So spring break is over, and strangely, it’s actually quite nice. I would love to say the reason for this is because I adore my classes and cannot wait to get back to them, but I would be lying. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the classes I’m taking, but at the end of the day work is work. No, what’s nice is that everyone is back on campus. It got pretty lonely with practically just the rowing team here over the break, and although some people look disgustingly tanned from the beautiful tropical paradise they have just jetted back from, it’s nice to have the hustle and bustle of campus life again. The weather is also starting to brighten up, and is hinting, just hinting, that spring may be around the corner. We did end up with 7 inches of snow again last week, much of which is still dotted around, but I and the rest of us here in Cambridge are hoping that it will be winter’s final farewell.

A wintery Charles last Tueday…in mid March

In all I had a very relaxing spring break. We finished up the week with a good couple of days of hard training, then had the weekend off which was a really nice rest before getting back into college life again. After the excitement of busting everyone’s brackets last Thursday in March Madness, it was sad to see that we couldn’t defy the odds again and beat Arizona on Saturday, but everyone is proud of the basketball team for their momentous achievement. It was so strange to be seeing Twitter blowing up in disbelief while I’m watching friends of mine in the game. Still, we had our moment in the limelight, and showing the President that he was wrong to bet against his former university was sweet indeed!

This week should contain a couple of exciting announcements. I’ve applied to be a leader for Harvard’s Freshman International Programme (FIP), a pre-orientation program for internationals which takes place the weekend before term begins, and seeks to help internationals make the transition over to the US. I myself took part in the program last year as an incoming freshman, finding it to be a fantastic few days getting to know the international community, and really would love to be a part of helping the program run this year for the class of 2017. I had an interview just before spring break and find out at the end of this week if I was successful, so fingers crossed! As well as this, I’ve also applied for a summer job with the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative, helping to spread the word about Harvard’s fantastic financial aid system. Nearly 60% of Harvard’s students receive some form of financial aid, and the average grant is $40,000, demonstrating Harvard’s commitment to breaking down economic boundaries which may stop some students from attending. My role over the summer would be a student coordinator helping to spread the word about the system to middle and high schoolers, and as someone who could only be here at Harvard thanks to this system, I think it would be an incredibly rewarding experience to help inform others of just how amazing it is. I had an interview this morning for the position, and should find out by next monday, so fingers double crossed I suppose! I’ll be sure to let you guys know next week if I’m successful or not.

A snapshot from last year’s FIP

Other than this, life has pretty much returned to normal. We have a social event for the Crimson Key, which I mentioned in my last post, on Friday to get to meet the current members and other compers, which should be a good laugh. Training has resumed in full with racing now so close I can almost touch it, lining up against Cornell on the 6th really cannot come quicker. So as I said, I will keep you guys updated with my ongoing application, and hope you all have a great week!

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
•