Tufts Blogs

To all incoming/potential freshmen that are looking for a taste of what Tufts classes are like this is definitely a post for you. And when it comes down to picking an advising class, I hope this persuades you to go for it.

Before I arrived at Tufts in August there was a laundry list of things to do as incoming freshman. One of those items happens to be choosing which type of advising classes you are interested in. These classes are a way to alleviate the transition between high school and college through the help of professors on campus. Essentially you choose how much help you want. You can decide to opt out of the classroom setting, you can choose to be only with freshman and you can choose what type class you want. 

Here’s why my advising class, Class Matters, was just flat out awesome.

On the first day, I wandered into the Latino House confused and disoriented (like you’d expect all freshmen to be). I hadn’t really expected the class to be so roomy. There were no desks, only couches that were soon filled by the 12 new faces I would soon come to meet. Our teacher, Rubén Stern made it clear that this wouldn’t be an ordinary class setting. It was the beginning of an epic experience.

The class was a perfect way to get caught up with current events in the U.S. while learning about some of the back-story regarding some of these political, economic and social issues. After being away from the U.S. for five years, all the information I analyzed was invaluable and helped me understand topics ranging from education to immigration. More often that not, social issues revolving around social class are not the focus of conversation today in America. But the truth is, this hierarchy affects us all in one way or another. As Rubén suggested, there can only be change when the topic of social class becomes a conversation. And as a class, we did just that. 

It was also a very hands-on experience, something that I hadn’t really pictured any college class to be like. Through the Experimental College, we explored outside of the traditional classroom boundaries leading us to different parts of Boston and interacting with the community through different mediums.

One day, after briefly discussing gentrification in class, our teacher sent us (all on our own) on an adventure in a part of Boston that most of us had never been to before: Jamaica Plains. The point of the trip was to notice what we do not see in Tufts. We walked through the state-sponsored housing neighborhoods and observed the distinct boundaries between social classes. It was an eye-opener to be submerged within this different environment. At the end of the trip, we even enjoyed a meal at a Cuban restaurant with our teacher. I’m not kidding when I say Tufts professors want to get to know their students!

Another aspect of the class involved hearing from people who were directly affected by these issues. We had panels that came and explained to us what it was like to be a part specific social class. Perhaps the most influential moment in the class was when we were able to talk to two homeless youth through the Youth On Fire program in Harvard Square. Sometimes we forget that people our age are also struggling for varying reasons. A lot of their issues hit home with my classmates and I’m pretty sure it changed our perspective on why it is so important to give back to the community.

Through the many group conversations and one-on-one chats with Rubén I started realizing how interested I was in these topics. I was able to make connections between this advising class and the other classes I was taking. But what I think I gained the most was the opportunity to get to know a wonderful group of people that are still my friends today. The class is over, but the conversation about social class is never ending in our perspective.

So here’s the point: when Tufts promises you a strong relationship with a professor, a great class dynamic and an original syllabus, they aren’t lying. This class, amongst many others made me feel like Tufts was officially my new home.