Freshman Formal Lowdown

Freshman Formal is a night to remember. That being said, not everyone does. What’s the best way to get ready for that legendary night? Flyby is here to offer some tips, in the hopes that the Class of 2020 gets more out of it than we did.

By Sophia Wen

Date or No?

Pros of having a date include having a date, possibly not paying for your ticket, and having someone to take endless pictures of you until you get an Insta-worthy one.

Cons of having a date include having a date, possibly paying for two tickets, and having to take endless pictures with someone you don’t know that well. Was this worth the saved $25? Ask yourself that when you realize you can’t crop your date out of the best picture that you took all night.

Awkward or Fun?

Freshman Formal will always and forever be awkward. You have your entire class dancing under a tent in the Science Center plaza while everyone pretends to tolerate the company of people outside their blocking group. You see everyone from everything you’ve ever done on campus. The girl who saw you pee on the statue? Check. The guy who walked past as you were on his Facebook profile in Annenberg? Check. Your drunken makeout(s) from Opening Days? Check, check and check. All that being said, awkward doesn’t mean boring. Anything can be fun if you pretend like it never happened the next day.

How much should I pre-game and when should I go?

Don’t pregame before dinner. Yakking in Annenberg while everyone is in cocktail attire is not the move. And paying $25 to not make it to the party is also not the move. And like every good Harvard student should know by now, the Yard is technically dry. Do what you will with that information.

Also, don’t show up right when the party starts because you will be disappointed unless you’re with a huge squad. Come at 10. 11 is also fine. But get there before 11:30 because, after that, no re-entry is allowed.

What should I wear?

All we can say is to watch the weather. Boston weather doesn’t know what it wants to be when it grows up, so it could very well be 10 degrees that night or 60. Hope for 60. Wear comfortable shoes and beware of wearing open-toe shoes because an army of stilettos will inevitably trample your feet and you will have bruises for weeks. And that is something that you will definitely remember.