People say that time flies, but you never believe them until it does. Now, at the tail end of my third year, in disbelief that next year will be my last at Harvard, I can confirm that college does indeed fly by.
As I wrap up my last week here before heading home, I wanted to put some of my goals for next year down on paper in hopes that it will be both an interesting read and a personal accountability tool. (People who very vividly describe or picture their goals are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to accomplish them!)
- Take personally interesting classes.
I applied to Harvard as an intended English major and ended up in Economics. Although I’ve enjoyed my concentration, I often wish I’d taken more creative classes in college that cater to my personal interests in areas like writing or music. While my fall schedule will include two required classes, I also enrolled in two more personally fulfilling ones, Physics 187r: Thinking Through Writing: Science Themes and Music 22: Film Sound/Film Music.
I’m hoping that answering questions like “How long does it take raindrops to fall?” and hearing from guest presenters like Nick Brittell (composer on HBO’s Succession) will be a creative reprieve from the typical Economics papers and problem sets.
- Write a senior thesis.
Last year, I was on the fence about writing a thesis. After speaking to a few professors and my advisor, I decided to quasi-commit by enrolling in the Economics Thesis Research class for this coming fall.
I also recently read a very interesting letter from Benjamin Friedman, former Chairman of the Department of Economics at Harvard, about why to write a senior thesis in Economics. Friedman says that while “the standard story is that you should write a thesis because you are interested in the topic,” the real reason is that “most talented people…somewhere between 19 and 22…experience an enormous increase not only in their intellectual capabilities but also in the sheer energy that they are able to bring to bear on a project.”
A thesis is then “therefore not so much to learn about some aspect of economics…or even to learn about doing research, but to learn something important about yourself: in particular, to learn something of what you are now capable of accomplishing.”
Friedman’s letter really resonated with me. Though I don’t plan on going to graduate school, I do want to find out how deeply I can commit to and execute a project. Taking pictures on the Widener steps will be an added perk.
- Get a job I care about.
Fingers crossed!
Back in my freshman year, I interviewed David Laibson, an Economics professor at Harvard, for the Independent. “Over the next few years in college, you will have the opportunity to go on a journey of self-discovery and figure out where your passions and abilities lie and where there are opportunities for you in the world,” he said. “Through that rich exploration, you will emerge with an understanding of what you want to do next.”
In the last few years, I’ve been exposed to incredible opportunities, both academic and non-academic, that have challenged me and helped me grow as a student, learner, and person. However, part of deciding on a post-grad plan is taking the time to sit down with myself and decide what those experiences meant to me and what they imply about my future career.
- Run a marathon.
Before coming to college, I’d been on multiple sports teams pretty much my whole life. Then, in my first year at Harvard, without a team to motivate me or an autonomous gym routine, I struggled to work out regularly.
Since then, I’ve discovered the joy of running. I’m not particularly fast, but I love to do it. I’d love to scale up to a full marathon this fall or spring—I’m looking at either NYC in November 2024 or Boston in April 2025.
- Plan and go on a fun senior trip.
My roommate and I have tossed around the idea of doing an active and outdoorsy senior trip. This is my vision for next summer:
Mount Kilimanjaro is located in northeast Tanzania, near the Kenyan border. Mid-May to June is peak time on the mountain, with far fewer people than the July to October timeframe. There are seven routes up Kilimanjaro, each taking five to nine days.
A refreshing change from the typical Cancun-for-spring-break college trips, I’ll take this opportunity to unplug, see the sights, and create a lifelong memory before starting full-time work.
- Learn more about personal finance and max out my Roth IRA.
I think one of the great shortcomings of my education thus far has been the lack of material and emphasis on personal finance. In my view, learning how to manage your money is probably one of the most important skills you can develop as an 18 to 22-year-old. This year, I want to be more intentional about my consumption and investing.
- Spend good time with friends and family.
Some of the biggest and most valuable lessons I’ve learned in the past few years are those about interpersonal relationships. To me, friendships, relationships, and family are the keystone of a happy life.
Challenges in these kinds of relationships force you to confront your shortcomings and grow like nothing else could. For instance, moving away from home for college can put communication with your family on the back burner; housing debacles can cause you to question whether your friendships were as strong as you thought; breakups make you realize that you may have been neglectful toward the other relationships in your life.
I have come to learn that truly good and strong relationships take a lot of work, are hard to come by, and should not be taken for granted. I want to dedicate a large chunk of my time next year to spending quality time with friends and family and making sure they know how important they are to me.
- Enjoy my day-to-day.
Lastly, while I’m obviously a proponent of setting goals, I also strongly believe in enjoying small moments. After all, what’s the point of accomplishing something if you don’t (mostly) enjoy the days it takes for you to get there?
Stay tuned—I’ll be back with an update next year.
Caroline Hao ’25 (carolinehao@college.harvard.edu) is feeling nostalgic about the school year coming to an end.