Features and Series
A Guide to Harvard’s Passive Aggression
Whether you’re an incoming freshman or a socially confused upperclassmen, conversation at Harvard can be more challenging than even your hardest classes. Thought Poisson distribution was hard? Try holding a conversation. With underlying meaning and inflection, it can be difficult to decipher someone's true meaning and intention. That’s why we’ve compiled a few common passive aggressive phrases to keep in the back of your mind during the conversation or when you overthink about it after (or maybe even to use on other people ;)).
Flyby Presents: A Guide for Frosh
Welcome, class of 2028! We're Flyby Blog, your source for campus hacks, local tips, and general Harvard commiseration. To help you transition from sad high schooler to self-actualized Harvard student, we've provided a few articles so you can catch up:
A Guide to Harvard Campus References
Welcome to Harvard and to some, welcome back! As the new semester encroaches upon us, we would like to take a moment of reflection and pass on to the next generation the campus lore from the past few years.
Awkward Freshman Moments
We all remember freshman year. Your young, hopeful self, so full of optimism and excitement, not yet aware of the sometimes less-than-appealing Berg food (can we please have another conversation about grapes on pizza?!), the endless p-sets, and the insane amount of time spent in Lamont crying. Some of us probably wish we could go back to our optimistic, naive freshman self. Others of us, well, we remember the less commemorable aspects of freshman year that easily alleviate any FOMO we might have. Here are a few awkward freshman moments we should all be grateful to be rid of…
Guess the Annenberg Conversation
One thing you will quickly realize about Harvard: very few conversations are what you would consider… normal. That is to say, many of the conversations have a subtext of evaluation without being overtly evaluative. Or, sometimes they are. You’ll see what I mean. So, a fun game to play in Berg is: Guess! That! Convo!
How To: Maximize Your Harvard Freshman Year
As the fall semester approaches, Harvard Yard is ready to welcome about 1,600 new faces to campus: freshmenyes (aka frosh). The once-titled “pre-frosh” will transition to frosh and truly begin to understand what Dean Khurana means by a transformative experience. The “transformative experience” looks a little different for every student at Harvard, but there are some commonalities or, shall I say, opportunities that frosh won’t want to miss.
Flyby's Commencement Feature: Senior Edition
As you prepare for commencement, here are some of our tips and ideas for how you can prepare for your big day and post-grad life.
Dear Seniors: Need a Last-Minute Graduation Outfit? Here Are Some Ideas.
Don’t know what you’re wearing to graduation yet? Having a last-minute closet breakdown? We’re here to help.
Dear Seniors: Here Are Some Great Locations for Commencement Photos
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when it comes to capturing the essence of your Harvard experience.
Dear Seniors: Here Are Some Post-Grad Plans If You Don't Have a Job
So you’re graduating, and you didn’t secure a six figure starting salary for your first job out of Harvard. Or maybe you want to ignore the reality of adulthood for the next few months. Here are Flyby’s suggestions for how to live your best life after graduation.
Younger Siblings: Here’s Where in Harvard Square is Actually Cool
Hopefully these spots will keep you from being bored to tears while everybody else fawns over your sibling. Hang in there — your time will come soon enough!
Dear Siblings: These Are the Harvard Spots You Should Sneak Into
Make sure to force your sibling to let you check out the hidden gems on our campus before they lose swipe access forever…
Flyby's Commencement Feature: Sibling Edition
We wrote some special articles just for you so you can get the most out of your sibling's big moment. Check out these articles for a break from doomscrolling and insight into your very own Harvard experience.
Siblings: Here’s Where to Get a Cheap Graduation Gift Nearby
Let’s face it, graduation season is expensive. If you’re a Harvard sibling looking to get brownie points with your soon-to-be rich consultant sibling but don’t want to burn a hole in your wallet, this one’s for you.
Dear Parents: Here’s Where You Should Hang Out in Harvard Square
Hello Harvard parents and welcome to our quirky student life blog. Have you been abandoned by your child even though you came all the way to Cambridge to see them? Here’s some places you should visit in the Square while your soon-to-be college graduate is busy taking graduation photos or catching up with their freshmen year best friends.
Parents: Here’s Where You Should Make Your Senior Show You
Here’s where you should force your senior to show you before they graduate.
Flyby's Commencement Feature: Parent Edition
Hello! Are you a parent of a Harvard senior who is graduating on Thursday morning? First of all, congratulations! And second of all, maybe you'd like some assistance from Harvard students/Cambridge residents/the creators of the most premium scrolling fodder on campus. Check out these three articles for some ~parent friendly~ content.
Adams House
With an ideal central location, a great community (with an unofficial acorn mascot) and newly renovated buildings, what’s not to love about Adams House? Normally composed of four residences — Westmorley Court, Randolph, Russell, Claverly Hall — Adams is one of the larger upperclassman houses on campus. Connected to House buildings by an underground tunnel, you won’t ever have to walk outside in the cold to go to breakfast! Yes, we may never beat the allegations that we don’t touch grass, but besides that, another fun fact (and flex) is that Adams House was once the home of the one and only Franklin D. Roosevelt!
Quincy House
Are you a person? Then you’ll love it in Quincy, a.k.a. “The People’s House!” With hot breakfast and a great community, you can’t go wrong. Read on to see why you’d be lucky to be sorted into Quincy!
Lowell House
In the bell tower of Lowell House, 17 bells ring weekly, ensuring that Harvard students never forget the House’s superiority. Besides the bells, Lowell House’s central location and proximity to every destination at Harvard (the MAC, the Yard, the Square, the River), as well as its recently renovated interior and close-knit tea-drinking community make the House very desirable. Claims that Lowell House is the best certainly seem to ring true.
Leverett House
With the uncertainty of Housing Day upon us, the question of where you’ll next call “home” may weigh on your mind. To offer some reassurance, let me introduce Leverett (affectionately referred to as Lev), your potential future house. With spacious rooms, staff that feels like family, and an involved community of bunnies, Lev can truly and easily become “home” for you.
Dunster House
If you’re looking for a house that has it all, look no further than Dunster House. With its iconic red brick towers, spacious suites, and moose-tastic mascot, Dunster is the ultimate river house. Not to mention, it’s one of the newest-looking houses on campus, thanks to its 2015 renovation that restored its gorgeous dark wood dining hall (that even puts Annenberg to shame!), library, and common spaces. Plus, it’s conveniently located between the Yard and the Science Engineering Complex, with a nearby Bluebike station and Harvard shuttle stop so that you can get to your classes in no time. Whether you’re into IMs, steins, or puns, Dunster has something for everyone.
Mather House
Welcome to Mather House! The Concrete Jungle. Huge singles. Lots of windows. Great people. The stomping grounds of both Conan O’Brian and Cornel West. Or, as HoCo co-chair Anna G. Dean ’25 would say, “Crazy lit movie.” In addition to its quirky exterior, its culture, community and atmosphere makes Mather House a Mather Home.
Winthrop House
Lions Gotta Eat! If you’re lucky enough to be sorted into Winthrop House, get excited for weekly paw-ffice hours, fierce intramural competition, and house-wide trivia nights. Winthrop boasts an impressive list of alumni, including President John F. Kennedy ‘40, actor B.J. Novak ‘01, and J. Robert Oppenheimer, Class of 1925. Yes, that Oppenheimer. With renovations and prime housing options that make Winthrop feel like a high-end hotel, Winthropians live in luxury. There’s no shortage of ThropLove at this River House!