Tufts Blogs

Welcome back!

It’s been awhile since I have taken the time to sit down and blog, so as I sit here on a crisp autumn day in Davis Square, it is so nice to open up my laptop and begin my first post of the semester.

It seems surreal to me that this is the first semester of my senior year.

It feels like just yesterday, I was moving into my freshman room, decorating the room to make it feel more homey, figuring out my favorite meal combinations in the dining halls and the days when they have the best selections!

People always tell you that the years fly by in college and to appreciate this time.

And while I still whole-heartedly believe that the years beyond college are just as full of opportunities, there is definitely merit in their advice.

With this in mind, I decided to come up with a list of things that I love about this unique experience, things I hope to appreciate as much as I can during senior year:

1. Living off-campus: One of the great things about being an upperclassmen is the ability to live off-campus. While living in dorms certainly gives you a strong support system your first couple of years at Tufts as you do not have to cook for yourself or worry about cleaning the dorm bathrooms, living off-campus teaches you a great deal about independence. From paying your first rent check, to grocery shopping and cooking your own meals, to decorating your own non-dorm room, you certainly learn a lot of valuable skills living outside the dorms.                     
2. Having friends so close: While living on different sides of the hill can make it seem like some friends are incredibly far away from you (aka a 15-20 minute walk up or down hill), this can be one of the last times we are all together in the same city! With so many career paths and opportunities in  different cities, many of us end up in different locations after college. A 20-minute walk or even a walk up the stairs to friends on the second floor apartment to share dinner is little compared to having to take a plane ride to visit a friend. It is important to enjoy how close we are now and not take it for granted. 
3. Meeting underclassmen: This year, it’s been really great to meet first-year students who have so many different questions as they are just starting to get the hang of Tufts. As a senior, I really value having the opportunity to share my own experiences to remind my new friends that while things may seem crazy right now, especially with toppling assignments and the struggle of being away from home, they will make it to the other side and learn so much from this experience
4. Knowing the area: Although I have always loved spending time in coffee shops (hmm, can you tell from my blog posts?) and exploring the area, I really hope to make the most out of the places that I have spent hours in studying, the tables where I have spent time sipping warm cups of tea with friends as we waited for the Tufts shuttle on snowy days. I also hope to get to know places I haven't been to as well! Mostly, I want to appreciate the local shops and streets that have become home.                                                                     
5. The community: This semester, I have realized the extent of the kindness and support from the larger Tufts community. This can come from so many people including teachers who kindly treat their students to coffee during a class-break and parents who encourage their children as much as they can from a distance through a loving good morning text or a phone call.

The truth is, while the list of things to do before graduation can seem daunting, I feel so much joy thinking that there is still so much to appreciate, so much to be thankful for. So while senior year may seem intimidating, I am incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to spend another year here to make the most out of my Tufts experience.