Tufts Blogs

Every weekday, I have a tradition of waking up relatively early around 6:30 AM to get ready for the day. Living in Latin Way, an apartment-style dorm, has its perks, especially the kitchen. On cold winter mornings, It’s really convenient and warm to just cook my breakfast in my suite instead of adventuring out to Dewick, even if it’s just two minutes away. 

After eating breakfast, I like to get a head start on my homework. As a Chemical Engineering student, my workload can be intense, especially for courses like Thermodynamics and Organic Chemistry. However, starting early allows me to set things up to work on later with my classmates one step at a time. Plus, working on them with classmates helps so much. Even when I don’t fully understand something at first, having friends to figure it out with makes a huge difference. 

By 8:00 AM, I make the 10 minute trek to the gym, my favorite way to get pumped for the day. Mornings are the best time to go because it's not too crowded and I can get all the machines I need without waiting. Afterwards, I head home to shower and get ready for my only class of the day: Organic Chemistry class taught by Professor Ira Caspari at 10:30 AM. Organic Chemistry has a reputation for being brutal, but Professor Caspari is passionate about making it less intimidating. She really cares about her students, and it shows. 

After class, I make a quick stop at Kindlevan to get a quick drink before going to the lab. Kindlevan is great because it has so many options like coffee, tea, baked goods, smoothies, and even sandwiches all for a meal swipe! Today, I got the peanut butter smoothie which tastes amazing and is packed with protein before heading to the Science & Technology Center for my research lab at 12:30 PM. 

Currently, I work in the Kaplan Lab, which was something I was nervous about before coming to Tufts. I had zero research experience and wasn’t sure if any lab would take me in. However, after one cold email, I realized how welcoming Tufts research labs are. They don’t expect you to know everything, but want to know that you're excited to learn. The amazing thing about Tufts is that everyone here is willing to teach you things that you may not know, especially in research. My mentor has been really supportive and flexible, which has been a lifesaver with my packed course schedule. 

After wrapping up my experiments, I grab a Pita Bowl from Hodgdon around 5 PM and head to the Joyce Cummings Center to get some work done. The sixth floor is my go-to spot with its huge whiteboards that I use to list out everything I need to do and check things off one by one. During this time, I try to check off as many things I need to do as possible such as my homework and club duties. 

At 9 PM, I have a meeting for the Vietnamese Student Club which is open to everyone! Tonight, we hosted our Valentine’s day event which I coordinated with my other Co-Vice President. We had baked goods for people to eat as well as different activities like a photobooth for the various “families” or groups to take polaroid pictures and a cookie design contest for people to compete for a prize! It was such a fun way for people to unwind in the middle of midterms season. 

By 10PM, after cleaning up, I finally head home to Latin Way to unwind from the day. I usually spend time hanging out with my suitemates before getting ready for bed, recharging for whatever’s next. Every day is a little different, but there is always something new I look forward to at Tufts.