Tufts Blogs

Way back when I first got my housing assignment during the summer, I had no idea of what dorm life would be like. I didn’t go to boarding school or do any college summer programs so I had never really experienced dorm life like some of my friends had and I was a little nervous based on what they had to say about it. To add to my nerves, I didn’t actually visit Tufts before moving in and dorm tours on YouTube were pretty hard to find. Luckily for me, I got placed in a hall I really like. Hodgdon Hall, “Hodge”, has turned out to be a pretty great place to live, albeit with a sort of rough start during move in, and I’ve become super close with my roommate. Here’s my review on living in Hodge with some things I did to make the most of it.

My Room

Like all college students, I had a chaotic move-in day, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that my room was pretty big, especially after my roommate and I moved around some furniture. 

Tip #1: Keep moving around furniture and seeing how you can maximize your space. My roommate and I moved around furniture on move-in day with the help of our families, but then randomly decided to try another arrangement in November that worked way better and gave us a lot more room.

One thing about Hodge though, is that it’s SUPER HOT! We had to open windows and set up fans immediately and our windows have stayed open all year, even during snow storms! This has been a really good thing during the winter though because I can always depend on Hodge to warm me up after being outside in the cold and fresh air is always appreciated when I’m too busy coding to actually go outside (#CS).

Food

I instantly fell in love with Hodge when I realized it had Hodgdon On the Run, also abbreviated as Hodge (don’t let that confuse you the grab-and-go style takeout dining is actually located in the back of the building). I fell even more in love when I realized that the backdoor my room was close to was a really easy way to access Hodge. In addition, Hodge is also right next to the Dewick-MacPhie dining hall, an all you can eat buffet style dining option downhill, Pax et Lox Kosher Deli, another takeout option, and Commons Marketplace and Hotung if you’re willing to spend some JumboCash. 

Tip #2: Stock up on snacks from Hodge and Dewick! Hodge has plenty of snacks, pastries, and juice to choose from and Dewick always has good dessert so make sure to always get something in case you get snackish later (all the dining spots on campus are closed by 10 on weekdays, but there are vending machines in the residence halls).

Location

Living in Hodge has been great for me as an engineer and for my roommate studying clinical psychology because it’s downhill where most STEM classes are. It’s always nice to leave 5 minutes before a class in the Science and Engineering Complex and still be on time. It’s even better to leave a class and realize that you don’t have to walk back up a hill to get to your room. Hodge is also close to the Campus Center where the shuttle bus to Davis Square leaves so I never miss the shuttle!

Tip #3 Leave on time. Just because you might be closer to certain classes and locations doesn’t mean you can leave really late and still be on time. Sincerely, someone who was late to almost everything last semester.