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Your Harvard Student ID: you’ll need it for pretty much everything on campus. From getting into your dorm and the dhall to taking exams, this little plastic card you receive during orientation week is your golden ticket throughout your four years here at Harvard. But again, it’s just a small plastic card that can slip out the back of your phone anytime.

When you are on the steps of Annenberg, ready to finally get lunch after five hours of morning classes, you dig through the bottom of your bag and feel only dust bunnies… Your ID isn’t there? Here’s what you do:

Step 1: “Can you scan me into Annenberg?”

Call up a friend who’s probably busy and drag out the situation as long as you can. You keep telling yourself, The ID will magically reappear — because hey, manifesting is a skill, right? My mom finds missing stuff all the time when I could have sworn it wasn’t there when I looked.

Step 2: Backtrack like a detective solving a mystery

This is when you pull out your Google Calendar and start retracing every spot you hit today. LPSA (Life and Physical Sciences A)? Time to head back to the lecture hall where you caught that quick nap before the attendance poll of the day.

No luck? Next stop: Econ 10a. Check up in the balcony where you snuck in a second nap. Still missing? Guess it’s onto the next location...

Step 3: Tear apart your room like a raccoon in a trash can

It could be in my drawer? No… Hmm… Maybe under my pillow? Or under this book I thought I was going to read but haven’t yet touched?

Now it’s time to look through every crevice — dig through your laundry pile, shake out your blankets, and even check inside your shoes. It could be anywhere!

Step 4: “Did you happen to see my ID somewhere?”

Now you're getting desperate. You’ve looked everywhere, and the thought of shelling out $35 for a replacement stings. So, you turn to the ultimate Hail Mary: asking everyone you’ve ever met. You text the numbers you've gathered over the year, drop a message in the massive Harvard ’28 group chat, and even ask the security guards at Lamont and Cabot. At this point, you’re basically on a first name basis with half the campus.

Step 5: 1033 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138

If nothing works, head over to 1033 Massachusetts Avenue. Why? Because the Harvard Police probably has it locked up in their locker!!!

What’s worse? HUPD doesn’t even notify you when they have your ID. They’ve got all your contact info, but instead of reaching out, they just lock it away. Honestly, why don’t they just leave it where I dropped it? At least I would’ve found it by step 2.

TL;DR If you can’t find your ID anywhere, it’s probably at HUPD. Thank me later :))