How to Have a Jumbo Happy Birthday
Earlier this month I turned 22 (wow), which would officially make me unc, as the kids these days say. Since I have now celebrated four of my own birthdays as a Tufts student and countless others for my friends, I thought I’d take a look into how Jumbos make birthdays special!
Ridin’ Solo
If you’re like me and your birthday is early in the school year, during your first year, you may not have a big group together for a giant birthday bash yet. That’s perfectly fine, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the person who this day is all about! Freshman year me celebrated turning 19 with a solo photoshoot on Tisch roof. I took some timer pics and selfies, of course, but I also got some beautiful shots of the beautiful foliage and the sunset over the Boston skyline! I had a great time, and it required no planning and no money! But if you do have some extra money to spend, treat yourself! Celebrate you by grabbing your favorite Sink drink (mine is the Beesting!), or head to Davis and enjoy an ice cream from JP Licks or boba from Gong Cha. Gong Cha takes JumboCash, and, if you sign up for rewards, you get $5 off a drink for your birthday!
It’s the Thought That Counts
College is a busy time, and you’ll have a lot on your mind as you go about your day. Just remembering your friends’ birthdays will mean a lot to them, but if you do something special, you could really make their year! One of my most memorable birthday experiences happened when I was coming back from my photoshoot to my freshman year dorm room. I heard a knock on the door and when I answered, my friends on my floor sang "Happy Birthday" and had made a cake out of random snacks they'd purchased with meal swipes at Hodgdon Food-on-the-Run, like Pop-Tarts, Sun Chips, gummy worms, and graham crackers. You may think those things don’t go together, and they don’t! But it was very thoughtful, and I had a lot to write about in my gratitude journal that night!
Sophomore year, I lived in Wren Hall, and my suitemates did a similar thing; they decorated our common room in the middle of the night with posters that had phrases I would say on it. It was such a welcome surprise— I felt so loved! But birthday gestures don’t need to be grand. On my friend’s birthday last week, it was raining heavily and she had a major midterm the next day, so she resolved to spend her birthday studying in the Nolop makerspace. I went to Nolop with her, even though as an English major I rarely spend time there, and gathered at a table with some of her other friends. Despite the subpar weather and stress of midterms, we ended up talking and laughing and having a great time, so her birthday was overall a good day! If your friend’s birthday falls during a busy period, make time to say you’re thinking of them, and maybe even swipe a Kindlevan coffee for them—it could be the difference between a good and bad birthday.
Stay at Home on the Hill
You certainly don’t need to leave campus to enjoy your special day! Watch a movie alone at your dorm or on-campus house, alone or with your friends! Order in Nick’s pizza! Do whatever it is you love to do all day long. Birthdays only come once a year, so take this opportunity to celebrate!