Tufts Blogs

When I first got my Tufts housing assignment last summer and read the words “Richardson House,” I immediately looked it up. The first thing I learned? It’s the only all-women’s dorm on campus. I had no idea what to expect. Would it be too quiet? Too different? Too traditional?

Turns out, it was just right.

Richardson is one of those hidden gems you don’t fully appreciate until you’re living there. Tucked right on Professors Row—across from Tisch Library and just a few minutes from the Campus Center—it’s smaller than your typical dorm. But that’s what makes it special. With just around 40 to 60 of us, Richardson quickly became more than just a residence hall. It became a community.

We weren’t just people living in the same building, we were people truly living with each other. Helping one another through late-night study slogs in the common room, sharing birthday cupcakes in the lounge, laughing over everything and nothing in the hallways. It felt personal. Familiar. Homey.

Some of my favorite memories from freshman year happened right in that cozy common room: movie nights where we’d pile onto the couches, snacks in hand, debating whether we were in the mood for a rom-com or something scary. Valentine’s Day cookie decorating—complete with a mess of sprinkles and frosting and someone always eating more than they decorated. And the random weeknights we’d all end up around the kitchen table, swapping stories about classes, families, or whatever was on our minds.

And then there were our RAs who were genuinely some of the kindest, most thoughtful people I’ve met. They were always creating little moments of joy, like surprising us with bagels and donuts the morning of Spring Fling, just because they wanted to make our day a little brighter. It’s gestures like that—small, thoughtful, and completely unprompted—that made Richardson feel not just welcoming, but intentionally nurturing. As an international student far from home, having a warm and close-knit place to land my first year made all the difference. Richardson wasn’t just a residence hall, it was a soft place to land during a big life transition. It made it easier to settle in, to open up, to find my people. Living in that kind of environment helped me feel more grounded, more confident, and more like I truly belonged at Tufts.

Sure, the kitchen is tiny and doesn’t have an oven—but somehow, we made it work. Birthday surprises, microwave experiments, group dinners cooked in chaos—it all added to the charm. And honestly, being so close to everything meant I was always just a short walk from my favorite study spots, club meetings, or a quick coffee run between classes.

Looking back, I didn’t realize how much I needed a space like Richardson until I had it. It was more than just where I lived—it was where I found my first real home at Tufts. If you’re a future Jumbo wondering where you might end up, just know this: sometimes, the smallest houses hold the biggest hearts.