Throughout your time at Tufts, you’ll have the opportunity to join a wide array of organizations, from club and intramural sports to dance ensembles to consulting groups. With so many options, it can feel impossible to figure out which ones are actually right for you. You’ll hear a million people tell you to "join clubs!" as if the Activities Fair isn’t already a chaotic labyrinth of tables, free candy, and way‑too‑eager club members promising that ultimate frisbee will “change your life.” I walked in thinking I’d find one or two groups. I walked out having written my email down on seven different sign‑up sheets, holding a sticker, and somehow convinced to take a SMFA class.
There’s an unspoken pressure to do everything. Everyone around you seems busy and involved, and it’s easy to feel like you should be too. I definitely felt that at first, but I’ve learned that this phase is less about getting it “right” immediately and more about giving yourself permission to explore.
At first, that pressure pushed me to try out a lot of different spaces. Some stuck, and some didn’t, and that turned out to be okay. I left a few clubs after realizing they weren’t the best fit, whether because of time commitment or simply how I felt there. Letting go made room for things that felt more natural and enjoyable.
I’ve started to narrow things down to a few spaces I actually like being in. I’m part of Alpha Kappa Psi, a professional organization, Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association, and Greek life plus a couple of smaller things here and there. What’s kept me in them isn’t really the on-paper aspect, it’s more just how I feel when I’m there. AKPsi has been a good way to push myself a bit and meet people who are also pretty driven, while EESA feels more like a comfortable, familiar space where I can connect with people who share similar identities.
Here’s what helped me lessen the pressure: I started paying attention to how I felt after meetings. Did I feel welcomed? Did I feel like myself? Was I excited to go back, or counting the minutes until it ended? Those questions became my filter. I learned that the right organization doesn’t make you feel guilty for having limits. It fits into your life instead of taking it over.
I also learned that quitting doesn’t mean failure. In fact, some of the friends I made in clubs I left are still my friends now; the only difference is that we just don’t share a weekly meeting anymore. Leaving one space made room for another that felt more aligned, and over time I found a combination that actually worked for me. That sense of balance didn’t come instantly; it came after months of trial and error, and that’s completely normal.
Comparison definitely played a role in all of this, but I’ve learned to keep it in perspective. More than once, I realized that people I admired for “doing it all” were also figuring things out as they went. That reminder made it easier to focus on what worked for me instead of measuring myself against others.
What I’ve learned (albeit slowly) is that involvement does not equal worth. A packed schedule doesn’t automatically mean a fulfilled life. Your path is your path, and you’re allowed to change it as you go. Trying things, quitting things, and trying again is part of the process. You’ll come out okay, even if it takes a little time to figure out what “okay” looks like for you.