Tips for Harkness Success

Hello, and welcome to Exeter! My name is Maegan and I’m a three-year upper living in Dunbar. I understand how intimidating Harkness can be in your first few weeks. For most new students, Harkness is a completely new style of learning. But don’t worry—the most important aspect of Harkness is everyone’s willingness to collaborate, and you’re always invited to put forth new ideas or make mistakes. Here a few tips to keep in mind for classes.

1) Remember that teachers are here to help. Reach out if you find yourself struggling to hop into the discussion or if you are ever uncertain about how Harkness even works. Teachers are always available, even outside of class times.

2) Harkness is not a “one size fits all” way of learning! I was nervous about Harkness my prep year, particularly in my math and science classes, because the method seemed more suited for the humanities. However, I soon realized that Harkness is wired to meet the needs of all subjects. In English, you can use discussions to evaluate something’s meaning, while in math, you can use them to derive formulas and simplify work.

3) Note that there are no students inherently well or ill-suited for Harkness—the method completely relies on the different personalities of its participants. It’s quite difficult to be a perfect student your first term, so don’t worry if it takes you some time to find your style.

4) My most important advice is to remain confident without dominating the discussion or disregarding your classmates. Try not to speak after every other person, as that is a classic sign of the dreaded “Harkness Warrior.” It may be tempting to say as much as possible to improve your participation grade, but it’s much more valuable to invite multiple perspectives and help frame a deeper, more coherent discussion.

5) Again, take your time and be patient with the learning process. Harkness is new, but you’ll see that it can become second nature for you in just a few, short months.