{shortcode-117d9af26386289a5261212379a7c170c75d59ff} You’ve just returned from winter break, where you’ve enjoyed the comforts of home, maybe traveled, or simply binged every series Netflix had to offer (The Perfect Couple, anyone?). Now, you’re thrust back into the unforgiving terrain of Cambridge, and it’s survival of the fittest — or, at least, survival of the slightly better prepared.

Much like the hit reality show Survivor, the first week back at Harvard is full of challenges, alliances, and the occasional blindside.

The Physical Challenge: Getting to Class

Cambridge in January is not for the faint of heart. Between treacherous, ice-covered sidewalks and wind tunnels that could knock over a lamp post, simply getting to class feels like an endurance test. The thought of skipping class to avoid these elements is tempting, but even Survivor host Jeff Probst would frown at such a weak strategy. After all, starting the semester by sitting out the challenge isn’t how you win immunity — or a spot in a professor’s good graces.

The Social Game: Remembering Everyone’s Names

You’re back in the social arena, and, like a Survivor contestant joining a newly combined tribe after the merge, you have to quickly reestablish alliances and navigate a suddenly larger crowd (seriously, the number of people in the Eliot dhall must have doubled since finals). But, here’s the catch: you’ve forgotten half of your peers’ names. Cue the awkward “Hey… you!” and the desperate search for clues in conversations to figure out who you’re talking to (Econ…from New York…this could be anyone!). Just when you think you’ve identified your ally, they blindside you, dropping a detail that makes you even more confused than before (wait… dual degree at Berklee?).

The Mental Marathon: Syllabus Week

Sylly Week is the ultimate bait-and-switch. Initially promising a light reintroduction to academic life, it quickly reveals its deception, instead consisting of a schedule packed with exhaustive reading lists, impending deadlines, and professors who somehow expect you to buy six textbooks by tomorrow. It’s the ultimate test of cognitive flexibility as students attempt to maintain their quickly-depleting optimism while facing the cold, harsh reality of their commitments.

Forming Alliances: Group Dynamics

Quickly identifying potential allies is vital. The first week back is a scramble to form study groups, secure reliable lab partners, and align yourself with peers who will lift the collective academic load rather than weigh it down. Choose wrong, and you might find yourself stuck with a “free rider” all semester: the group project equivalent of someone eating all the camp rice without lifting a finger.

The Tribal Council: Course Selection

The add/drop deadline looms like Survivor’s tribal council, where contestants must face a vote that determines their fate in the game. In this case, your schedule is on the chopping block. It’s a high-stakes vote, and each course is up for elimination. Will you keep the seminar that sounded interesting but requires a 20-page paper every other week? Or will it get blindsided in favor of the lecture with optional attendance and a lenient grading curve? Every decision is crucial as you try to avoid Jeff Probst snuffing out your torch — and by torch, we mean your GPA.

The Immunity Idol: Caffeine

In this game of Survivor, caffeine is the unspoken immunity idol: your only lifeline when the fatigue of early morning lectures and late-night study sessions (yes, already) threatens to send you packing. Without it, surviving the first week would be a near-impossible challenge, and you’d be left wandering the academic jungle, drowsy and at risk of early elimination.

Now that it’s the end of the week, you’ve conquered the physical, social, and mental challenges that made you feel like a true Survivor contestant (and question your decision to skip the gym over break). Just like any good reality show, there’s a sense of accomplishment as you look back, stronger and more strategic than before. The real challenge, of course, lies ahead: how you’ll play the game in the coming weeks. Will you form the right alliances? Will you manage your course load without going rogue? As the game of Harvard Survivor continues, one thing’s for sure: you’ve already earned your place on the tribe.