The Harvard Crimson's guide to Freshman Week

The Harvard Crimson's guide for the class of 2013

Though designed for the College class of 2013, the Crimson’s guide to Freshman Week 2009 also constitutes a fun trip down memory lane for alumni.

Some articles offer modern takes on time-honored Harvard experiences:

  • Emma Lind ’09 (one of this magazine’s former Ledecky Fellows) recounts the wonder felt upon discovering the true range of books contained in Widener Library, as evidenced by the odd titles one passes during a journey deep into the stacks to retrieve a volume needed for a research paper (the title that caught Lind’s eye was Satanic Ritual Abuse: Principles of Treatment)
  • A dictionary of Harvardisms by the Crimson staff introduces first-years to local terms and concepts, including blocking, comping, reading period, and the Ad Board.
  • Elyssa Spitzer dishes out sound advice on choosing (and surviving) an Expos class.

Others will remind alumni of what has changed since their days as students:

 

Related topics

You might also like

Harvard Funds Student “Bridges” Projects

Eight new initiatives to build community on campus will get underway early next year. 

Harvard Football: Villanova 52, Harvard 7

The Crimson’s inaugural playoff appearance is nasty, brutish, and short.

Harvard Football: Yale 45, Harvard 28

A wild weekend: a debacle in The Game, then a berth in the playoffs.

Most popular

Mark Carney on the Limits of Soft Power

At the 2026 Davos summit, the Canadian prime minister echoes Harvard’s Joseph Nye.

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

Harvard Board of Overseers Candidates Describe Priorities

Alumni will vote for the University governing board in April and May.

Explore More From Current Issue

Anne Neal Petri in a navy suit leans on a wooden chair against an exterior wall of Mount Vernon..

Mount Vernon, Historic Preservation, and American Politics

Anne Neal Petri promotes George Washington and historic literacy.

A man skiing intensely in the snow, with two spectators in the background.

Introductions: Dan Cnossen

A conversation with the former Navy SEAL and gold-medal-winning Paralympic skier

An axolotl with a pale body and pink frilly gills, looking directly at the viewer.

Regenerative Biology’s Baby Steps

What axolotl salamanders could teach us about limb regrowth