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Freshman Dean’s Office
Yard Bulletin
Volume 2018
Issue XXX
May 1, 2015
You may view the Yard Bulletin on the FDO Website (www.fdo.fas.harvard.edu).
Message from the Dean
Dear freshmen:
Good luck as you tackle end-ofterm papers and sit for final exams,
and then embark on summer plans.
There is a wonderful poem written
by Mary Oliver entitled “The
Summer Day,” something good to
keep in mind during this season.
THE SUMMER DAY
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down –
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
It’s been a delight to work with you. All of the staff in the FDO
wish you a restorative summer – with plenty of opportunity
“to be idle and blessed… to stroll through the fields” – and
hope very much that you will come by 6 Prescott Street when
you are back in town.
Sincerely,
Tom Dingman
Message from the APO
Dear Class of 2018,
As the year begins to draw to a close, we want to say a few
things. First, congratulations on a great freshman year! We’re
so excited to see where your academic journeys will take you
next. Second, good luck with finals and final projects! Finally,
please keep an eye out for the Rising Sophomore Advising
Questionnaire. The Sophomore Advising Coordinator (SAC) in
your House will be using the information you provide on this
questionnaire to match you with your Sophomore Adviser. To
serve you best, they will need your help. Please be sure to fill
out your questionnaires!
Thanks and best wishes,
The Advising Programs Office
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, May 6, 7-9PM - Wellness
Study Break for the class of 2018.
De-stress like you mean it! Come by
Straus Common Room for a study break
to enjoy community acupuncture, chair
massage, and fresh fruit. Call 617-4959629 to schedule your 30-minute acupuncture session.
Inside Out: Expanding the Borders on Mental Health #freefood.
Feeling stressed out? Need a break from studying? Want to relax
with a bunch of friends, food, and cute animals?
• HUGHF, PIH: Engage, HFID, UC, Room 13, SMHL, GHAC,
Pets as Therapy, AAA, and Dancing to Heal are excited to present
Inside Out, a discussion on mental health at Harvard, in Cambridge, and in the world!
• Sunday, May 3: Watch Silver Linings Playbook in Fong Auditorium! Monday, May 4: “Express Yourself” at our study break in
Ticknor Lounge! Tuesday, May 5: Learn more about how you can
help at our panel, and listen to our renowned speakers!
• Have dinner with renowned professors with (free) food from
the Square! For more info, join the facebook event.
Important Health Reminders
•AY16 Health Insurance Waiver Application.
Beginning May 1, students can apply to
waive the HUSHP Student Health Insurance
Plan for the fall term or full 2016 academic
year. Students must have comparable health
insurance to be eligible to waive.
•Summer Travel? Check Your Insurance Coverage. If you’re
traveling this summer, familiarize yourself with your health insurance benefits and potential out-of-pocket costs while away.
•Sexual Conduct Survey. Harvard, along with 27 other universities in collaboration with the American Association Universities
(AAU), is conducting a campus-wide student Sexual Conduct
Survey, running from April 12 - May 3.
•HUHS Pharmacy Refill App. Download the free app to manage
refills from the convenience of your smartphone or tablet
(available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play).
•Harvard University Student Health Plan website. Streamlined,
fresh design makes it easy to navigate on your desktop, tablet, or
smartphone: hushp.harvard.edu.
Freshman Dean’s Office
Morton Prince House
6 Prescott St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617-495-1574
Fax: 617-496-1624
E-mail: [email protected]
Hours: Mon. - Fri., 9AM-5PM
Submissions
Please send submissions by
Tuesday at 9:00AM to:
[email protected]
Published Fridays.
Safety Notice
To contact an FDO representative in
the event of a serious, non-academic
emergency, please call your proctor, or
the Harvard University Police at (617)
495-1212, or, on campus, 5-1212.
Safety and other emergency messages
are displayed as soon as possible on the
News and Notices section of the
College home page at
www.college.harvard.edu.
PAF Tips on Reading Period and Final Exams
Make and Keep a Schedule. Create a schedule, including study time,
review sessions, project deadlines, and exam dates. Get on a regular
work and sleep schedule. Make a schedule that works for you; don’t be
too influenced by how others are approaching their exams. Be awake
during the day. Waking up for a 9AM exam is more difficult if your
body is used to going to sleep at 4AM! Set personal deadlines that are
earlier than the official deadlines. Leave time for possible error. Study
when it is time to study, and relax when it’s time to relax. Double-check the exam schedule. Better yet, have a friend re-check the exam schedule for you!
Balance. Balance is the key to productive reading and exam periods. Do one fun thing every day. Do some physical activity at least every other day. Build in downtime away from
your study space. Go into Boston, or take a walk around Cambridge. Go easy on the late
nights. Not having class may make it feel like you can stay up till sunrise with no repercussions, but you will end up paying the price. Realize it won’t be effective to try to study for
more than four hours at a time.
Study Strategies. Study actively. Simply re-reading notes might not be the best way to
absorb material. Consider copying your notes to engage with them. Make sure study
groups are useful. Think about using less crowded study areas. Studying with your best
friends may sound like fun, but make sure it will be productive. Keep all your courses in
mind. Prioritize your courses as appropriate, but don’t over-focus on one exam if you have
several. If you have back-to-back exams, study for the second before the first is over. Your
classes may have extra office hours and review sessions. Use them!
Exam Eve and Taking Exams. Arrange for a wake-up call from a friend, as a backup to two
alarms. Cramming the night before isn’t helpful. Schedule time to relax the evening before
an exam. Remember to bring all important materials—pens, pencils, calculator, water,
snacks. Don’t forget any allowed course material. Eat breakfast on exam day.
Important Move-Out Information
All freshmen must vacate their rooms by 12PM on Sunday, May 17. Use the check list
below to help you stay on track with move-out responsibilities.
Before Vacating Your Suite:
√ Remove all personal furniture and belongings. Any nonHarvard furniture you wish to donate to Habitat for Humanity
should be taken to the bulk item stations by Boylston and
Thayer.
√ Bag all trash and recycling, and take it to the closest trash/recycling room. Do not leave
trash/recycling in your room, the hall, or outside the building. (Each roommate will be term
billed for leaving trash or discarded personal items in the suite.)
√ Sweep the floors and remove all posters, as well as poster gum, from the walls.
√ Return any borrowed dishes and/or silverware to Annenberg.
√ Report anything in your dorm room that needs repair (lights out, plumbing issues, shade
repairs, lock problems, broken furniture, etc.) to Yard Ops.
Resources and
Opportunities
Become a BSC FELLOW! BSC Fellows participate in workshops and
programming for students, join in
BSC-based discussions with advisers, advise the BSC (Bureau of Study
Counsel) on its services and programs, and partner with student
organizations to create studentinitiated events. To apply, provide a
brief (3-4 line) statement of interest
to [email protected],
[email protected], or
[email protected]. For
more information, please visit
http://bsc.harvard.edu.
Before Leaving the Yard:
√ Check out in person at Harvard Yard Operations located in the basement of Weld during
business hours (Monday - Friday, 8AM – 4:30PM). Longer office hours will start Thursday,
May 14 through Saturday, May 16 (8AM - 8PM). A HUID card is needed to check out.
√ Return your room key to Harvard Yard Operations. The key should be placed in the envelope provided in your HYMC mailbox. If you have lost your envelope, use one supplied at
the key drop off box. Write your name and suite number on the envelope and seal it. There is
a $25 term bill charge for keys not returned, for the return of copied keys, and for the return
of a loose key if we can’t determine to whom it was issued. Use the envelope!
√ Fill out the student mail forwarding form at: hums.harvard.edu/mail-delivery-services.
For more information on Yard access for vehicles, visit: www.fas.harvard.edu/~yardops.
Annenberg
Announcement
Annenberg will close for the term
after dinner Saturday, May 16. Lost
anything in Annenberg this year?
Look through the
lost & found box
near the checker’s
desk for your
items.