Term-Time Jobs: A Commitment in More Ways Than One

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Author: Alex Haskins

Since the fall of 2011, I have worked at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government library, first as both a regular circulation assistant and a collections assistant and later just as a collections assistant. Initially, I averaged 20 hours per week (the limit for any full-time student on campus through work-study) but this year I kept it at 10. The difference between last year and this year has shown me a couple of things that I feel are important for anyone considering term time jobs while at HDS.

Friends at HDS

When you arrive at HDS there is a thoughtful, intentional orientation. It’s a nice mix of large group and small group activities. A nice mix of optional and highly recommended activities. Perfect for an introvert like me and I’m sure it’s great for extroverts too. And you meet people, over lunch, in those groups; you chat. And you realize that you have kindred spirits.

Then, in class—in your seminars and your sections from your lectures—you start to say, ‘hi’.

Finding Time to Find Time: Learning to Procrastinate ‘Better’ at HDS

I am a terrible procrastinator. I have written more papers in the last hours before they were due than I can count. In fact, this very blog entry is a few weeks late, in part because I struggled to find time to write about “Finding Time in a Busy Schedule.” It’s okay to laugh about that; I know I do.

Summer Language Program at HDS

There is a certain vocabulary that pervades academic study – religious studies in particular. But the summer before entering the Harvard Divinity School MTS program, I was able to study a more common and immediately useful language: Spanish.

Why HDS?: Navigating the Discernment Process, Finding the Right Fit, and Making the Best Decision for You

The e-mail arrived in your inbox (or pinged on your phone). It likely said something dreadfully vague and adrenaline-inducing, such as “Thank you for your application, admissions decisions are now available online, click this shiny link and prepare to wait for the longest page-load in the history of page-loads.”

Not in so many words, of course.

But then the page did load, and the message was clear. And even on the fifth time through, it still says Congratulations.

Reflections on an Interfaith Movement in Jordan

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Subject:Field Education, Subject:Travel

When considering divinity school, and the ways in which Harvard Divinity School in particular may be the right fit, you have probably spent a bit of time thinking about how your pursuit of a degree at such an institution might benefit or influence you professionally.

In those considerations, I imagine most thoughts have revolved around various dimensions of on-campus opportunities, and not necessarily the possibilities of career exploration abroad. While my campus experiences have been enriching in so many ways, one of my most formative experiences came in the form of a summer abroad.

To Fight the Monkey: International Field Education in Action

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Author:Zach Kerzee, Subject:Field Education, Subject:Travel

It was about six o’clock in the evening and I didn’t have much time left before the sun set on my first and only day in Agra – home of the Taj Mahal. I decided it best to walk into town and see what I can see, so I wandered around near aimlessly for the better part of an hour.

Designer Labels

Why Harvard? Why HDS? Why not Harvard? As a woman who spent the bulk of her adult life in the rather transparent world of Hollywood, I can tell you that just because it bears a label does not mean you should wear it. I use this analogy because the reality is, Harvard is one, if not the most prestigious labels one can adorn.  But, when plotting your future, the institution you choose to be your home for either two, three or five years should fit you like a glorious tailor-made suit.

Diversity at HDS

One of the first classes I took at HDS challenged me to think about the word ‘diversity’ and the way it gets used in academic and social settings. You know, “encouraging diversity” as shorthand for having more people of different backgrounds, abilities, experiences join the committee, class, or discussion, or just the word itself used to mean certain categories of difference. I know there are times those ideas can be useful, but my own experiences tell me sometimes ‘diversity’ is more about those categories than about the people in them.

HDS’ “Hidden Gem”: Islamic Studies

You don’t normally think of a divinity school as the place to do Islamic Studies. Certainly when I began looking into MA and PhD programs in contemporary Islam or the Modern Middle East, I looked at other, more conventional programs: the Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies, the University of Chicago MA program in Islamic Studies, the Columbia MESAAS program. So why the div school, you might ask?