Prior to coming into Harvard, I had absolutely no idea what sort of support network was in place for first-year students. I expected to come in and learn through trial by fire. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that first-year students are given the trifecta of advising to ease the transition into college:

• Academic advisor: Your academic advisor is usually someone who is assigned to you based on academic interest. You can reach out to them with questions about classes, concentrations (majors), and career interests. Furthermore, they assist you in building a schedule that allows you to explore your different passions and interests, while also keeping your requirements in mind.
• Proctor: Your proctor is a residential assistant who stays in the same building as you. They coordinate with the peer advisors in order to host study breaks, which occur once a week and serve as a time for first-year students to socialize with their dorm community while enjoying snacks. Outside of study breaks, your proctor is someone who has extensive knowledge about Harvard’s resources, thus your proctor provides you with a residential support network that you can rely on.
• Peer Advising Fellow (PAF): Lastly, your PAF is an upperclassmen advisor with up to three years worth of experience at Harvard, which is useful in providing you with advice from the student perspective. You can draw upon them as a resource whenever you may need academic or personal advice.

While these are the three major advising resources during your first-year, I want to further discuss the peer advising aspect. During my first year, I was fortunate enough to have an amazing PAF named Henry. He was always someone I felt comfortable reaching out to if I had questions or was confused in any way. Furthermore, he was a government major, a field that I was interested in at the time and am currently pursuing, so having a peer advisor who was doing the major that I was interested in was super helpful. I definitely asked for his advice in terms of classes, extracurriculars, and his experience at Harvard. He also took the time to check-up on me as well as his other advisees through texts, random run-ins on campus, or by grabbing a meal together. Through his work as a PAF, he inspired and encouraged me to apply to become a PAF myself.

Wanting to pay his assistance and support forward, I applied to be PAF and got the position! During my sophomore year, I got the opportunity to advise 11 incredible first-year students in the same first-year dorm that I was a part of, Weld Hall! I had an amazing time setting study breaks, grabbing meals to catch up, and even playing intramural sports with my advisees. Through watching my advisees overcome obstacles and make decisions about their academic and personal lives, I found PAFing to be a rewarding experience and one that I plan to continue.