Types of People You’ll see on FDOC

“Say your name, grade, concentration, house, and … what you did this summer.” The classic FWOC (First Week of Classes) icebreaker. We’ve rounded up some of the stereotypical summer activities and jobs Harvard kids get up to on summer break.

The London School of Economics Kid

Ah, the beautiful summer after freshman year when all responsibilities seem fake. If you think your liver needs a break, ask the LSE kid how many nights they went out per week, and you’ll feel a lot better about yourself. They probably changed their class to “attendance only credit” halfway through their first three-week session and skipped every Friday class to sing “Feel So Close” with Calvin Harris at Ushuaïa or to take Instagram pictures in Mykonos. Biggest takeaways were that they “just love the accents” and the quickest paths from campus to the closest Wetherspoons (their most-frequented pub).

The IB Summer Analyst-turned-Full-Timer

I’m thrilled to announce (Get it? This was the opener of his latest LinkedIn post)... the IB Baby. They resist the urge to say “New York or Nowhere” even though we all know they’re thinking it. They probably have “freak in the (excel) sheets” somewhere on their dating profile. This fall, you’ll find them alternating between party leisure and their new business casual outfits to ‘metrics class. We could probably create a drinking game based on how many times they attempt to casually slip their return offer into conversation.

D.C. Hilltern

How was living at Georgetown? We get it, D.C. Hilltern. It’s time to stop posting business formal photos in front of the Capitol building. We knew after their first purchase, we still know after their fourth, AND we know after they updated their LinkedIn profile pic. They can also stop pretending they actually work in the Capitol and not the Rayburn House Office Building. Sign of the Whale was THEIR PLACE.

The West Coast Tech Internship

They can easily be identified by their charcoal gray backpack with the company logo embroidered across the front — just one of the many pieces of merch they picked up from their West Coast internship. Their first action items upon returning to campus are signing up for a Central Rock Gym membership, getting a peach slush from Gong Cha, and trekking over to Blue Hills Reservation to watch the sunrise to relive their summer in Seattle.

The Positano Sunbather

We’re not really sure what this person did this summer besides, well, sunbathe. Maybe you can find out for us?? All we know is that their Instagram is filled with Aperol Spritz and cute beach restaurant pictures.

The U.N. Worldsaver

The U.N. Worldsaver recently changed their LinkedIn profile to them in front of the blue U.N. flag at the U.N. headquarters in Geneva. They are currently working on their Government thesis that focuses on human rights. They exclusively wear business casual to class.

The Summer Cambridge Dweller

And finally, we have the Summer Cambridge Dweller. From the researchers to the summer proctors to those who commuted into Boston to work (or those who worked remote!), this group is quite diverse in occupation. They probably lived in Leverett (shoutout Research Village!) or paid outrageous rates at DeWolfe or off-campus housing, and claims that they now know Boston inside and out (they don’t). You’ll soon be sick of them complaining about how sick they are of dhall food and the Cambridge food establishments.

The person who asks you what you did this summer, just to flex their internship

This one’s self-explanatory. They don’t really care about how you spent your past 3 months, but they might combust in three seconds if you don’t let them talk about their summer at McKinsey.

See how many of these types of people you can spot in the yard during the FWOC, or feel free to steal these blurbs for your next intro, if you want to adopt a new persona (or your LinkedIn post). We promise you’ll fit right in. But also … try not to make it your whole personality.

We hope that whatever you did this summer led to some growth or happiness or at least a little rest, so you’re ready to dive into the semester that awaits.