Tufts Blogs

The fall 2021 semester is off to a good start as I reunite with friends, get back to being involved on campus, and take classes I am interested in. As a senior, I am taking classes I had been eyeing since freshman year and exploring places around campus/Boston that I had not had a chance to go to in my previous years. Though it is still early in the semester, I wanted to do a rose, bud, thorn and reflect on my semester so far. 

As for my rose–something that is going well–time management is a skill that I have improved a lot. Because of that, I am able to keep a healthy sleep schedule and do more social activities outside of school. Time management is one of the most important skills in college. Building your own schedule and sticking to that schedule is crucial. Having to juggle many things at once, especially as a senior, I have found a schedule that works for me. Next for my bud– something I am looking forward to–I would say ‘almost’ graduating. I realize it is still a semester and a half away but I am already looking forward to the next chapter. Tufts has given me so many valuable opportunities and treasured memories, and I look forward to continuing to seek more opportunities and make more memories this last year as an undergrad. Lastly, for my thorn–something that is not going great–I would say having to catch up on work for a class I enrolled two weeks late. I dropped a class and I decided to enroll in another class on the last day to add a course. Though I am very interested in the course, this means that I have to catch up on all the readings and assignments I missed the first two weeks of class in addition to simultaneously completing the homework for the current week. I have been working bit by bit every day to catch up and I am almost done with catching up. 

I like to take time and create checkpoints in each semester where I reflect on my work and check-in with myself. I think it is important to have these mini check-ins with yourself to help redirect if needed or give yourself further encouragement by reflecting on what you have accomplished so far. Looking at where you are now, what is your rose, bud, and thorn?