As I was growing up, I often heard that “college is the best four years of your life!” Wow, talk about pressure! I'm hoping to live for eighty years or so. Now that I'm in college, I can see why these years are universally known as great. The college "adventure" is ideal for excited students who want to join a community with people who have similar priorities. It is a bridge between being dependent on your parents and going into the real world. However, success doesn't come from showing up to class. It requires an immense amount of dedication to your schoolwork, friends and responsibilities. In my humble opinion, there are three components to the "best four years of your life": finding a good academic match where you can thrive, making friends and having fun once you enroll. Finding the right academic culture is a whole other blog post; today I’ll focus on having fun.
There’s always more homework to do and food to eat, but that’s not going to give me “the best four years of my life!” Beyond food and homework, there is certainly no shortage of people to meet, new adventures, and excursions around Boston. Because of that, my friends and I decided to make a bucket list every semester. It is kind of scary that we are already done with more than 1/4 of our college careers. I'm now closer to applying for a real job and starting my career than I am to taking the SATs! I thoroughly appreciate these four years, and there is an endless list of things I would like to do in the area. We tried to narrow the list down in order to be realistic about what we can organize together. Please take a look at our 14 things for (the rest of) 2014!
We have already had apple cider donuts. Skating at Frog Pond, apple picking and having a picnic in the Middlesex Fells are also very customary in New England. The MFA (aka Museum of Fine Arts) is free to all Tufts students because of our dual degree program with the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. We've been planning on a spontaneous adventure since summer, ironically, which is why it is on the bucket list. As I’m only here for four years, the bucket list is a reality check so I can quantify what’s important about college. Apple cider donuts are important in my life, particularly with friends at the Somerville Flea Market or Farmer's Market.
College life moves fast, but I would not have it any other way. I’m so happy with my major, my classes, my friends, and this beautiful campus. I am honored to go to this university. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of ups and downs and good days and bad days. Reflecting back on my opportunities here is so important. It gives me the motivation to keep working hard and running up and down our lovely hill.
To the high school seniors and juniors out there, remember that you need to make your own bucket lists! While most of your actions seem to center around applying to college, high school is still a growing opportunity as well. There is no time like the present to get going on life’s bucket list.
I want to give a quick shout out to Charles Tufts, for concentrating 5200 awesome Jumbos on a hill in Medford, Massachusetts and setting me up for the "best four years of my life."
(Also please note that I never said #YOLO. It was hard.)