Tufts Blogs

As a tour guide for the Tufts Admissions Department, I get asked a lot of questions about student life. One of the most common—and one of my favorites—is: “What do you do on the weekends?” or “How do you spend your free time?” I love these kinds of questions because they give you a glimpse into what your life at Tufts could really look like outside the classroom.

Of course, academics are a big part of being a Tufts student—but they’re far from the whole story. My weekends vary a lot, but I’ve rounded up some of my go-to activities, along with a few fun one-offs, to give you a sense of how I spend my time:

1. Homework
Let’s just get this one out of the way: yes, I do homework on the weekends—but it’s not all-consuming, and it definitely varies depending on the week. One of my favorite ways to study is by heading to a cozy coffee shop with friends—it's a great way to be productive and social. 

2. Exploring Boston
One of the best parts of Tufts is how close we are to Boston. On the weekends, I love heading into the city to explore. Some recent activities include:

• Seeing a concert at the House of Blues
• Visiting the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
• Wandering around Beacon Hill
• Catching a 20th anniversary screening of Pride and Prejudice (2005) at AMC Boston Common (I’m a huge Austen fan)

There’s always something new and fun to check out every weekend in Boston!

3. Campus Events
Tufts’ campus is not quiet on the weekends. There’s always something happening, whether it's student performances, club showcases, or special events. Some recent favorites include:

• The Tufts Theater Department’s production of Cabaret
• Dancing with the Jumbos, hosted by the Ballroom Dance Team
• Kamayan: a culture show by the Tufts Philippine Student Union

4. Rehearsals & Club Meetings
I’m involved in student theater, so weekends often include rehearsals or club meetings. This semester, I was in Jekyll & Hyde with Torn Ticket II, Tufts’ musical theater group. Being part of theater productions is always busy, but has also been one of the most rewarding parts of my college experience.

5. Day Trips
Beyond Boston, there are tons of great places for quick day trips. Recently, I went to Salem with some friends, and I’m hoping to visit Louisa May Alcott’s house in Concord soon! Other popular destinations include:

• The White Mountains (home to Tufts Mountain Club’s Loj!)
• Walden Pond (yes, that Walden)
• Cape Cod, MA, Newburyport, MA, Providence, RI, and Newport, RI 

Many of these spots are accessible by train, bus, or commuter rail, which is great!

6. Weekend Resets
Not every weekend has to be go-go-go. I also use my weekends to reset for the week ahead. I go grocery shopping, meal prep, clean my spaces, and just get organized. It might sound mundane, but I genuinely enjoy it, especially my grocery trips with my friends! 

7. Movie & Game Nights
Some of my favorite weekend memories are the low-key ones. My friends and I are big on movie and game nights, complete with blind karaoke, endless Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) re-watches, and late-night runs to Scoop N Scootery (our favorite ice cream spot in the Boston area).

As you can probably tell, weekends at Tufts are anything but boring. They’re a chance to explore, create, recharge, and connect—with friends, with Boston, and with yourself. Every weekend at Tufts looks a little different, which I love!