Tufts Blogs

Talk a bit about your background / where you are from and what led you to choose Tufts. Furthermore, what were a few factors that lead you to Tufts and into the Grad program.

I’m Christian North! I am a first generation college student from a small town near Atlanta, GA. After spending most of my youth in a congenial southern town, I developed a desire to increase the pace which led me to Tufts! I had some offers from a few other schools, but they were located in their own little college towns and I wanted to attend a school somewhere near the city. After graduating I had a job offer as a consultant, but I talked to Kevin Oye from the Gordon Institute and he convinced me to join his MSIM program for a year.

In what ways does your Grad program feel different from the Tufts undergraduate experience? What did you study in Undergrad and how has it morphed now that you have entered grad school?

You definitely get more intimate with your other classmates as you are part of a cohort vs a 1200 person class. I think the other notable difference is that most everyone in MSIM is there to maximize their learning, so while things are a bit more competitive they are also more passionate, driven, and in my opinion more interesting people. As an undergraduate I studied cognitive brain science. As it was an interdisciplinary major, I received a diverse set of learning skills that can be applied to many different industries. It gave me the technical, conceptual, and communicatory foundation that has been allowing me to succeed in the MSIM program. It’s necessary to wear many hats in this program and I wouldn’t be as effective at it if it wasn’t for my choice of major.

What are some things you knew before undergrad? What are something you wish you knew before grad school?

There are two critical things that I wish I had known going into undergraduate. First, focus on the 3 foundational aspects of communication that will help you exceed anywhere in life. Really learn how to think, write, and speak. Developing an effective and clear style for all three of those things will set you apart anywhere you go and allow you to succeed in most areas of life. I’d advise taking at least a few philosophy classes and public speaking courses if at all possible, and really take your job as a student seriously. 

The second thing I wish I had known was to develop a technical skill. To first enter the job field, whether as an entrepreneur or in the general workplace, technical skills are an absolute necessity. Earlier on in your career demonstrating competent technical skills are going to be what opens the door for you, from finding internships to developing your portfolio of work. Later on in your life is where those 3 foundational aspects of communication are going to come in really handy, as you start to climb the societal ladder that’s when interpersonal skills start to overtake technical ones in importance. You’d be surprised how far a few good jokes can get you in life.

What advice would you offer to someone in the midst of the college process, especially during COVID?

If you’re really feeling the pressure of the world as well as well as pressure from your own psyche, I’d recommend taking a step back and taking a deep breath. Remember that plenty of people have been in your shoes, feeling the same feelings, and they not only survived but thrived.

Also make sure to eliminate anxiety where you can in life, even if it’s small. Clean your room, if you can’t do that then clean your desk, if not that at least pick the dirty underwear off your floor. Then celebrate! You’ve just overcome a small part of the chaos of life. Just keep doing that little by little and you’ll find yourself exactly where you need to be.

What are your favorite Tufts traditions? Favorite activities on campus?

I love to purchase the green tea sencha shots and a cup of probiotic yogurt from the commons a few times every week. It’s a little healthy snack that improves your gut microbiome and sets you up for feeling like 100 bucks for the rest of the day.

How do you pass your time outside of academics?

There’s a diverse set of things that I do, which I think most people can identify with. Drinking with friends, reading books, playing piano, going for runs. I think what’s been essential to keeping up with my hobbies is scheduling time each day for me to allow myself to do these things.

Ways to stay fit / healthy in college?

Well if you want to stay fit and healthy the first thing I highly recommend is to stop going to parties. There’s little chance that anyone reading this will follow that advice though. If you stop going to parties, you stop drinking and staying up late. If you stop drinking and staying up late you have a healthier gut microbiome and sleep schedule, meaning that you have a healthy chemical balance in your brain. If you have a healthy chemical balance in your brain, you’re going to feel less stress, more motivation to exercise, and a desire for healthier food. This is not some hippy stuff either, look at the empirical research/literature folks!

Where are your favorite spots to eat locally? 

Wangs: Late night (12:30am) delivery and they have a banging combination plate. I recommend General Gau’s Chicken with pork fried rice, Crab Rangoon, and Chicken Teriyaki Stick. Call to order.

Dakzen: Best street food within 5 miles. I recommend Khao Moo Dang and Drunken Noodle combo. 

Gyukaku: If you’re looking for a bit of a nicer place to go out I’d recommend this international Japanese BBQ chain. Only because there’s no good Korean BBQ in Boston. Though they treat their servers terribly (from personal experience), god damn they have some mouthwatering food. The 80% off employee discount was so worth all the burns, cuts, and tears.

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Shoutout to Tufts Korean Student Association! They are low-key doing some of the most amazing work on campus in terms of community building and engagement!