What was the most unexpected change when you came to Harvard?
Harvard has a lot of surprises in store for you
The end of freshman fall came very quickly. Almost too quickly.
Luckily, that means freshmen remember exactly what caught them by surprise when they first arrived in Cambridge.
Aashay, 19, Undecided, Class of 2019
“For me, the most unexpected change was being an atmosphere where I was surrounded by a lot of diverse people. I went to a pretty small high school, so I didn’t get a ton of interaction with like-minded and different people. The opportunity to have that experience here has been great.”
Stefan, 19, Undecided, Class of 2019
Stefan, right
“I think the most unexpected change was sleeping from three to 11 because I expected I would go to bed by midnight and then wake up early in the morning, but it never happened.”
Taylor, 19, Neurobiology, Class of 2019
“The pace. I came from a very small town with absolutely nothing to do, so it’s odd, but in a good way, being on campus and in the Boston area where there’s endless options, and everybody is always doing something.”
Julia, 18, Undecided, Class of 2019
Julia, right
“The most unexpected change was actually probably how easily I feel I assimilated into life here at Harvard. I have wonderful roommates and in general was happily surprised by the number of immensely kind people on our campus.”
Ben, 19, Undecided, Class of 2019
Ben, left
“I would say the most unexpected change was how everyone has his/her own interest that is pursued with fanatical devotion. People have not been shaped into a single mold or even a set number of molds, making every interaction with a classmate completely new. There’s so much to learn from the people here.”
Sammota, 18, Undecided, Class of 2019
Sammota, right
“I definitely have become more accepting of the idea that my passions are evolving and are, perhaps, not what I originally thought they were.”
Brady, 18, Undecided, Class of 2019
Brady, left
“I’d say the most unexpected change would be the level of conversation I’d have with literally everyone: no matter who you talk to, they have such amazing stories and insight into so many things.”
Mati, 20, Government, Class of 2019
Mati, left
“I never thought Harvard would be as fun as it is. Finding ourselves on top of all of this work was onerous but with the friends we made this past semester, it was made possible.”
Trevor, 19, Astrophysics, Class of 2019
“Biggest unexpected change was the amount of political talk. At home, the only time politics were ever mentioned were in government class and now random people will ask me my political affiliation and ask me if I can Feel the Bern and frankly I’m still not that big in to politics so I just have to like slide away.”
Pooja, 18, Class of 2019, Biomedical Engineering and Global Health and Public Policy
Pooja, right
“You have a lot more free time than you did in high school. But with classes and extracurriculars combined, most people end up having much less than expected.”