# The Best Three Decisions I Made As A First-Year

**Source**: https://college.harvard.edu/student-life/student-stories/best-three-decisions-i-made-first-year
**Parent**: https://college.harvard.edu/

Category
Student Voices

## Author

**Daisy
Class of 
'27**

Authored on July 09, 2024

## Article

Congratulations! You've made it to move-in day and you're thinking "now what?" How do I ensure I have a great first-year? While our experience will most certainly be different, I wanted to share the best three things I did my first year at the College.

1. **Got a Job**

Getting a job on campus not only ensured I had pocket money to spend, but also allowed me to meet some great individuals on campus, particularly upperclassmen as well as fellow first-years. My first job was working for The Harvard Shop, a branch of [Harvard Student Agencies](https://www.hsa.net/). Here, not only did I help keep stores in stock, but also learned more about specific concentrations, life, and opportunities on campus thanks to the great community I found! The upperclassmen I met walked me through housing day, gave me course recommendations, and were valuable mentors throughout my first-year. Shout out to Mariela, Abby, Ellie, Blake, Ciara, and Zoe!

2. **Tried Activities I've Never Done Before**

Once on campus, a [student activities fair](https://dso.college.harvard.edu/student-involvement-fair) is held to provide first-years an overview of the various [extracurricular organizations](https://dso.college.harvard.edu/list-student-organizations) offered at the College. Through this event, I learned about the [Harvard Crimson](https://www.thecrimson.com/) - the nation's oldest college newspaper. I knew immediately that I wanted to try journalism. My high school did not offer anything related to the sort but once on campus, I pushed myself beyond my comfort zone. And now, I even have a few blogs published! The best part about this particular tip is that it's not only for first-year, but for all years.

3. **Explore A Variety of Courses**

As a first-year, you don't have a declared concentration just yet. So, it is encouraged to explore any and all concentrations you're curious about. And that's exactly what I did. I took courses pertaining to Anthropology, EMR (Ethnicity, Migrations, and Rights), and Linguistics. For reference, I applied to the college as a Sociology concentrator. So, my first semester, I did take a sociology course, but took the remaining course space to explore topics that sounded interesting to me. Overall, I'm extremely glad I did because it reinforced the fact that I truly loved Sociology and that I wanted to declare a secondary in Linguistics.

Just remember that these three tips are what worked for me. Even if you are inspired by my journey, make sure to also make it your own!

### Tag

Student Life

### Daisy Class of '27

Hi! My name is Daisy, and I am a junior in Kirkland House (the best house!) studying Sociology with a minor in Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights.

[Student Profile](https://college.harvard.edu/daisy)

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