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A Helpful Harvard Romance Quiz

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A Helpful Harvard Romance Quiz

Last Minute Date Ideas for the Elite and Emotionally Bankrupt

By ALAYA AYALA

 

A new year, a new semester, and already there’s a new wave of class work and extracurriculars and jobs ready to leave you awake and struggling in the library at 3am. That’s not to mention the residual effects of the winter holidays and cuffing season, all culminating in the ultimate holiday for putting pressure on a relationship – Valentine’s Day. I recognize that college students probably have it a bit more tough than others when it comes to putting effort into this holiday. We’re busier because our work comes home with us every day, we have part time jobs on top of full time school. Here at Harvard, the pressure to take on extracurriculars is immense and time consuming. All of the academic, financial and extracurricular pressure, piled on top of the pressures we put on ourselves to be better and do more to take care of ourselves, makes it that much harder to work on maintaining a relationship. That said, maybe this quiz will help take some of the pressure off this Valentine’s Day by providing you with a perfect last-minute date.

  1. What’s the best place to eat in Harvard Square?
    1. My House’s dining hall
    2. Jefe’s at 1am
    3. SweetGreen
    4. Russell House Tavern
  2. Pick a Valentine’s Day-ish color
    1. White
    2. Purple
    3. Pink
    4. Red
  3. Pick an activity to do instead of homework
    1. Binge-watching Netflix
    2. Going out with friends
    3. Reading a non-school related book
    4. Shopping
  4. Pick a place to visit over the summer
    1. Home, to see your family
    2. Anywhere with a beach and lots of sun
    3. Somewhere where I can volunteer and provide community service
    4. Somewhere in Europe with lots of photo-ops
  5. Choose a coffee order that sounds appealing
    1. Regular coffee, black or with a bit of cream and sugar
    2. frappuccino, whipped cream
    3. Tea would be better tbh
    4. Triple, Venti, Half Sweet, Non-Fat, Caramel Macchiato.
  6. Pick an animal
    1. Dog
    2. Bear
    3. Cat
    4. I don’t like animals
  7. Pick a genre of music to listen to
    1. Anything but country
    2. I usually like Top 40 stuff
    3. I’m more into Indie/Alt music really
    4. Classical music makes my heart sing
  8. Something you could not live without?
    1. Good food
    2. My phone
    3. Friends and Family
    4. Money

If your answers were mostly As:

You’re really just a chill person who doesn’t have much patience for fussing over details and whatnot. I recommend doing the most with the least for your date night. Recommend to your partner that for Valentine’s Day you just stay in together and spend some quality time alone. Pick a cosy, secluded spot somewhere in your House where you won’t be sexiled by a roommate. Turn on a movie or play video games together, order in some pizza or whatever it is you prefer to eat. Buy each other something cute and quick as a gift, like flowers or candy. Let the magic of putting away your stress for one night build up the romance for you.

If your answers are mostly Bs:

You’re not much of a planner, but you really do enjoy a good time. Chances are you’ll really succeed at this whole Valentine’s Day thing if you can find a party or club somewhere where you can bring your partner as a plus one. You bring on the romance when you and your partner are surrounded by other people, but you only have eyes for them and they know it. For gifts, try something that’s easy to carry around, like some meaningful jewelry or a t-shirt that you know they’ll like.

If your answers are mostly Cs:

Planning actually is your thing, and you love helping other people and being conscientious, so I’m surprised you even need this quiz. Maybe something went wrong or you forgot, in which case I think you and your partner will probably enjoy a date that includes the following. Take your partner to a farmers market or grocery store and have them pick out 10 random ingredients. Make sure a protein and some carbs get thrown into the mix or you’ll have a hard time making a meal. Go to back to your dorm and locate a kitchen with some privacy. Proceed to have a ridiculous time cooking together and trying to make something that tastes good from your hodgepodge of ingredients. If it doesn’t turn out well, laugh about it and order in. Let the romantic tension build up as you wait for your UberEats to arrive. If it does turn out well, eat up and bond over a job well done. As for gifts, get your date something quirky that you know they enjoy, like Pop Vinyl from their favorite show or a succulent.

If your answers are mostly Ds:

You really like things fancy. Classy is actually your middle name. I recommend you give in to the urge to go a little overboard and spend just a bit of the money you’re saving up on eating out at a fancy restaurant (but not too fancy because there is no way you’re getting reservations now). Afterwards, head out to see a movie or find a free concert somewhere. Boston is always full of bougie stuff to do if you know where to look. As for gifts, go off and get the stereotypical stuff. Flowers, chocolates, a mildly expensive stuffed animal or other useless yet adorable keepsake will make them smile.

Alaya Ayala ‘21 (alaya_ayala@college.harvard.edu) is bartending on Valentine’s Day this year, but she hopes you have a great night.