About 10 weeks into my first semester at Harvard, I sat down with a friend for a catch-up, and we both ended up breaking down over our Harvard journeys so far. Although it was difficult to express how burnt out we were feeling, I was unexpectedly reassured when I realized I wasn’t alone in experiencing this. However, I also felt a deep sense of frustration that it had taken me this long to confront the stress and imposter syndrome I had been ignoring.
Accepting the reality that our college journeys are not always steady and consistent can be hard for Harvard students, especially since we tend to set our personal standards high and strive for perfection. This means that for many of us, it feels like a ‘Harvard Meltdown’ is inevitable.
At Harvard, stress is almost a daily guarantee—whether it’s a looming p-set deadline, an extra long practice, or a terrible dining hall meal. With most of us pushing ourselves to the limit, it’s no surprise that stress is both normalized and accepted across college campuses, including at Harvard. According to the American Institute of Stress, 45% of college students across the United States report they experience “more than average stress.” Attending one of the top academic institutions in the world is never easy, especially with the unspoken pressure to seize every opportunity and make the most of our time here.
A ‘Harvard Meltdown’ can be characterized by many different feelings and actions: one that resonated with me most was getting my first midterm back in the fall semester. My stomach dropped at the “Grade Posted” notification on Canvas. Was this grade going to be a reassuring stamp of approval that I belonged here, that I was good enough? Or, was it going to confirm every fear and insecurity I had about attending Harvard? After finally opening the notification, the sense of comfort and pride I was hoping for did not follow. Instead, I questioned all my life decisions leading up to this moment and considered dropping out. This may sound like an overreaction, and looking back on how I felt, it certainly was.
However, my breakdown isn’t an uncommon experience, as it reflects a broader theme among students. With all the pressure we put ourselves under, stress, overexertion, and grades easily become defeating and toxic. The feelings of isolation and underachievement when we don’t get the academic and extracurricular results we want are only exacerbated by the reluctance of our peers to share when they have these intrusive thoughts.
Facing significant obstacles at Harvard is an unavoidable part of the college experience. Burnout, anxiety, imposter syndrome—these feelings affect every student, even if few people openly show it. Considering how hardworking and committed the student body is, I was taken aback when I realized that no one talks about these struggles. And I’m not talking about a fleeting remark about a rough day; I mean deep, meaningful conversations about the real, often overwhelming impact Harvard has on its students. This silence is the root cause of the stress epidemic in our community.
No Harvard student is ‘ordinary.’ As we walk through our beautiful Cambridge campus every day, everyone we pass has a mind racing with thoughts—ambitions, results, interactions, and the occasional daydream. But these thoughts can become overwhelming and demanding at times. Especially with such a robust student body, stress at Harvard sprouts from so many avenues of life: academic performance, athletic commitments, club comps, friendships, and—beyond campus—the turbulence of the world we live in.
Speculation about the future, and what it holds for all of us individually, is intimidating and hard to escape. The American Psychological Association expresses how “headline anxiety” and “headline stress disorder” are severe prompts of stress due to media speculation and overload. When combined with our daily worries and responsibilities, it’s no wonder so many of us find ourselves on the brink of a meltdown.
Striving for success at Harvard can be rewarding, but also intoxicating. Subconsciously, we fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others and examining what others are achieving or aspiring for. This begins a vicious cycle of waking up in the mornings constantly wondering if we can compete to be here. Imposter syndrome rates across America are as high as 82% in undergraduate and graduate students, according to Florida Atlantic University. The prominence of these feelings of isolation and self-doubt make it clear that the culture of stress at Harvard needs to be addressed, and understanding our worth and individual journeys is a way of achieving this.
While having a ‘Harvard Meltdown’ is sometimes helpful in forcing us to realize when we should give ourselves grace, it should not be the boundary we push ourselves to. A wake-up call is needed to help remind us to be kind to ourselves and reduce the extremes we work to. This comes with beginning to accept that making mistakes, or dare I say failing, at Harvard is not only normal, but human. Yes, Harvard may be a competitive, fierce machine at times, but it is also a community—a place full of people with hearts and emotions. Changing the culture of stress here starts with us. It’s in our hands to shift the stress culture at Harvard to one of balance, support, and fulfillment.
At Harvard, bad days are inevitable, but the overwhelming levels of stress induced by our busy lives shouldn’t be treated as a badge of honor or an unavoidable norm. We are all in control of our own journeys and what we get out of our college experience. So, the next time you feel anxious, tired, or upset, pause and ask yourself: What do I truly need right now? Maybe it’s an early night, a reassuring chat with a friend, or a trip to Berryline. The effort to beat stress at Harvard can begin whenever we want it to—like right now—by prioritizing balance and openly reassuring each other that our decisions are the right ones.
Tilly Butterworth ’28 (mbutterworth@college.harvard.edu) is going to try her best not to have a Harvard Meltdown during her midterms.