You Want It, We’ve Got It
It has now been over a month since I’ve moved into Tufts, and college life is in full swing. Classes have picked up pace and exams have already started; I’ve been meeting new people and making new friends every week; and clubs have officially accepted their new members. So many exciting things are happening at the same time, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of activities. But don’t worry! I’m here to tell you the bright side: YOU get to pick what to do! Unlike high school, college has opportunities that you didn’t even know existed—even better, all of these opportunities are open to you. Wondering what some of these activities might look like? I’ll share three of my favorites (that I didn’t even know about before coming to Tufts).
First, a strangely wonderful opportunity presented itself through one of my classes: Javanese Gamelan. I signed up for the class based on a brief Instagram video I saw of the students performing, not really knowing what I was getting myself into. Flash forward to the first day of class, when I had no idea how to play the instruments properly. I really thought for a moment that I would have to drop the class because I was so inexperienced and confused, but my professor and the other students were so nice in helping me figure everything out. Now, we are getting ready to perform for Parents’ Weekend next Saturday, and I am actually very excited. I’ve learned how to play various instruments in the ensemble and, though they still pose a challenge, I very much enjoy the experience and the opportunity to learn about something so new and unknown.
Second, I am SO excited about a new theater group I just recently joined. It’s called Lord Barnum’s Players, and we perform abridged/adapted Shakespeare shows for kids in local schools. This group is such a pleasure to be a part of for so many different reasons. For one, it perfectly combines three of my passions: acting, interacting with kids, and reading Shakespeare. And more importantly, the people in the group are already a welcoming family to those of us who joined recently; stepping into a space filled with love and good energy is always a highlight of my week! I never would have imagined finding a group like this in college, but here I am, part of a niche group that is simply the best.
Lastly, every week I get to spend time with… wait for it… a DOG! Through a club called Animal Aid, I am able to spend one hour every Wednesday walking a dog named Lindy through the Tufts campus and surrounding neighborhood. The club is a volunteering opportunity, but I will also shamelessly admit that I just love being able to spend time with dogs whenever I can; I get to help someone from the community, but I also get pure joy from walking Lindy, a sweet lovebug who just really loves people.
Basically, I am having an amazing and fruitful time exploring the opportunities Tufts provides for its students. Though I definitely loved doing the typical student government and literary magazine clubs in high school, I have to tell you that being able to branch out and do completely new activities is a welcome change. College is a time when many things will change, but once again, you have the power to choose those changes—and to have fun while doing so.