<p>Hey tunaroll! I’m a current Harvard student, and I’m happy to share a bit about my experience. Overall, I’m really thrilled with my first semester. I’ve made great friends, had some really interesting coursework (though this is certainly not true of all of it), and I’ve become involved in some activities that I’m really passionate about. Harvard’s location is wonderful – there really aren’t many places that maintain a distinctive campus feel in an urban setting. Some of the opportunities that I’ve taken advantage of are in the city of Boston – had I attended a rural or small-town school, I couldn’t be a part of them. I also really love that Harvard has more than enough money to ensure that all of its students can take advantage of the opportunities that it has to offer. I’m currently looking to study abroad, and I don’t fear that money is going to hold me back because Harvard has the funding to give me the money that I need. Speaking of study abroad, one negative (for me) was discovering that the majority of Harvard students don’t study abroad during the academic year and that Harvard generally encourages students to go abroad during the summer rather than a semester. Had I known this before, it may have affected my college decision. Another negative I have experienced is that some (a significant number) of the professors are pretty terrible at teaching. But, as DwightEisenhower said, this will not be different at any other research university. And though I’ve been frustrated by some poorly taught and disorganized courses, it really hasn’t affected my happiness here – I often feel that I am being more educated outside of the classroom, and that is absolutely okay with me. </p>
<p>Sometimes I wish that Harvard students had more original, diverse interests. Lots of people here want to go into business, medicine, or politics, and there’s of course nothing wrong with these fields, but I think that people here are really concerned with financial security and don’t consider all of the careers that are out there. An extremely high percentage (perhaps even a majority) of Harvard students end up becoming investment bankers, which I think is really a shame. We’re too talented a student body to have such a homogenous, arguably inconsequential influence on the world. </p>
<p>Given the choice, I would absolutely choose Harvard again. Despite the negatives, it has been a very pleasant and enriching experience. That said, I don’t think that everyone could be happy here. I know DwightEisenhower disagrees that there is a “Harvard type,” but I believe that the majority of Harvard students are go-getters – they’re really involved in extracurriculars, and they seek out opportunities for themselves. I know some people who have felt very overwhelmed by this fact. It takes a good deal of soul-searching to determine whether you can be happy in such an atmosphere – like Dwight said, no one is going to hold your hand here.</p>