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Harvard can be a scary place on any day, but there are, without a doubt, ill omens you can spot from a mile away that will tell you just what you’re in for. Without further ado, here are some surefire omens that guarantee misfortune at Harvard.

1. Morning Construction

Waking up to an alarm is bad enough, but when the tune you’re starting your day with is the repeated sound of a jackhammer at 7 a.m., you know it’s going to be rocky from there on out.

2. Today’s Menu: Fresh Catch of the Day

There is no better way to begin your morning routine than to be subscribed to Flyby’s Harvard Today. We provide the forecast for the day’s events, weather, and dining options, but even we can’t put a positive spin on fish for the third time in a week. Knowing that your day will culminate in Red’s infamous fresh catch is bound to put a damper on your spirits.

3. Tour Buses

Harvard is one of the top sights to see in Boston, and it shows. There are days when the tourists seem to outnumber students, and the paths seem to get narrower along with them. Spotting a group of tourists is an everyday occurrence, but when its buses lining Mass. Ave.? I shudder thinking about it.

4. Rat Sighting

Harvard’s version of a black cat is definitely the unnaturally large rodents that are native to Cambridge. We know they’re here, but there is nothing more indicative of bad fortune than to see one scuttle before you on your walk to class, or worse, your walk home.

5. Canvas Notification: Your instructor has updated the course website

This may not even be an omen, but a genuine jumpscare. Whether it is a submission post, a grade change, a comment, or a new assignment created, it is rarely a fortuitous sign to see at any point in the day.

6. Elevator Out of Service

This may be a personal one, but I immediately know the day will be at least 10% worse when I see the elevator out of service in any building, anywhere. If it is a dorm (cough, Quincy), or in a building with too many stairs (cough, Sever), it feels like a dark cloud has been cast.

7. Sorry, we’re out of (insert your favorite item)”

Going to any of our amazing student-run cafes is usually a positive experience, until you get to the register and see that they are out of every item you would even consider getting. Immediately, the day is worse, and you still end up buying something out of social anxiety.

These omens are frightening, anxiety-inducing, and common when you’re a Harvard student. Broken mirrors and ravens have nothing on HUDS paper plates and all the convenient gates being shut in the Yard. Exercise caution, however, because once you’ve started to notice the signs, you may see them everywhere.