From the ins and outs of the dining halls to undiscovered campus highlights to faster ways to get around, there's a lot to learn about Tufts - so much that it may take four years to learn it all. Fear not, though, for the Daily has a whole host of secrets, and we're feeling generous today. Here is our top ten list of the little things that make day-to-day life just a little better.
10. Hodgdon Dining Hall - Admittedly, this is probably the worst kept secret on campus, but it's still an underused resource. When you get used to the same revolving menu in Carmichael and Dewick, it's great to be able to pick up a warm sack of food ranging from Chinese to Mexican that you actually want to eat. Go down around 5:45 p.m. and you'll have your food safely in your room in time to watch The Simpsons... and before your plate of Chinese food cools off.
9. View of Boston from Anderson fire escape - Everyone tells you that the best view of Boston is from the roof of the Tisch Library, but those people are restricted by their fanatical obedience of "laws" and "fire regulations." The best way to see Boston is hanging off the side of Anderson, four stories up. Of course, we don't advocate breaking your way out onto the fire escape - but take the time to look if you're ever fleeing a fourth-floor blaze.
8. Trios Sunset Barbecue - None of your friends have ever been there, no one is really sure where it is, but trust us... it's in Mugar Hall, downhill of Cabot. We swear. Trios is the staff/faculty dining hall during the day, but at night it switches over to a toasty barbecue pit complete with chicken, brisket, and yummy desserts. Keep one of those weekly Dewick-Carmichael menus on your door. If nothing catches your fancy and Hodgdon is just too far away, try Trios. We guarantee you'll be the first on your block to do it.
7. Stir Fry, Waffles, and Omelettes - Ahhh, the weekly highlights of institutional dining. Every Tuesday and Thursday, Carmichael features custom stir-fry for dinner. You fill a bowl with items from the salad bar - pineapple, green peppers, red beans, and tofu all come highly recommended - and the staff will cook your ingredients with the sauce and meat of your choice (along with noodles, if you like). As if that wasn't enough, Make-Your-Own Belgian Waffles make an appearance every Thursday night and every Saturday breakfast. Whipped cream, hot fruit toppings... it makes you wish that you got up in time for Saturday breakfast more often. Finally, if you're still eating on campus Friday nights, the stir-fry routine is replaced with custom-made omelettes. Our pick for the best night to go: Thursday, with stir-fry for dinner and a waffle for dessert.
6. Shuttle to Class - If you live uphill and have a class downhill, you should have figured this one out by now. The shuttle stops at Olin and at the Campus Center. Hop on uphill, hop off downhill, and walk straight into Pearson or Aidekman or wherever you plan on going. Laugh all you want, but this is a lifesaver for people in 8:30 a.m. chemistry classes during the winter. If you eat Carmichael breakfast, you can even spot the shuttle as it goes by and sprint out to the stop.
5. Dowling Elevator - While we're feeling lazy, you'll never have to walk back up the hill from Cousens or Anderson again. The elevator in Dowling Hall goes all the way from the police station on Boston Avenue up to the bridge that leads to the Academic Quad. Waste a few minutes, save your legs, and leave the Memorial Steps to tour guides.
4. Laundry and Birthday Presents on Points - Points are great for ordering food, but you can also use them to avoid paying for basically anything. The card stations found by the bathrooms in Carmichael and by the Information Booth in the campus center let you transfer points onto your vending stripe, which can then pay for the dorm laundry machines - or a bag of pretzels, if you're so inclined. Of course, points are also good in Jumbo Express (laundry supplies) and the Bookstore (gifts). Wouldn't your little sister love a stuffed bear with a Tufts shirt? Your parents will love unwittingly paying for it, too. Go ahead, splurge a little: get a card, too.
3. Library Movie "Rentals" - Check out Tisch Library before you go to West Coast Video. You may never pay for a movie rental again. Want to watch Planet of the Apes while you eat breakfast? Get it for free, courtesy of the Media Center. The selection is sometimes limited by the reserve lists for those pesky freshman film classes - and by the number of people that want the same few movies - but it's always worth a shot to save a couple of bucks.
2. Water Dispensers in Carmichael - Ever notice that there's a long line behind that guy filling up seven glasses of water in the dining hall? Speed up your own water serving process with one of the cleverest tricks around. Using only your left hand, hold your glass underneath the waterspout and hold down the button to begin filling your glass. Without releasing the button, use your right hand to turn the black power switch (found on the upper-right of the face of the machine) off and then on again. The compressor will go into overdrive until you release the dispenser, filling your glass three times faster than anyone else's. Bear in mind that it only works about 80 percent of the time, but at least it won't go any slower.
1. Tisch Reading Room Bathroom - You heard it here - there is a bathroom on the main floor of Tisch! The signs hanging from the ceiling may direct you to the first or third floor restrooms, but there's a pair in the quiet reading room next to the entrance. Not only are these the most convenient library bathrooms, but they are clean, huge, and (nearly) always empty. No jokes about the first floor men's room, please.
