<p>Hello. I'm going to be a freshman at Harvard, and I've been thinking a lot about going off to college. </p>
<p>I'm 98% certain that I am never going to come back home again (I live in CA). This means Thanksgiving break, winter break, spring break, and summer. I know you can stay in the dorms and Annenberg is open during Thanksgiving break and Spring break which is what I am going to do, and I am planning to take internships or get a job during summer so I can have somewhere to stay. </p>
<p>However, for winter break, dorms are closed and so are dining halls. What would I do for winter break? How does winter session work? Would I be able to do that as a freshman? Does it cost a lot of money? </p>
<p>If winter session is not available, I'm thinking about saving enough money from working on-campus and then using that to live somewhere during winter break. </p>
<p>Does this whole plan seem plausible / like a good idea? Any insider tips or suggestions? Thank you.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone can tell you whether it’s a good idea. I agree with you that winter break is going to be the hard part, and your first year will be the hardest year. There will be other kids staying over Thanksgiving and Spring breaks, and after freshman year, you’ll know more people.</p>
<p>Without knowing your circumstances, I don’t think any of us can comment on this, although I would have to wonder why you never want to return home (feel free not to answer this may be a very personal issue).</p>
<p>I grew up in an abusive home, so I can relate to the not going back home thing. Some skeletons need to be deadbolted in the closet.</p>
<p>Maybe a friend will invite you home for winter break? Are there any hostels or cheap motels nearby? I would talk to a counselor about this as soon as you get on campus. If you are coming from unique circumstances, I am sure they will find options for you.</p>
<p>When you’re there, speak with your Dean. He/She will be able to guide you – especially if it’s a very personal situation. Many internationals stay on campus over XMas break. Ultimately, I think you’ll have many options. Good luck.</p>
<p>Hey, this is totally possible but it takes some work and you might need to get some advisers, health services people on your side depending on why you’re doing it. I’m from an abusive home and have been able to not go back for the whole of my Harvard career (I’m a rising senior now). You can stay every winter break if you have an extenuating circumstance, you’ll just have to fend for yourself with food and you get moved to temporary housing if you do it freshman year. Summer can be a lot trickier. A lot of programs offer housing when the summer school is in session but there are 3 bridge housing time frames that can be hard to fill. Dorm crew full time, or PBHA part time programs can help fill those. In general, the best option is to be as proactive as possible and to get help from your adviser or UHS in finding out who to talk to. People at the BSC are good too. I’ve had a very bad time with freshman deans, but maybe some of the other ones are helpful. Feel free to message me if you’d like more info about who I talked to.</p>
<p>Sorry, to add one more thing. Definitely think about talking to someone at the BSC or an adviser you trust as a starting point. A lot of administrators at Harvard just won’t know how to deal with some kinds of special circumstances and can be offensive and rude to you. My proctors were totally disrespectful when I asked them about it and the experience was deeply infantilizing.</p>