Beyond Intelligence: Five Key Traits of Harvard Students
Intelligence is the first thing that pops into people’s head when they think of a Harvard student. When I tell people I go to Harvard, their response is usually along the lines of “wow, you must be really smart.” According to society, “being smart” is every Harvard student’s defining characteristic. Prior to college, I held similar beliefs about Harvard kids. But after spending two years (four full semesters) in Cambridge—eating, breathing, and sleeping alongside these people—, I have learned that Harvard kids are so much more than just smart. In fact, labeling Harvard students as just “smart” diminishes the various forms of greatness that I’ve witnessed in my peers throughout my time at college. Here are five character traits—excluding intelligence—that make Harvard students “Harvard students”.
1. They are courageous.
Harvard students are eager seekers of new challenges and opportunities for growth. They aren’t paralyzed by the fear of not being able to perform well in new activities. They aren’t afraid of pushing themselves to see what they are capable of. They don’t shy from assessments of competency and ability; rather, they rise to the occasion. Harvard students aren’t governed by self-limiting beliefs. They wake up and go after what they want.
2. They are community builders.
Harvard students are leaders that are driven to create communities. They have an intuitive understanding of how to bring people together through shared interest and values. They know how to engage people in meaningful conversation with each other and to galvanize deep connections. They understand the power and value of a strong social bonds and dedicate themselves to growing, building, and working social networks.
3. They are humble.
Students at Harvard are talented and brilliant, but they act like they don’t know it. Or maybe they really don’t know it. It’s been two years and I still can’t tell. My freshman year (when I was meeting many of my peers for the first time) I was shocked to realize that I had unknowingly befriended chess grandmasters, national poet laureates, and math olympiad champions: incredible talent and brain power packaged in down-to-earth personalties.
4. They are generous.
Harvard students are generous with their time, knowledge, and energy. They help each other out, even when they aren’t guaranteed anything in return. They volunteer to share knowledge they possess when people are too afraid to ask for it. These kids make me wonder whether it’s possible to be born without such thing as a “selfish gene”.
5. They are optimistic.
Harvard students are part of a young adult population in this country that breathe, eat, and sleep stress. But they don’t let it interfere with them getting done what needs to be done. Regardless of how tall the pile of work is or how long the to-do list is, these kids approach everything with a positive attitude. Harvard students are regular masters of tackling the day’s demands with a smile on their face.
