By Diego Suárez Cadena MPP 2027
Set your priorities
Each person comes here with different goals in mind. For some, the most important part of HKS is academic life; for others, it’s the research centers, office hours with professors, or making friends and networking. It’s important to have a general idea of what you want to accomplish. I had to ask myself:
- What is my focus?
- How much time do I dedicate to classes?
- How much time should I network?
I decided that my priorities were to sleep eight hours a night, attend classes, and only stay at campus events until 8 p.m. Then, I would go home and work on assignments and readings. This meant that, like everyone at HKS, having an organized calendar where I could document every activity was necessary.
Allow yourself time to adjust
Don’t be worried about having everything figured out before coming here. Before the semester begins and during the first few weeks, staff and faculty will explain how everything works, and you will also have an advisor who will guide you along the way. Once you have access to the my.harvard portal, you will be able to look at which subjects you're interested in, check the syllabi, and review which professors teach them. Take time to review the electives you would like to take, and remember that you can also take classes at other universities and across Harvard through cross-registration.
Take advantage of student resources
Classes are time-consuming. For many courses, you have to do pre-exercises before class, an extensive problem set each week, midterms, and final exams. However, there are many external support systems that you can rely on, such as meetings with professors, weekly review sessions, teaching fellows, and course assistants. You will have the tools to be successful here.
As an international student, language has been a challenge for me. English is not my first language, and navigating academic English is still difficult for me. However, I have reminded myself that many students here are international, and many of us share the same concern. American students are always open to teaching and trying to understand us when we forget words.
“HKS brings together people from all over the world who have thousands of stories and a passion for social issues. Take the time to go out for a coffee with that classmate who lives on the other side of the world—you will learn so much.”
Get to know your classmates and professors
HKS brings together people from all over the world who have thousands of stories and a passion for social issues. Your fellow students are curious and will want to get to know you. Take the time to go out for a coffee with that classmate who lives on the other side of the world—you will learn so much from them. You can even grab a coffee with professor.
Step out of your comfort zone
I decided to take leadership classes that are far from my background as an economist, and they have turned into my favorite courses. I also ran for student government and was selected for a position, so if you want to challenge yourself, explore an unexpected opportunity.
The research centers are also a great way to become involved on campus. I have friends here, who, in their first semester, became fellows or research assistants at various centers, including the Bloomberg Center for Cities and the Growth Lab.
