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You did it. You survived Ec10, CS50, blocking drama, Lamont at 2 a.m., and the heartbreak of not getting into the Adams House dhall for two years. Now, as the gates of Harvard Yard close behind you (metaphorically, unless you lost your ID again), here are seven ways to say goodbye — some heartfelt, some hilarious, and all very Harvard.

Take a Victory Lap Around the Yard

Literally jog, stroll, or cartwheel your way past every building where you once cried over a pset, made a lifelong friend, or panic-wrote a paper at 3 a.m. This is your main character montage — cue the Good Will Hunting score.

Write Yourself a Letter, Then “Lose” it in Widener

Pen a letter to your future self and tuck it into a random Widener book. Ideally, something no one checks out (so like 90 percent of the books). Like The Rise and Fall of the Harvard Student Agencies Tax Policy Manual, Vol. 3 (idk if this is real). You’ll either find it when you visit… or haunt Widener forever.

Stage a Personal Commencement in the Science Center Plaza

Get a robe, your diploma, and walk dramatically across the plaza while your roommate plays your favorite tune (preferably from Dean Khurana’s playlist) on a Bluetooth speaker. Loudly. If tourists take photos, even better.

Start One Last HUDS Food Fight

Every senior has a HUDS hot take — the chili, weekend burgers, or cookies that hit different. It’s finally time to honor the chaos. Rank every dhall. Post your HUDS tier list. Start a Sidechat fight. Bonus points if you finally settle the age-old mystery: Were there laxatives in the eggs, or was that just a mass hallucination? Either way, you survived HUDS. That deserves a farewell bite.

Steal a Brick (Figuratively, I Swear)

Not from an actual building — relax! But take a piece of something mundane and sacred to you: A flyer from the Smith Center, a lamp photo from the Barker Center, or a selfie with a Yard chair. Your weird memento = your final goodbye.

Say Thank You (Even if It’s Cringy)

To your amazing, splendid TF. To that one security guard who always let you in even when you forgot your ID. To the classmate who let you copy the reading (or homework). To your first-year proctor who saw you cry outside of your building. It’s Harvard — it’s built on people, not just legacy.

Cry Over Your Last FlyBy Meal (We Won’t Judge)

It’s not just a sandwich. It’s every rushed FlyBy grab, every sad burger line at Eliot, every “Wait… is this chicken?” moment in the dhall. Take a moment to mourn the most controversial cuisine of your college years. Will you miss it? Unclear. Will you think about it while ordering overpriced Sweetgreen at your 9-to-5? Abso-freaking-lutely.

No matter how you say goodbye — whether a stroll through the Yard, a chaotic HUDS feast on a lawn (or at Cronk), or a whispered “thank you” to your favorite overly expensive red chair — just know that your time here mattered. Harvard will keep going (very loudly, stressfully, and ultimately dramatically), but you get to walk away with memories, a degree, and a mild caffeine addiction. So take your moment. Hug your people. Eat that last burger. And then? Go be legen-“wait-for-it”-dary. Or at least mildly competent… We’ll take either.