Tufts Blogs

Upon deciding to attend Tufts,  I remember questioning how exciting and fruitful my college experience would be, seeing as how I was going to school only twenty minutes away from my home in Malden. I had always dreamed of the experience of moving outside the Boston area to attend college far enough away that I’d have to take a plane to travel back and forth. I was also really worried about maintaining my ability to live independently and didn’t look forward to unexpected visits from family members. Now, in my fourth semester at Tufts, I can certainly debunk all the myths I set for myself and speak to the blessing of being close to home.

Being familiar with the Medford and greater Boston areas has really been convenient. First, knowing how to take the MBTA and comfortably hop on the Red Line for various errands and time off-campus was a skill I already knew, which made the transition so much easier and has allowed me to be a resource for other people to lean on. As a person who loves helping others out, I’ve relished sharing shortcuts to taking the MBTA and breaking down the simple ways to commute to popular places like Assembly Row and Newbury Street. Moreover, in my extracurricular involvement I’ve been able to tap into connections I had developed with community-based organizations throughout high school to work on continued projects and events. I also get to facilitate a connection between local organizations and the Tufts community, as I did, for example, with a recent Black Student Union fundraiser for an organization called the Roxbury Environmental Empowerment Project (REEP) that works with youth on environmental justice campaigns.

To my pleasant surprise, studying twenty minutes from home has not served as a barrier to immersively and freely living on campus and, in fact, it has strengthened my sense of independence. I jokingly promised my uncle upon moving in that I wasn’t one to experience homesickness and would be able to stay on campus with no visits until Thanksgiving. Sure enough, I fulfilled the expectation and only went home afterwards for spring and summer breaks. Early on, I set a personal goal to immerse myself in campus life and do so through building a strong foundation during my first year that allowed me to gain comfort in studying, living, eating, and learning in the Tufts community--something I also communicated with my family. That comfort was made possible thanks to my residential hall and extracurricular involvement freshman year and has grown so much so that I miss the idea of Tufts when I leave. Of course, I also prioritize checking in with my family every week, which occasionally happens through delightful drop-offs of home-cooked Ethiopian food like injera and firfir (another big perk of being close!). 

My recent departure from on-campus housing due to COVID-19 certainly put into perspective the privilege I have in living just a city away from Medford. While I was upset to hear the news, knowing that my move-out would involve help from family to load my belongings into a car and take a short drive back, humbled me and pushed me to check my frustration. This moment also became an opportunity for me to take a couple suitcases to store for my friend and alleviate some stress that I couldn’t imagine having--juggling a move back to the West coast. While it feels warm to be home with family during such a disruptive time, this experience has also made me that much more grateful for my community at Tufts and excited to return back to my home away from home next year.