Tufts Blogs

I’ve often heard the transition from high school into college summed by this metaphor: You get thrown into an ocean, and you’ve got to learn how to swim. While my first year at Tufts was the most fun I've ever had drowning, I’m forever grateful for the club that lends me an anchor whenever I need it- Tufts Mock Trial.

Similar to most students at Tufts, I was involved in a handful of extracurriculars in high school. Also similar to most students at Tufts, “a handful” is putting it lightly. Amongst the many things about college life that I was naive about, I wasn’t prepared for was the daunting task of re-discovering clubs and extracurriculars that grounded me. I no longer had swim practice at 5:30am that shaped my morning, volunteering at 3:30 that I structured my homework schedule around, or 8:00 club meetings that solidified what time I would eat dinner. I was now a college freshman with new friends, great food, and free time. Lots and lots of free time.

In search of an activity that meaningfully filled up this time, I decided to give in to my pre-orientation leader's propaganda and try out for Tufts Mock Trial (TMT). Everyone on the team seemed cool, they got to wear suits, they had seemingly fun practices, and above all- they really enjoyed each other's company. That was always most evident to me. I decided to try out, and somehow...I made the team!

While exciting team practices, wearing suits, and team bondings all lived up to their enormous hype, I was amazed by how quick TMT became a homebase for me. I now had upperclassmen friends to help me wade through the tough waters of freshman year, meaningful relationships with students who I otherwise may have never crossed paths with, an exciting channel to release my academic stress into, and a warm family of people outside of my Tufts bubble who I truly, truly love.

Freshmen, I encourage you all to seek out clubs and find your anchor. It made my dive into Tufts an unforgettable one.