After a couple years here at Tufts, I often find myself looking back at my very first experiences. Even though I was making the transition into college living, which of course had some stress with it, the opportunities in the new community I found myself in were so vast I could find it overwhelming at times! The first year of university is a once in a lifetime experience, so it’s important to make the most of it! As I take a look back, I wanted to share some of the things I think any first-year student should do as they become a part of our community! (In no particular order.)

10. Clubs and Activities Fair

This is the first event I’d always recommend because no matter what your interests are, you’re always going to find something to do here! Dozens upon dozens of student organizations present themselves and you get the opportunity to explore them all at once; it’s a great way to become more involved in the student body. If you’re lucky, you might find some free snacks they’re giving…

Working as a tour guide, I often hear prospective students ask me what makes Tufts unique, and my go-to answer always touches on how involved the students are. Interdisciplinary studies are a large focus of academics at Tufts because of our history as a liberal arts school. Although Tufts is now a tier-one research institute, the university maintains its liberal arts values by having distribution requirements across all three of our undergraduate schools (Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts). Distribution requirements ensure that students are well-rounded, open-minded, and curious. This exploratory nature is often what brings students with varied interests to Tufts. Roughly 60% of the undergraduate population is multidisciplinary, meaning they have a double major, a major with a minor, two minors, or even three. 

One of my favorite parts about being a Tufts student is how this exploratory approach is taken even within specific majors. Here on…

As a rising sophomore or junior entering Tufts for the first time, you may have some nerves around adjusting academically and socially, but also around career planning. Not only are you acclimating to a new campus with new students and professors, but you simultaneously must consider post-graduate plans as you no longer have four years of college ahead of you. This is exactly how I felt during my first year at Tufts. I was exhilarated to be on such a warm and tight-knit campus, but at the same time I felt the stress of ‘figuring it out’ before graduation. The turbulence I felt from an uncertain future was mediated by Tufts’s academic and career resources: the Student Accessibility and Academic Resources Center (StAAR Center) and the Career Center. 

I was first introduced to these resources during the mandatory transfer student seminar. During your first semester as a transfer student at Tufts, regardless of what class year you are, it is required to enroll in this comprehensive seminar…

There are plenty of ways to find community at Tufts, and I would argue that one of the easiest ways is to simply be a good neighbor. In my first year on campus, I found an amazing Carmmunity (Carmichael Community!) through my housing assignment–here’s how that story went. 

Move-in day. After making multiple trips up and down the stairs and having to put my stuff down as a door stop, I started to get a little frustrated. Luckily, my neighbor saw me struggling with my move-in and graciously offered me one of her spare door stops. I was extremely thankful and took the offer. I was surprised how quickly people were willing to step in and help. That night, we took a walk through campus, and it was so nice to already have a familiar face around me. The next day, I introduced my roommate to her, and that was one of the first steps of building our community. 

The Wing. Throughout the first semester, the “wing” grew. It was everyone in my specific hallway of Carmichael Hall, and we had one…

I was born and grew up in Bangkok, Thailand, but I went to high school right here in Medford, so I've had a few years to get to know the area. Tufts sits on the line between Medford and Somerville, and here are the places I'd point you to if you're looking to get off campus.

Medford Square

Medford Square is a short trip from campus and has a lot of good food packed into a small area.

Tenoch Mexican is my first pick. It's a small spot on Riverside Avenue, nothing fancy, but the tacos and burritos are affordable and really good. The asada con queso and chorizo are what I usually get. Tenoch isn't only in Medford Square either, they have a few other locations around the area, and they're all good.

Tom Yum Koong is a Thai place on Forest Street. I really like the variety of their Thai street food options. A few I'd recommend: Khao Moo Sam Chan Tod, which is crispy fried pork belly over rice, Khao Kor Moo Yang, grilled pork neck served with rice, and Khao Moo Dang, sweet red barbecue…

I stumbled upon Encendido, Tufts’ Latin Dance Team, at the club fair during orientation week. The club was very intriguing to me especially because of my desire to learn more Latin dance styles and further explore my Latin background. Aside from that, I was still pretty nervous to audition for the club, so my plan was to only show up to the general interest meeting to simply learn more about it and then maybe think about auditioning afterwards. I showed up to the space for the meeting, and to my surprise I was given a number and told this would be used for the audition video. I was thrown off by this and extremely nervous to put myself out there and do something I had no prior experience outside of social gatherings doing. Yet, I am extremely grateful that I had received that motivational push since Encendido has been one of the key places where I have made my closest friends on campus. 

I fell in love with the Encendido community right from our first practice. Through meeting other…

The city is my campus? Not quite, rather I have a beautiful Medford Tufts community while being a foot away from Boston, a vibrant, youthful, historic, yet innovative city. I’m glad to call it my home away from Vancouver! 

As you can get lost browsing in a big city, here is a tier list showcasing some of my favourite activities! 

If it’s your last day on Earth, you must go to:

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum because it is conveniently located beside the Schol of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) on the Fenway campus. You can get here with our hourly SMFA shuttle. I love spending hours learning about Isabella Stewart’s story within her decorated garden and art collection. You will find anything such as Greek and Roman sarcophagus cases to enticing portraits to the Asian ceramics.

If you have some company with friends and family, you definitely should go to: 

The Charles River Esplanade for a great view of the city skyline or a lovely sunset. Accessible by the Red Line through our Davis…

After three years, I can say quite confidently that I feel settled in my life here at Tufts. I’ve found a major and a minor that align with my interests and push me to think in new ways. My clubs on campus allow me to connect with the local community and pursue my more arts-based interests outside the classroom. And the most impactful part of my education has been the network of brilliant people I’ve met here at Tufts, from friends to faculty. However, as a member of the class of 2027 with graduation on the horizon, I can’t help but think about how much my life has changed in the past few years. 

Back in high school, I decided to apply to Tufts through the Early Decision I (ED 1) application cycle. ED 1 felt like the right decision because I knew Tufts was the school for me, and I wanted to receive a college decision earlier rather than later (December instead of March). After my acceptance, I didn’t have to worry about preparing other applications, and I had several months to process…

I think the most nervous I’ve ever been in the college experience was in the month before I arrived for the fall semester of my first year. The fact that I was about to start a whole new chapter of my life felt incredibly real, and though many of the fears of the huge adjustment completely disappeared within the first month, I found it reassuring to hear about other students’ experiences beforehand. I wanted to share many of the aspects of my transition to Tufts, and what it was like to adapt to the college environment. 

The independent lifestyle of college is definitely the first new experience most people think about, and it’s one of the most impactful for sure. I really wasn’t used to having so much time in between classes especially compared to high school, and it definitely changed how I thought about my day. Courses being spread out instead of within a defined section of the day meant I had a lot more freedom to choose what the open time in my schedule was dedicated to, but that…

Deciding on a major as a first-year exploring different options is a daunting task. But don’t worry, because your pre-major advisor has got your back!

I remember being a nervous first-year student, not sure about what classes to take or how to decide what I am going to major in. That’s when I learned about my pre-major advisor. I was assigned a professor that taught in the School of Engineering. I met with him periodically throughout my first year before I had to declare my major in the spring of my first year. He helped me with picking classes, had really good advice on what professors could help me succeed, helped me with figuring out what I am actually interested in studying, and finally helped me decide my major. 

As an incoming first-year, everyone is assigned a professor who is in the school you are enrolled in to be your pre-major advisor. This is your go-to person to have discussions about course selection, how to decide on your major, and potential networking opportunities…

One of the most common questions I get asked on tour is how adjusting to Massachusetts winters have been, as I’m a tried and true Californian. So, I’m here to tell you how I survived my first east coast winter.

My first mistake was telling my well-experienced mom, who has spent winters in both Boston and Michigan, that I “didn’t need my winter coat until second semester.” I remember sending her a voice message from the academic quad when it first hit 35 degrees. The wind was particularly strong that day, and my lips, nose, and ears had all gone numb. My voice message consisted of a confession that I was wrong about not needing my coat, an audible shiver in my voice, and finally, begging my mom to get my winter coat here as soon as she could. Luckily, parents' weekend was coming up, so she was able to bring it then!

That experience helped me understand how to navigate an east coast winter, so here’s some advice to survive the snow for the first time:

-Gear up: Make sure to get a good…

I first heard about Tufts when they visited my old high school back home in Zimbabwe for an information session. Unfortunately, I had a very important exam the next day so I begged my dad to go in my place. Visits from admissions officers were rare, and I tried to make the most of every opportunity to learn about colleges, even if this time I couldn’t be there myself.

My dad wasn’t exactly thrilled about spending his evening after work at a university presentation, so he left home with a fair amount of reluctance. But when he came back, his enthusiasm caught me completely off guard. He was genuinely eager to tell me everything he had learned. This complete shift in his mood was a pretty good indication for me that the university was worth looking into. So naturally, I did what any prospective student does: I opened the website and fell down a rabbit hole.

I was deep into researching classes, clubs, traditions, and before I knew it, I was writing my Why Tufts essay. So here it goes…

When it comes to clubs and organizations, Tufts has a seemingly infinite supply. Scrolling through the list can feel overwhelming, so instead of trying to cover everything, I want to give you a look inside one club that has really shaped my time here: JumboCode.

Before coming to Tufts, I did some research on clubs I might want to join. Looking through the pre-professional options, JumboCode immediately stood out as the software development club. What drew me in was how it works. JumboCode partners with nonprofit organizations and builds software for them, for free. So, you're building something an actual organization is going to use.

When fall semester started, I waited (impatiently) for JumboCode to announce the date of their GIM, or General Interest Meeting, and showed up with a friend. The president opened by explaining what the club does, and then each team's project manager, tech lead, and design lead pitched their project. They talked about the nonprofit they'd be working…