Tufts Blogs

This post if for anyone who lives far away from Tufts University.

(Note. If you are having the opposite problem and your home is extremely close to Tufts, this blog may help!)

I was raised in Hong Kong, which is exactly 7941 miles or 12,780 kilometers from Medford, Mass. That means that freshman year, I packed my whole life into 2 suitcases, got on a plane and 16 hours, 8 movies, and a stiff neck later, I arrived at Tufts!

For me, it was never a question that I would be going to college in another country, as I'm sure for some of you on the West Coast, the idea of an East Coast college experience has always been the dream. However, that did not mean that I wasn't nervous about moving so far away from home. I'll be honest, there were certainly some challenges that came with living so far away. In this blog, I'll talk about some of the bad but I'll also talk about the good! Ultimately, I fell in love with Tufts, and there were many ways in which leaving home was beneficial to me.

The first few weeks of college were fun, exciting and deceivingly easy. I did a pre-orientation program, made some friends, got through a full day without getting lost, etc. It wasn't until Parents and Family Weekend that I started to feel a little homesick. Being so far away from home, my parents were unable to casually come to campus for the weekend or to fly me home for every break. When I did occasionally fly home, the 16-20 hours on a plane was no picnic. However, I did spend most of my summers working in Boston, alongside friends from near and far who also stayed, so that wasn't a bad thing! I fell in love with Boston in those months, exploring new neighbourhoods, walking along the waterfront, going to festivals, barbeques, Red Sox games, farmers’ markets, etc.

I definitely missed having my family around, especially when I craved my mum’s home cooked signature chicken or when I needed advice from my dad. But to be honest, thanks to technology, the long distance between us didn’t feel quite so long. Sure, the time difference made it hard sometimes, but I made it work. I'd leave my parents WhatsApp voice note updates when I had some free time during the day and late at night in the library when I needed a study break and a confidence boost, I'd call my parents while they were having breakfast.

When navigating a new place like college without family close by, I find that it is important to find a new "support system” on campus, people you can rely on and talk to as you navigate taking college classes for the first time, dealing with culture shock, etc. For some of you, it might be easy to bond with students from the same hometown, but for some others, say those from North Dakota or North Africa, you might be the only one on campus from home. What I learned in college is that there are many ways to find community on campus. Community is not always defined by location and background but also by shared interests, compatible personalities and your multiple identities. Joining clubs and trying new experiences is a great way to find friendship, mentorship and a new chosen family on campus.

Very quickly, Tufts started to feel like my second home. I connected with a student body that is kind, smart, funny, diverse, collaborative and I made friends that are like a second family to me. I found myself growing both academically and personally; I became more self-sufficient, mature, resourceful, confident and open to new things. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if you live 12 minutes or a 12 hour time difference away, college will change you for the better and push you out of your comfort zone. You will make amazing friends, bond over cool research and dining hall food, have fond memories for life and find a second home.

There are so many things I love about Tufts and I would never trade having my mum do my laundry on weekends for my four years away from home at this amazing institution.