Tag Archive for 'advice'

How to Say No and Not Feel Guilty

Harvard students do too much

Sometimes, you just get that nagging little feeling that tells you that you should stop doing something because it’s too hard, too time-consuming, not interesting etc. etc.

BUUT, then you’re alter-ego kicks in and says, but you’ve spent so much time on it already! If you quit, it’ll all be for naught.

OR, they are relying on you! You need to be dependable or else it’ll look bad.

OR, if you suffer through it….it’ll look GREAT on your resume!!!

Here’s a few tips I’ve learned over the years on saying no gracefully and shamelessly. It’s improved my standard of living muchly so, thank you.

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Social (Media) Networking 101′s for the Harvard Student

Social Media NetworksAh, Facebook. It encapsulates both the joy and despair of a college student’s existence. It can gobble up your soul while you’re composing that perfect wall post to your (maybe he / she likes me) crush.

You might spend more time crafting your perfect Facebook profile and finding that awesome Facebook profile pic than ALL of the time you spent preparing for college applications. Scary.

Not that I’m any avid user of social networking sites by any means, here are some useful ground rules for not completely messing up your internet trail forever.

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Driving Change Without Authority Part II

Influencing without AuthorityThere’s a fine line between being annoying and being assertive, just like there’s a fine line between being a pest and being someone who responsibly follows up.

People might not tell your boss if you did a great job of being respectful of their time, but trust that the feedback will get to your superiors’ ears if you’re not, even if you’re talking to someone in the most distant corner of the organization who technically has a lower position than you.

How do you position yourself so that others willingly help you?

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Driving Change without Authority Part I

Sky-high leadershipIt’s easy to get things done when you’re in charge. Hell, you’re the boss, it should be easy to get things done. But, what if you’re a gear in the corporate cog? No direct reports, just colleagues and higher ups. How in the world are you supposed to make an impact?

One of the most valuable things that my work experience has taught me is negotiating that delicate balance of getting people (who in all honesty have no real reason to help you) to help you.

Being able to effect change without actual power is an important life skill, not taught in the hallowed halls of Hahvahd.

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What to Do When Your Computer Dies and How to Prevent Its Death

sad-cookiesI think it’s half-way inevitable that your computer suffers a major malfunction at least once during your college career. Sometimes you have to replace it, other times you have to wipe it clean. Sometimes, it’s almost dead, but not quite.

My computer died just this semester and had to get wiped. My new computer caught a virus in about 2 weeks, and I was left straggling.

There are preventative and reactive measures you can take when you computer is on the verge of dying, or is sort of dead already.

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What They Don’t Tell You about Careers in Other Countries (China)

dscf3041Maybe you were like me, maybe not, but I always thought that working abroad right after graduation in a foreign country (I’m an American) would be fantastic. It’d be a thrill ride, and be totally awesome.

However, after a set of informational interviews in Shanghai, I started to realize that jump starting your career in a foreign country isn’t as easy as OCS makes it seem.

The language barrier can be a total opportunity killer.

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How to Make the Most of Prefrosh Weekend

cookiescompI remember my prefrosh weekend. The weather sucked, and I was a sad prefrosh quad-ed in Cabot without other prefrosh roommates. The weekend was alright, nothing extraordinary. I was more tired of being rained upon than anything, but it was the freshmen concert that ended up clinching my decision. There was such vitality and a quality of pre-professionalism that I knew that Harvard was where I wanted to be.

Prefrosh weekend + not many days to make a decision = stress. Read more to learn about how to make the most of your prefrosh weekend (at Harvard).

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Welcome potential 2013-ers!

dscf3167Congrats! Insert the obligatory wow, you made it through the crapshoot etc. etc. etc., now don’t choose Yale blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda.

Welcome to Surviving Harvard.

If you’re new, read through The Guides, where I’ve grouped all of my informational articles by category.

I’m a junior economics concentrator in Glorious and Fair Leverett House. I started up this community blog to better help others and myself deal with the ridiculousness that Harvard can toss at you.

Right now, the blog covers a comprehensive set of topics, ranging from the almost annoyingly pragmatic Most Commonly Overlooked Things When Choosing Classes to the somewhat more self-reflective The Negative Cult(ure) of Over-Committing. It also entreats you: Don’t Be THAT Boy or Girl: What Not To Do Amongst Other Smart People.

If you’re so inclined, more introductory-esque stuff, and if you want an answer to the “I CAN’T DECIDE!!” question…

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New Year’s Resolutions

dscf1947It’s that time of the year again. Now that you’ve written your Annual Review, it’s time to bundle your thoughts together and look forward to the new year.

Chances are, you know how to make a standard list, and may or may not have accomplished them (provided that you even remember your list).

I’m not going to try to reinvent the wheel, but instead point out some new ways of writing our that set of “resolutions” and strongly suggesting resolutions that should make it to your list this year.

If you’re looking for a new take on the New Year’s Resolutions list, this is the post for you.

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Keep Your Computer Working for You: Minimize Sadness

While I’m not the techiest of all, I’m astonished by how people treat their computers on campus. I hear horror stories of people dropping their computers, scarier stories of people sending their computers to get fixed, and sad stories of Justice papers getting lost.

If you aren’t sure what preemptive measures you should be taking with your computer, this post is for you. Read more…