As a transfer student, it’s taken me a little while to adjust to the Harvard lingo. What’s a TF? What’s a citation? What’s Expos 20? Do I have to take that? (No, I don’t, and I still don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing). Anyway, here’s a list of some of the most commonly misunderstood vocab Harvard has to offer.
1. TF: A teaching fellow is kind of like a teacher’s assistant (TA) but is working toward a PhD/has a PhD. And they’re definitely more experienced. I mean, yeah, because of the whole grad school thing, but also because “fellow” just sounds so regal.
2. Concentration: This is what other schools commonly refer to as “majors.” I think everyone knows I’m a transfer student because I have to constantly correct myself from saying, “I’m majoring in Economics” to “I’m concentrating in Ec.”
3. Secondary field: This is what other schools commonly refer to as “minors.” They’re extremely useful, but unfortunately, I will not have enough room in my schedule for them because of the next vocab word…
4. Gen Eds: The general education requirements at Harvard have some pretty weird acronyms: AIU, SLS, SPU, etc. I have to take six (one for every semester that I’m here), but I must say that the choices are limitless, and I’m definitely going to have a hard time picking which ones I want to take.
5. Citation: This is the equivalent of achieving proficiency in another language. I want to learn everything. Italian? Sure. German? Why not? Yolo. How long do you think it would take for me to master Igbo?
6. Final club: Ah, the elite of the elite. These social clubs aren’t officially under the Harvard name, but they’re definitely a part of the Harvard lifestyle. Oh, and if you get punched? That’s not violent. It’s a good thing.
7. Dunster, Mather, etc.: These are only two of the twelve houses here at Harvard. The housing system is great. I never experienced something like this before, so it’s definitely a great way to meet new people and become part of a community for three years. At my previous institution, getting a good place to live requires patience, good luck, and an awesome lottery number. Here, you’re “sorted” into a house. Very Hogwarts, don’t you think?
8. Quadling: A person who lives in the Quad, which is a solid twenty-minute walk from campus. The Quad has a bad rep, but I’ve visited before, and it’s pretty nice. They have their own little world out there. I hear they even have accents! Just kidding. But really, if you have a chance, check out Currier House for its d-hall. Most underrated food on campus and definitely worth the trip.
9. P-set: Okay, okay, so this is common to all colleges. But I feel like I had to talk about it at least once, considering I’ve only taken one p-set class in my entire life, and now I’m in three this semester. It’s a struggle, let me tell you. 10/10 people would recommend taking a nice BALANCE of both quantitative and qualitative classes. So yeah, don’t do what I did.
10. Shopping period: Unfortunately, this is not a series of seven days set aside to spend all your money at J. Crew. Instead, this is a gem of week that allows you to “shop” for different classes and pick which ones you definitely want to take. Unlike most schools, Harvard doesn’t have pre-registration, so this is the time when people use their freedom to take whatever they want RIGHT before they have to actually start doing the homework.