It’s the fourth weekend of October, and your loved ones have descended upon the Yard for Family Weekend. They’ve picked up their branded hats and tote bags and are staring at you expectantly. Now what?

Family Weekend presents the tall task of assuring your parents that you’re entirely well-adjusted, succeeding academically (read: in the top 20% + 4), and are making the absolute most out of their investment in your education. As a senior who has conquered many a Family Weekend, I have a few tips to make the weekend a smashing success.

Give your family a campus tour following your “daily routine”

Now’s the time to whip out your journal and consider the prompt: “What would my day look like if I were my best self?” Perhaps it involves waking up early, hitting the MAC, doing homework in Widener, attending classes, socializing with your countless friends in the dining hall, and then returning to the library to do even more work. Walking around campus with confidence while narrating this routine is a great way to familiarize your family with Harvard while giving them an (albeit slightly unrealistic) glimpse into your life. Feel free to omit the hours spent scrolling in bed or waiting outside an MIT frat.

Bring your family to class

I promise you won’t be the only one bringing your family to Ec10A. Taking your family to class is a great way to impress them with your intellectual pursuits. Nod along a lot, performatively take notes, and point out your washed peers scrolling Reels on their laptops (that could never be you!). Bonus points if your professor likes you (huge), or if your professor is a celeb in their field. Or if you stand up and participate in lecture. It’s time to show off.

Eat great food (read: not HUDS)

Family Weekend can provide real personal benefits if and only if you play your cards right. Skip the dhall and experience Cambridge’s great dining scene. If, like me, you procrastinate making dinner reservations, check out restaurants that are a medium walk (or an embarrassingly short Uber) from the Square. For fresh New England seafood, I love Alive & Kicking and Judy’s Bay.

Give them a real taste of campus life

Your family may start to get suspicious if things seem too sunshine and rainbows. I suggest engineering a minor inconvenience to demonstrate the realities of Harvard life. Take them to Berryline and make them wait in line for 45 minutes, or walk them past a swarm of scooter-riding athletes who are blissfully unaware of the rules of the road. Your family will feel like they’re in on an inside joke, which they can cheekily reference in the caption of their Facebook dump.

Touch grass

Many freshmen find themselves glued to the Yard during their first several weeks on campus. Amid the chaos of Family Weekend, it can be nice to finally get away. The past couple of falls, when my mom has visited, we’ve taken a walk to the Mt. Auburn Cemetery, where the foliage is truly striking this time of year. It’s the kind of outing you probably wouldn’t plan on your own in the middle of midterm season, but it can be a great way to appreciate the beauty of fall in New England and get a much-needed mental break.

Wear all your Harvard merch

This is your time to break out every free piece of Harvard merch you’ve accumulated, whether from your dorm, your House, or a random club you passed by at the student org fair. Repping Harvard sends your parents the message that you’re obsessed with your school (yay!) and that they’re getting a positive return on investment. If anyone asks, the merch is a perk of your extensive extracurricular involvement. Bonus points if you convince your parents to stop by The Coop and get you some new swag!

Treat your peers like they’re your best friends

This hack can be applied year-round but is especially useful during Family Weekend. When families flock onto campus, every student is trying to convince their parents that they’re doing just fine. A great way to accomplish this is by showing your family how many nice friends you have. Smile and wave at that kid from section, and introduce your parents to your FOP leader, even if you haven’t seen them since you were on the trail in New Hampshire. Your parents will be delighted to see you surrounded by friendly faces, and you might even become closer to those people in the process.

As a sidebar, whenever possible, invite along a friend whose family isn’t visiting. Your parents will remember them fondly, and your friend will appreciate not having to eat HUDS being included. It’s a small gesture that can make a weekend that’s otherwise full of family photos and restaurant reservations feel a little more welcoming.

Clean your room

Finally, this should go without saying, but clean. your. room. No one wants their parents nagging them about cleaning their room when they’re already in college. Or, God forbid, your family starts cleaning your room as a post-brunch activity (no thank you). Before your family arrives, put away your laundry, clear off your desk, and make your bed. If you do nothing else to prepare for Family Weekend, do this.

Ultimately, Family Weekend is a chance to ease your family’s anxieties, show them that you love and appreciate them, and take a breather before the rest of the semester kicks into high gear. Go for a lovely walk, enjoy a delicious meal, and, if you have to spend hours on a pset, pencil that into the itinerary, too. If all else fails, send them home with a Harvard tote and a few photos with the John Harvard statue <3. We’ll leave it up to you to decide whether they touch the golden foot…