Will I Make Friends?
If I had to give a one word answer - yes.
Congratulations and welcome to Tufts! I vividly recall the excitement which washed over me when I committed…
When you think about the plane ride, your mind might race with hundreds of anxiety-inducing thoughts. What if I fall out of contact with my friends from home? When will I taste my family’s home-cooked meals again? Can I make it in the Boston area on my own? No matter what your situation, whether you are only coming 15 miles to Tufts or over 800 miles (like me), there are ways to find your home at Tufts.
The idea of living in a new place, similar or very much unlike home, might even excite you! That excitement isn’t negated by what worries you might have. If you can come to Jumbo Days, I highly recommend it. By exploring campus a bit, sitting in on a few classes, and eating in the dining halls, you will already begin to feel welcome at Tufts. The admissions team members helping with the events are here to laugh with you, direct you around campus, and make sure your luggage gets home safe. Everyone here is excited to meet you and your eccentricities!
When you decide to come to Tufts, the first few weeks might be rough. If you’re an introvert, the exhaustion from socializing so much during orientation week might leave you wanting sleep instead of interacting with people for a solid three days. You don’t have to feel bad about that! It might feel like the friends you are making aren’t the kind to text you and ask for your company. It’s important not to take that too personally—everyone is meeting so many people and are trying to find their people! It’s an exciting time, and sometimes phones can get lost in the mix.
Here is what I suggest to help you find your niche:
Consider doing a pre-o. Once you’re admitted, there are so many pre-orientation programs tailored to different interests! It’s a great way to bond with a small (or large) group of people over a common activity, and the programs are welcoming to people who haven’t done it before! (Take my word, even if you’re a couch potato you can make it through 5 days of backpacking in Tufts Wilderness Orientation). The squad of people you’ll be bonding with through these programs is amazing—it helps you get out of your comfort zone a bit and meet people you might not have otherwise. Some groups even keep up with each other after the pre-orientation programs end with weekly dinners, so making these friends is a great way start to feeling at home.
Go to things you enjoy. See a poster on the wall for a club’s GIM? Go to it! Most clubs are very entry-level friendly and you never know who you could meet there. At the very least, you’ll spend time listening to impassioned people explain their activities. Meeting people who have interests in common with you is a great way to connect.
Be yourself! I can’t tell you how many times I have made people laugh by stumbling over words and making up new ones in the process, or by jamming out with a weird and intense passion to old pop songs in my pajamas. No one is better at being yourself than you, and loving your weirdness is a great stride toward finding people who really appreciate you.
Participate in class. The people you will see most often are going to be in your classes, so get used to talking to them! Don’t hesitate to text them and ask questions related to class or strike up small talk on the way to/from your classroom. If your class is discussion-based, put your own little funk in the mix of conversation while staying on topic.
(Lastly, my utmost advice.)
Don’t be afraid to stay in. Your well-being is incredibly important and making friends isn’t your only job in college. Recognize your limits—if you’re an introvert, you might find that you can’t go out as often as other people. The people at Tufts value your happiness, so there really is no pressure to do anything you aren’t enthusiastic about.
If I had to give a one word answer - yes.
Congratulations and welcome to Tufts! I vividly recall the excitement which washed over me when I committed…
One of the important questions, or in this case, topic, in terms of taking notes during class is either using a pen/pencil with paper or your laptop…
My two homes are very far apart.
The Great Plains that raised me are roughly 1300 miles away from Tufts. It takes plenty of planes and lengthy layovers…