Yes Harvard, there’s more to do than sit in the yard and take pictures. Even though I highly recommend you do that too.
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Eat lunch in Adams Courtyard
Although it’s the closest stop between your morning lecture and your afternoon section, Adams dhall is such a madhouse at lunchtime that it’s often easier to just skip lunch altogether. But instead of forfeiting your access to HUDS’s newest sandwich stations (goat cheese and beets anyone?), swing through the dining hall for your food and sit in the secluded Adams courtyard to enjoy it. The courtyard is located across the street in the middle of Randolph (the weird square building that Adams’ juniors and sophomores often disappear into). The courtyard has a hammock, pretty wooden lawn furniture, and a generally idyllic atmosphere that makes for the perfect luncheon in the middle of a hectic fall day. Just be sure to bring a pencil in case you feel so idyllic that you have the sudden urge to write poetry (also, to stab the oversized rats that live in that courtyard as well — like all places, it has its downsides).
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Support your school
Harvard might not be PAC 10, but we’ve still got some amazing sports teams and their games are well worth a watch. From soccer to football to volleyball to even cross country, you’re bound to have at least one athlete friend who would be stoked to see you showing your support. Not a huge sports fan? I feel you — I can only tolerate a full football game if I’ve done a proper amount of tailgating. But the free food and swag you can get from Harvard athletics if you even stop by a sporting event makes supporting the Crimson a worthwhile activity for even the least athletically-inclined Harvard Student.
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Run (or bike no judgement) to Fresh Pond
Every year I’m AMAZED by how many people have never been to Fresh Pond. Located about two miles away from the river houses and a little closer than that to the quad, Fresh Pond is an amazing escape from the academic pressure and high-fallutin’ urbanity of Harvard Square. The pond is secluded in a little bowl of trees and dirt paths. You can’t swim in it, but it’s the perfect spot for an afternoon jog in fall’s gorgeous weather. As an added bonus, Fresh Pond is surrounded by the type of trees that produce an almost unbearable New England beauty as soon as the leaves begin to change. You must head here sometime soon, for a run or a walk or even for the instagram opportunity (no judgement, just go there).
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Hit up the November Project
You might not believe me, but there is nothing better than being awake at the ass crack of dawn on a fall morning. The air is cool, the sky is a still blue, and there’s some sort of decaying-leaf smell that can make even the most overburdened section kid feel at peace. To really take advantage of this early morning time, make it a goal this season to get up once and try the November Project. Yes, it’s a bunch of people in colorful spandex running and screaming up and down the Harvard stadium. And yes, it’s a little cult-like. But it’s also a free and amazing way to capture a community feeling you can only find in Boston, as well as enjoy weather that doesn’t come around more than once a year. Getting up may be rough, and the stadiums may be rougher, but in the end you’ll be glad this is something you did.
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Make Your Blockmates Go on A Cute Trip to Petsi Pies
Petsi Pies is the freakin’ cutest. And in the fall, it’s even cuter. Nothing beats the look of its modest storefront, covered in fallen golden leaves.Or the taste of its apple crumble pie, when the apples are really in season and really local. Or even the wafting warmth of its refillable coffee, which is served lovingly in actual, re-usable mugs. While Petsi’s is a place you should be going once weekly year round, it’s especially perfect in the fall. So take out your g-cals and set a date, because a blockmate reunion on a Friday afternoon at Petsi’s is in order.