On housing day, the day when first-year students are assigned their home for the next three years, I, immediately, wasn’t content with my house. While I did end up quadded, the distance between the yard and my house was not my problem. When I first toured my former house, I never felt at home or excited. However, I believed that by living there for the next year, things would improve. 

That ended up not being true. I was not granted the opportunity to live in my house until my junior year. For my sophomore year, I was placed in swing housing or overflow housing. I was placed 10 minutes away from my actual house. During that year, I struggled with actually being a part of the house. Besides the physical distance, I did not find much of a community. Any time I would go to my house, I still felt extremely lonely. 

However, what I didn’t find at that house, I managed to find at another house. I found great friendships and guidance from Kirkland House. Through Kirkland House, I found many wonderful traditions and the community I have longed for since arriving on campus. But what ended up convincing me to transfer houses was when dining hall staff, fellow students, and tutors thought I was in Kirkland House just by my continued presence in the space. 

While I at first wanted to stick it out at my original house, I knew I was unhappy. Not only was the distance between my classes getting tiring, but the distance between many of my close friends was draining the opportunities for studying together, eating meals together, and overall enjoying the Harvard experience together. Additionally, at Harvard, you graduate with your House. This last added factor was enough for me to submit my transfer application to Kirkland House, or K-House. 

My affection for Kirkland only continued to grow from my sophomore year into my junior year. I even wrote what some might call a love letter to K-House. So I submitted in the middle of my junior year. And luckily for me, it was approved. Now, for the second semester of my junior year and my senior year, I will be a part of a great K-ommunity, and I cannot wait. 

Transferring Houses was not a decision I made lightly. For a long time, I questioned whether wanting something different meant I was giving up too soon or being ungrateful for the experience I was given. But over time, I learned that feeling at home matters. A House is more than a place to sleep or eat; it is meant to be a space where you feel supported, seen, and connected.

Choosing to transfer taught me that advocating for my happiness was not a failure, but an act of self-awareness. While not everyone who feels out of place in their House should transfer, knowing that the option exists can be empowering. If your House doesn’t feel like home, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. Sometimes, it simply means your community is waiting for you somewhere else.