New Year, New Me?
You know you go to the best college in the world when the dining services have special food for super bowl night! That being said, it’s good to be back in my second home. Freshman fall made me realize that time flies by when you’re in college. Although it feels like I’ve just returned from winter break, it’s already the eighth of February and I’m staring at a long list of exams, which I’ll have to sit for in about a week’s time. That’s the paradox about going to college. Individual days feel like years, yet weeks pass by in the blink of an eye!
The last (also my first) semester at Tufts instilled a sense of confidence and direction in me. The latter being of MAJOR significance to a navigationally challenged individual like myself. If there’s one lesson all the bad days and bitter experiences have taught me, it’s this – amidst all the chaos and confusion, everything will eventually fall into place. This realization prompts me to wake up at 7:30 a.m., three times a week to walk uphill and attend my classes. Okay, I realize that I probably did this on a regular basis in high school, but let’s be honest people- THE STRUGGLE IS REAL! On other days when I’m swamped with classes or stacked with homework, and it just happens to be dark and gloomy outside (which is often BTW), the first thing I do is smile and tell myself, “It’s going to be okay!”
I’ve never been the one to make New Year’s Resolutions. But, I’ve decided to challenge myself this semester. This includes avoiding taking multiple naps at all costs, and eating healthy food on a consistent basis. Thanks to Dewick’s unpredictable menu selections however, maintaining a healthy diet is tougher than it seems. On some days, the dining hall will have nothing but pizza and you’re forced to go vegan. On other days, it will have all the delicious food in the world making it impossible to suppress the gluttony. Sadly, I’ve learned that eating salad comes with a catch. It’s a bit of a slippery slope in the sense that you can never look at a well- made burrito the same again. The longing will invariably be accompanied by a sense of guilt.
Other resolutions include staying physically fit. I’ll be doing crunches in my room often because the crowd in the gym is currently INSANE. Unlike me, most people at Tufts persistently adhere to their New Year’s Resolutions. I’m patiently waiting for my friend’s prediction to come true. According to him, the number of people going to the gym will decrease by a significant amount after Valentine’s Day. Maybe I can finally step into the gym after that. It’ll be nice to hit those ellipticals again!
I slept through half of my classes last semester. Hence, I count myself lucky for having found new things that interest me. I’m talking about Psychology. Lectures about the human brain have me tilting outwards with interest, to the point where my pencil and notebook fall to the ground and I almost join them.
However, my greater challenge thus far has been Comp 11. Introduction to CompSci is a blessing and a curse. As someone who hasn’t taken a single computer science class throughout school, its funny how coding makes me mutter profanities at the rate of 5 words per minute and jump in the air with jubilation, alternatingly. One Saturday morning, I actually bolted upright from my sleep internally screaming “Oh my God! I totally figured out how to write this program!” For me, programming is equivalent to experiencing fleeting moments of utter ecstasy between a series of unfortunate events- basically, the story of my life!
I’m excited to explore everything that Freshman Spring has to offer. They say, one should never stop looking until they find the things that they’re madly passionate about. Apparently, it’s considered cheating if you settle for less. I have a feeling that the things I love are out there; it’s just a matter of time before I find them!