I'm back for another year at Tufts! Freshman year had lots of ups and plenty of downs, and after a busy summer, I feel like a whole new person. With a new year comes opportunities to join clubs and activities, but unfortunately, not every club can accept everyone that wants to join. I'll give some quick anecdotes on how to navigate the failures that come with not being able to do every club you wanted to do.
1. It's not the end of the world! My freshman year, I tried out for two a cappella groups with hopes of being able to sing at Tufts. I didn't even make it past the first round of auditions for either group, and had no clubs I thought I wanted to join after I didn't make a group. I figured out, though, that I didn't like music as much as I did in high school, and saw the time I didn't have to spend at a cappella as freedom to pursue new pursuits. I ended up joining the Tufts Daily early on last year, and it soon became my main extracurricular.
2. Take risks! This year, I applied for a consulting club on campus, even though I had zero business experience and had never taken a business-related class in my life. I had to fill out an application for the club and provide a resume, and was fortunate enough to get past the first round of the application process. I had an interview next, and ultimately did not get a position in the club, but I was able to take a risk and try something new. Now I'll feel even more confident stepping out of my comfort zone
3. Believe in yourself! I defined myself as a singer in high school, and I started to visualize what my sophomore year would be like as part of the consulting club. I'm neither a singer nor a student consultant now, but that doesn't make me any less of a person. At the end of the day, what matters more than your academic performance or activities you do is who you are as a person.