely adore Remy? This rush of happiness that I get when I unexpectedly see this little cat roaming around campus is the transformative experience that I think Harvard promised me all those months ago. I love my dog at home, don't get me wrong, but Remy was definitely lovely to come back to.

Even though this is only a list of 10 things, I think that I could go on and on. As awful as Harvard seems sometimes, there are definitely things we love and look forward to on campus. Savor it while you can; eight semesters isn’t that long!