Tufts Blogs

Towards the end of every October, Tufts has Family Weekend, so that the family and friends of Tufts students can come and visit the college and learn about what their Jumbos are doing. Family Weekend just finished, and I was lucky enough to be visited by my parents and brother, who explored the Tufts campus with me on both Friday and Saturday. 

Family Weekend includes many activities to explore different opportunities and activities available on the Tufts campus. This year, Friday activities included campus tours, a tour of the Tufts art galleries, and seminars on campus life, the experimental college, and career coaching, among other things. Saturday activities included mock classes, an open house at Goddard Chapel, and the Avenue of the Arts which featured live student performances. 

My family came in on Friday, and I met them in the afternoon that day. I had classes in the morning, so I met up with my family around 2:00 pm for a late lunch. Before I was able to meet up with them, they attended a few seminars on various topics. We ate in the dining hall, and I had the opportunity to show them where I eat two to three times every day. After that, we chose to do a self-guided tour instead of partaking in one of the university-run activities. I showed my family around the campus, and they got to see my classrooms and the buildings that are a part of my daily life. After exploring the campus, we got a late dinner in Boston and then returned to campus, where my parents left me to go back to their hotel since I had an event that night. 

For me, Friday was really just a day of catching up with my family. I’m very close with my family, and didn’t have a lot of experience with being away from home before coming to Tufts (which is an eight hour drive from my home). It was truly a relief to see them. Although I haven’t felt very homesick at Tufts, I did miss my family a lot. I really enjoyed being able to see them in person, talk about what has been happening, and show them what I’ve done since coming to Tufts. I found that I didn’t really want to do the events as much as I just wanted to catch up with them after not seeing them for two months. 

On Saturday, me and my family ate brunch together at the dining hall, and then attended a seminar on travel abroad. After that, we went to the Avenue of the Arts. This was a really fun event for a lot of reasons. I think that the Avenue of the Arts is a great way to show off the creativity and talent of Tufts students. Additionally, it was during this time that I got to meet my friend’s parents, and introduce my parents to my friends. I loved being able to see the people I love from home, connecting with the people I love here. 

After going out to dinner again that night, I had to say goodbye to my family. It was definitely disappointing to think about not seeing them again for a while, but Thanksgiving break is only a month away. I’m very much looking forward to that, because I will get to not only see my family again, but also my dogs, who I’m missing a lot right now. 

Overall, family weekend was a really good time. But don’t worry if your family can’t come that weekend! I have a lot of friends whose parents came a week or two earlier or later, and even if your parents can’t come the activities are a lot of fun to partake in with your friends or friend’s families. Just remember to enjoy this weekend- midterms and school life can be stressful, but try your best to enjoy the time you have with the people you love. You won’t regret it.