This past weekend, I thankfully sat perched far away from Harvard’s libraries and dining halls. As a STEM warrior, I speak for all my fellow concentrators when I say Labor Day weekend truly marks the death of our already limited freedom. The last hurrah before we move from pset 0 to pset “I don’t even know what’s going on.” In an attempt to distract myself from my impending doom and avoid the spots where I will spend countless hours crying over my psets, I used my extra 24 holiday hours to fulfill my own miniature bucket list before summer officially dies (the season and myself). I hope the following itinerary inspires you all to do the same before it’s too late…

Waiting In Line at Felipe’s

It’s Saturday night, and I’m texting my mom that I’m once again in line for a burrito (text your mom on your nights out; it’s not lame, I promise). As the minutes tick by, I anxiously await my warm, cheesy, and tasty treat. I know that tonight is the last night I will stand blissfully unaware of the classwork looming ahead. The back of my mind is free of pset deadlines, midterm exams, and awkwardly approaching my CAs in office hours. For now, the cheese and rice remain my only concern—that and how long the wait for my next burrito will be when all the weekend travelers come back to campus.

Dorm Hopping and Doomscrolling

On Sunday, accompanied by the joy of a long weekend, I headed to a friend’s dorm to enjoy what will probably amount to my only laptop-free night of the semester. Sitting around with my blockmates, I indulged in many conversations, Instagram reels, and CVS snacks. Eventually, the night devolved into competitions involving solo cups (like stacking them, mom. Jeez). I let loose knowing that after tonight the only thing that the color red would remind me of is the errors my AM10 Python is throwing my way.

Thrifting

Armed with a healthy bank account from the summer, I decided to visit The Garment District. Pros: I picked up a new flannel for the semester. Cons: I was too carefree and unbothered, and I spent beyond my means. Although I cannot bring myself to check my bank statements now, I know my excursion will be worth it in the end when winter comes around, and I have my trusty flannel with me, keeping the cold (and my tears) at bay. Bonus points if you take your thrifting very unseriously and just spend your time mixing and matching bright jackets and stupid hats with all the hopeful joy a pre-fall semester STEM student could have.

Whimsy

Last Friday night, I attended Crimson Jam, mainly for the cool tiny trains and plenty of free food. Sorry to let you down, Katy Perry—Harvard Yard doesn’t have any tabletops for us to dance on. After pretending to be at an EDM rave for an hour, I continued my evening by dancing through Harvard Square and dolling out my best celebrity impressions to anyone who would listen. I really took it upon myself to max out the amount of whimsy my Friday night could have, and truly soaked up the side-questing energy alive in Cambridge that night. The only group that mattered was my friends, not the dihedral waiting for me back at Kirkland.

Caffeine Maxxing

Since I already knew I would be relying heavily on caffeine this semester, I said to myself, “why prolong the wait?” and began ingesting hundreds of milligrams over the weekend. I indulged in countless Blank Street lattes and energy drinks, accompanied by friends and not my laptop. Caffeine, as the ever-reliable source of joy and community, tasted even better this past weekend, unburdened by the mid-semester lifeline it will soon become. New core memory unlocked: finally enjoying my Alani in peace.

Sleep

While my activities kept me out far later than I had intended, I didn’t have time to stress out about not getting enough sleep. This Labor Day weekend provided something I needed more than my Felipe’s burrito: time to sleep in. Free from meetings and study blocks, I woke up at ten, eleven, and even noon in pure bliss. Warm from the sun and on a full seven to eight hours of sleep, I felt the joy circulating through my veins. I know that my sleep schedule will soon be in shambles (fully of my own accord, but still). So, as best as you can, try enjoying the last remaining bits of rest this September before the cold dreariness of fall semester settles upon Cambridge.

It’s safe to say that I will greatly miss the live-laugh-love version of myself that only comes out during this final weekend of September freedom. As a new weekend rolls around, I can only hope that my STEM classes push me to reinvest in my whimsy, spark conversation about my thrifted pieces and specialty coffee, and allow me enough time to sleep (even when solo cups are involved). Here’s to counting down the days until our next break!