Tufts Blogs

As a freshman, I was exposed to a lot of different resources that helped me adjust to college level academics. From STAAR center workshops to events hosted by clubs like Black Students in Computer Science (BSCS), I got a lot of advice to try and see what worked for me. As a sophomore, I’m grateful for all the tips I’ve gotten that have really helped me. I thought I’d pass on some helpful advice that I’ve used to start my semesters strong.

Ask Upperclassmen

Upperclassmen have so much knowledge about majors, classes, professors, research, and everything else there is to know about college life so don’t be afraid to reach out to upperclassmen in your classes and clubs. Everyone at Tufts is super friendly and welcoming so I’ve never been afraid to ask upperclassmen for advice. As a Computer Science major, I’ve asked the many different TA’s I’ve encountered for tips on how to do well in the class and what classes would be best to take next. I’ve also gotten a lot of advice from the upperclassmen in BSCS during the “CS Survival Nights” they host once a semester where they break down all the core Computer Science classes and electives. In addition to my major advisor and the Computer Science advising staff, upperclassmen have been incredibly helpful for picking classes that align with my interests.

See an Academic Coach

The STAAR Center offers many resources to help students succeed including workshops, subject specific tutoring, and academic coaching. Academic coaching involves meeting one-on-one with a STAAR Center coach to work on specific issues. At the beginning of the semester, I always get a one hour appointment with an academic coach who specializes in time management to help me block out time for classes, homework, extracurriculars, and hobbies. Throughout the semester whenever I get overwhelmed looking at all the tasks in my schedule, I get an appointment and my academic coaches have been super helpful in breaking down my tasks and showing me that I really do have enough time to complete all of them!

Form a Study Group

In many of my classes, working on homework and projects with other students is encouraged and really helps all of us better understand what we’re learning about in class. Having an effective study group to review challenging concepts has really helped me in Computer Science classes that were more theory based like CS 61: Discrete Mathematics and CS 160: Algorithms. Tufts allows us to book rooms so we always make sure to get study rooms that have whiteboards so we can all collaborate on problems on the board. Finding a study group is pretty easy since some classes set them up for students and others have discussion boards where students can invite others to study.

Have Hobbies

The start of the semester can be really stressful so having hobbies or activities that you can use to de-stress is very important! In my free time, I love to roller skate or walk along the Charles River to clear my mind. Making sure you take care of your mental health from the start can make for a really great semester!