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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Harvard chapter.

Here are 4 pieces of advice that changed my life!

  • The one thing you can control is who you spend time with

    • Between the new General Ed lottery system, all the freaking comps, and your (somehow constantly recurring) late nights, it may seem like so much in your life is out of your control. One thing, however, that you can control is who you spend your time with: so make it count. Let’s be real, Harvard can be a tough place to exist, but the one thing that gets us through it is the people. That being said, find your people and stick with them. Socializing shouldn’t be exhausting. When I smile for too long, my cheek muscles begin to hurt, and I know if I’m ever around someone and I feel my cheeks starting to hurt, they’re a keeper. In other words, pay attention to who’s around you when your cheeks hurt.    

  • Everything is going to be okay: because even if the circumstances don’t change, you get better at dealing with it.

    • Life is hard. Period. It got harder earlier for some of us than it did others, but we all experience pain, sadness and grief. And so this sentiment is a token of hope. I personally hate when people would just say “everything’s gonna be okay.” Because sometimes it really wasn’t. Life can, at times feel like everything is falling apart. But keeping in the back of your mind that no matter how tough the situation gets, you inevitably will grow from it is something to when the skies are oh so grey, look forward to. Just remember that beauty is often a derivative of pain.

  • Always wear lip gloss. Always wear earrings.

    • Classic mom talk, but it’s taken on a whole new level of truth since getting to college. Sometimes…. you just look busted. But a little glisten on the lip and twinkle on the ear can go a long way… it takes the eye away from those bags under your eyes. Hoops and gloss literally can transform any outfit. Also, no one likes to have crusty lips in the dead of Boston winter. So gloss it up, ladies!!

  • “There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others won’t feel insecure around you”

    • This goes for everything. If that boy is intimidated by the fact that you are more social than him, smarter than him, or more ambitious than him, he is, and let me capitalize this, NOT worth the time. Inferiority complexes are literally repulsive. 

    • If you are in a relationship or friendship where you find that it’d be more convenient if you shrink yourself, run and run fast: that’s a toxic baby. The worst place to be is in a position where your growth is being stunted. No one has time for that. Be your full self at all times… in front of everyone… and just let people who can’t make it fall at the wayside. 

I hope you’ve pocketed some gems while reading this. Simply reading them won’t change your life, but if you take the time to implement them, I promise things will become a little brighter!

Lauren Tucker

Harvard '22

Lauren Tucker, of Long Island, NY, is a sophomore at Harvard University studying Neuroscience and Religion. On campus, she he is a research intern at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School, on the board for the Harvard Science Club for Girls, a member of the Crimson Key Society, and a member of the Crimson Medical Mentorship Program. In her free time, Lauren loves to write poetry, paint, draw and eat out with her friends.
I am a senior at Harvard College studying Applied Mathematics with a specialization in Economics, and I am planning on getting a language citation in Spanish. I am currently a co-president and campus correspondent of Harvard's chapter of Her Campus! I am also a committee chair of a student organization that works with University Health Services called HealthPALs (Peer Advisors and Liaisons). Additionally, I am a member and co-director of service in OAASIS (Organization of Asian American Sisters in Service). Apart from that, I spend a lot of my time as a Learning Lab Undergraduate Fellow at the Harvard Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. I am also the co-founder of a project at the Office of Diversity of Inclusion at Harvard. I am super passionate about math, health, and higher education! In my free time I love to work out, experiment with makeup and fashion, visit museums, and try new foods!