r/harvardextension

I graduated last year without being on campus and have certainly never been in any situation in the intervening year which would’ve ever required me to wear any academic regalia.

Is there any other context than people who work in academia and showing up to future graduations needing their own permanent set of regalia, or perhaps more realistically, ever renting a set of regalia again after graduation?

I’m hoping someone might provide some clarity surrounding the photo for graduates on the steps of Widener the morning before commencement exercises. There’s no dress code/regalia notation online, but looking at previous classes it seems most students are in regalia? If you participated in this last year, what is expected? Thanks in advance!

Just looking for recommendations-- any classes/professors you particularly enjoyed?

About to finish my last 3 semesters and the motivation I started the program with is no longer there. But it’s too late to switch tracks or quit. So other writers/ creators/ etc, what are you doing postgrad? Any out-of-the-box paths that you ended up on?
To quote Gob, “I’ve made a huge mistake.”

Hi everyone! I am an undergrad selling 1 commencement ticket. If you are interested please PM me!

So I’m aware that HES has a wide variety of online options and my understanding (correct me if I’m wrong) is that the program can be completed entirely online. But, here’s the thing, I don’t want to do that. I want to be on campus for my classes, as much as possible. I want to relocate to Boston because I absolutely love that city. I want to be able to build an in-person peer group with my potential classmates.

That’s really the whole reason why I’ve been looking at HES and other programs at Boston-based universities to continue my education. So, to that end, I was looking to see if anyone here had any advice on relocating specifically to attend HES? How did you make it work? What are some things to consider?

Also, for those who do primarily attend class on campus, what’s the culture like? I recall from my undergrad experience there were tons of student organizations that one could get involved with to expand one’s social circle and network. I doubt an institution like HES would be the same as it’s tailored towards working professionals. Everyone’s got entire lives to live outside of school! But I would hope that there’s some level of that and some ways to get involved!

Hey everyone,

I'm 20, currently a university student in Hanoi majoring in English.

Since I'm not really big on going out and gaining real-world experience, my social skills (street smarts) are pretty lacking tbh. Sometimes I react a bit slowly to things just because I spend too much time inside. Plus, some past trauma makes me close myself off from people. Even now in uni, I haven't fully shaken off this trait yet :)))

That’s why for the past few months, I’ve been forcing myself to go outside and walk more—just wandering around the streets, parks, sidewalks, and supermarkets to observe how people act in real life.

The thing is, because I lack real-world exposure, I easily get overwhelmed by information overload, especially on socmed and social discussion forums.

Reading way too many comments and different perspectives from everyone—especially those top comments with hundreds of likes that sound super logical—makes me listen, believe, and gradually shape my own opinions based on them. Since I lack actual experience or haven't gone through those things myself, I don't stop to think. I don't have the patience to filter the information and reflect on whether it’s actually true or just their own biases... and I just "borrow" their mindset, treating it as mine because my brain is too lazy to spend time looking for the core substance of the issue :v

Here are a few examples of how top comments have directly messed with my head recently:

1. On marriage and people nowadays: Reading toxic comments about marriage and having kids suddenly makes me terrified and gives me a pretty negative view of family life =)))
2. On education and career: Thread discussions about studying abroad, or how switching from one major to another means the market is "saturated"... reading those makes me panicky. I start overthinking and projecting that fear of saturation onto my own major 0:

It’s a harsh truth, but my perspective on real-life issues seems to be shaped entirely by top comments with high engagement just because they look reasonable, logical, and practical. I even tried digging around and asking Gemini about this, and it gave me these points, but it still didn't fully satisfy what I was looking for =)))

• Laziness is satisfied: Thinking for yourself, analyzing, and weighing right from wrong burns a lot of brainpower. Meanwhile, reading a top comment that hundreds of people agree with is like a ready-made meal. Your brain just chooses to "borrow" their perspective for convenience, saving you the trouble of thinking.
• The emotional contagion trap: Comments sections nowadays are like a chaotic melting pot. A lot of times you run into comments full of garbage, anxiety, or the bitter, toxic experiences of a single individual. After reading them, you accidentally catch that same fear, and everything starts looking bleak :)))
• But on the flip side, it actually helps: Can't deny that some posts are absolute trash, but down in the comments, there are experienced folks sharing high-quality advice and real-world lessons that open your eyes and change your mindset for the better.

At this point, the comments section isn't just a place to banter anymore; it's quietly reshaping how we view society out there. I'm putting this out here mainly because I want to hear your actual habits and perspectives:

1. Have you ever noticed your perspective on real-life stuff (relationships, work, money, education...) shifting just after reading a few comments that resonated with you?
2. In a sea of comments where truth and lies are mixed together, with both gold and absolute garbage, how do you guys filter out the useful advice without getting manipulated or catching other people's negative mindsets?

First congrats to all of you graduating!

In the email they mentioned business casual not sure what the means exactly, do people usually wear a full suit under their regalia, or is it more common to just do a dress shirt, tie, and slacks?

I want to look sharp for photos but also don't want to overheat if it gets warm under the gown. Appreciate any insights

Question for alums! I’m about to graduate and I’m wondering about the diplomas. I know they get mailed but is it just the paper that comes? Or
is there a folder too?

For those who tried before and did not make it through the admissions courses successfully and those whose fates were just sealed this semester - my heart goes out to you. I know it must be rough.

If you would be willing to share, I am curious to hear your story. Was it a specific class that knocked you out? Just the general balancing act of taking class while working a full-time job? I am very curious to hear the stories that aren't often shared

Not sure if anyone asked this before, but do you get any looks or anything when people ask about HES and they say it’s not a “ real” Harvard program. But it is. They just think the only Harvard is the undergrad program. I just see a lot of that discourse on tiktok.

1. Does a degree from Harvard help you with a job? Do employers look at it like a real degree from Harvard despite what people were saying.

I was recently accepted into a summer research opportunity at a well-known university, only to later have the offer withdrawn with a vague explanation about “interactions” and “professional fit.”

What makes it confusing is that I never disrespected anyone, I was genuinely excited about the research, and I had been looking forward to learning from the mentors involved. The explanation was broad enough to feel serious, but not specific enough to actually learn from.

I think academia needs to talk more honestly about how subjective “fit” language can become — especially for undergraduates and early-career students who are still learning how to navigate professional spaces.

I’m trying to handle it professionally, but I’m also wondering: has anyone else experienced a sudden reversal, vague feedback, or a “fit” decision in academia that left them with more questions than answers?

Hey folks, hope everyone has had a good semester and is wrapping up finals okay. I gave my capstone presentation on Monday and will be graduating on the 28th (or at least I was verbally told I had passed) and I wanted to give some thoughts on the program for anyone interested.

First the capstone, this was an amazing and awful experience. For starters we got to work with a real organization and help them solve real problems in their workplace. It was very much a real working collaboration. On the other hand one thing I never wanted to do with my degree was become a frontend developer so naturally we picked a project where I got to be a front end developer. It was incredibly difficult to learn a new framework and work with the client and keep up with my day job, but in the end it gave me a lot more confidence that if I made some bad choices and ended up working as a web developer (jokes of course), that I wouldn't be completely lost on day 1 and I now have skills I never would have had without the capstone project.

For the program overall I think it was great, but I honestly wish I had challenged myself more. I got a lot out of it, but I know I avoided some classes because I didn't think I could hack it in them and I wish I had believed in myself more. I definitely took some classes that were way too easy and that's my own fault. I highly encourage all of you to really think about what you want to get out of your program. I know some people might just want to get any degree to fulfill a work requirement or something like that and that's A-OK by me. If that's the case you can definitely accomplish that at HES without being overly stressed. For those of you that really want to stretch and learn new skills you can absolutely do that here too, just believe in yourself and take that class that looks really intimidating, virtually every instructor I had was wonderful at helping people succeed so there's help out there if you need it. This program really is what you make of it.

I will also add that for anyone looking at the sys eng ALM specifically, the capstone project does not allow you to use LLMs, so if you're trying to chatGPT your way throught the degree, you will likely fail in your last semester if you're not able to write your own code, come up with your own plans, or justify you design decisions. The capstone comittee forces you to answer questions you might not be able to if you haven't really internalized the material.

Best of luck to everyone no matter where you are in your academic journey.

Would love thoughts on either track. I’m leaning thesis even though it does add another year on to ALM completion (from thesis tutorial through final submission).

I am looking to start the Digital Media Design Master’s Degree Program and theres 12 courses needed for the entire program. How many courses is doable for people working busy full time jobs? 1 class? 2? 3?

So I’m wrapping up my 3rd gatekeeper course for the ALM in Finance (final is tonight). I paid out of pocket for these, but was planning on taking out loans as soon as I was eligible so I’m not coming $40k out of pocket.

I just discovered something I completely overlooked-to get direct government loans, I have to be enrolled “half time” - 8 credits in the spring and fall and 4 credits in the summer. Up till now, I’ve only taken one class at a time.

How is the workload for 2 courses? I have a finance background so principles was reasonably easy, the stats class was a breeze, and micro has been manageable but not a cakewalk. But staring down the rest of the program, doing classes like Accounting and Financial Statement Analysis together seems more daunting. How do the rest of the classes compare to the gatekeeper classes?

FWIW, I work about 50 hours a week, but that includes a good amount of travel.

I just completed my third admissions course. Since it was a quiz, we got the scores after hitting submit. They could have been better. I worked so hard this semester along with my demanding work.

I’m aware that the official grades shall be posted on 26th, but I’m truly concerned. I did some calculations myself and only for this course I might be falling short narrowly to achieve a B. Less than 3 points for absolute cut off. I have been taking courses since Spring last year and got A grades in the other 2 courses, really enjoyed them. It’s a difficult feeling to describe now. The course also follows a curve, but I’m so anxious.

Admission decisions will be out next month and I just feel, I’m losing hope now.

Anyone else who applied this semester for an ALM? How were your finals?

Has anyone used the TAP benefit and received financial aid at the same time?

TAP only covers 2 classes a semester. I feel like I have been working towards my ALB for such a long time and I want to speed up the process.

I spoke with an advisor and the union, but no one seems to have encountered this question before!

https://preview.redd.it/p3pz9rw5pszg1.png?width=552&format=png&auto=webp&s=e95d65cf47cd79b4297e5deccaff540dc4de2415