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…

The summer before my junior year in high school, one of my friends called and asked me if I wanted to go rock climbing. I had never really climbed before, but because I say yes to almost anything, I obviously accepted the invitation. After my first visit to the climbing gym, I immediately got a membership and quickly became a regular at my local climbing gyms. It became one of my favorite hobbies to do in my free time, so I knew it was something I wanted to continue in college!

After arriving at Tufts, I attended the club fair to see what climbing options were available within our student organizations. I came across Tufts Climbing Team (TCT) and decided to join! TCT has three available levels, including competitive, training, and recreational. I joined the recreational team for my entire first year at Tufts, and my experience was amazing!

From the karaoke-style car rides and all of the organized social events, to going to different markets and dining locations around the area, TCT…

As Tufts students, we’re all familiar with saying “just outside of Boston” to describe where our school is. It’s something we hear as prospective students and throughout our time here as undergrads: that simple phrase, repeated like a catchy jingle, perfectly describes the geographical advantages of Tufts. Tucked away in suburban Medford/Somerville, Tufts has a beautiful historic campus with a plethora of buildings to explore and green space to enjoy. Students get to experience the perks of having a separate campus to call home while still being connected to local communities and the greater Boston area. 

There are three main ways students get into the city from the Medford campus: the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) shuttle, which brings students from outside Granoff Music Hall to the Fenway campus; the Medford/Tufts T stop on the green line; and the Davis Sq. T stop on the red line. 

In the city, there are many different things for students to enjoy. The Boston Common (America…

Before I came to Tufts, I was all over the place. I was considering going on the pre-dental track. I also had interests in engineering, while still wondering if computer science was something I wanted to pursue. By the time I committed to Tufts, I had mostly settled on biomedical engineering because I loved the idea of designing medical technologies and eventually returning home to Zimbabwe after my education to help improve struggling healthcare systems. One thing I appreciated once I got here was that I wasn't expected to commit to one strict path immediately. First-year engineering courses are designed to expose students to different fields while giving us time to explore our options, since they’re intentionally more general.

I had originally hoped to take an introductory course focused on reproductive engineering because it sounded much more aligned with my biomedical engineering interests. Unfortunately, it didn't fit into my schedule, so I ended up enrolling in Patents of the…

There were two factors I prioritized during my college search: community and opportunity. 

I knew coming into college that I wanted to study engineering. This meant that I often was looking at universities with large student bodies and technical heavy programs. While these schools offered great academic opportunities, I also knew that environment was not where I would thrive. I wanted a college experience that would allow me to grow not only as an engineer, but also as a well-rounded individual. 

I was looking for a close-knit community where students challenged each other to grow while supporting each other’s success. Tufts offered exactly that. When I visited Tufts in the spring of my senior year, I immediately noticed the sense of camaraderie among students. Whether it was the groups gathered on Prez Lawn having a little picnic or the students collaborating in the engineering maker spaces, there was a genuine spirit of connection and support. Since arriving at Tufts, I have found…

I love to have a variety of places in mind when I really want to focus on getting work done, switching between them for a nice change of scenery! There’s more places on campus to work and study than I could even count, so I’ll go through 10 of my favorite spots I’ve found in my time at Tufts!

10. Mayer Campus Center 

As the hub of much of student life, the Campus Center can also be a good study spot if you enjoy a little bit of background noise to help you focus. Three cafés can provide some studying snacks and the student lounge is a nice spot to have some fun when you need a break, and I’ve always found it a great place to hang out and get a bunch of smaller tasks out of the way.

9. Collaborative Learning and Innovation Complex

Located a couple minute walk down Boston Avenue, the CLIC is home to the departments of Community Health and Child Study & Human Development, among others. The building has a really fun and unique layout, with plenty of smaller study spots tucked away beside…

Dear Reader, 

Upon entering as a first-year at Tufts, you’ll have the option of participating in what is called a pre-orientation program, or a program where students move in earlier before the larger class-wide orientation and get to partake in activities tied to a specific theme or interest. The University has a great selection of different pre-orientation programs varying on interests to choose from, which can, at times, feel slightly stressful to select the best fit for you. In this post, I’ll be talking about my process of selecting a pre-orientation program as well as my experiences with both pre-o and orientation week. 

Originally, when asked to rank my top three programs in order to be placed in one, I selected Fitness and Individual Development at Tufts also known as the FIT program, which offered students the opportunity to go kayaking, bowling, rock climbing, visit a trampoline park, do a campus-wide scavenger hunt, as well as a cruise in the Boston Harbor to end the program…