Before arriving at Tufts, students from the surrounding area face a decision most of their fellow Jumbos do not: whether or not to commute. Some students choose to live on campus - even though their home lies within the same city limits as Tufts - in order to help them feel "away" at college.
However, despite their relocation from their family home to an on-campus accommodation, some find that there's no escaping the familiar. To graduate student Lindsey Bosak, remaining in Medford throughout both her undergraduate and graduate academic careers meant "not getting to know or see a new area other than the one I grew up in."
Freshman Paul Reilly has also encountered problems that stemmed from his decision to stay in his hometown for college - problems like "seeing Dad around campus, having the people around campus who work here know you, everyone asking you for directions."
Reilly went on to explain that his father "works here as an electrician, so I see him when he rides around campus. This is also how I know a lot of the people who work here, and they know me," Reilly said.
"There is also the fact that I was able to work here over the summer and during high school," Reilly added. "This has pretty much made me destined to go to Tufts."
Freshman Rony Jacques, too, notes the difficulties of attending college in a town with many familiar faces. "The cons of being close [include] unexpected family visits - which has not happened, but the possibility is there; the neighborhood watching your every move - meaning that you can not mess up; and a sense of independence [being] hampered," Jacques said.
Considering the situation from another angle, Reilly said that attending Tufts does provide him "better access to friends from home," and makes it easier to stay in touch.
Bosak is also glad that she was able to let "my friends from home get to know my friends from school." However, she found that "balancing old friends with new friends" could be difficult at times.
Jacques also agreed that remaining amongst the sea of familiar faces has its benefits. "Being the oldest, I am still able to look after my family," Jacques said.
Having home so close-by also means that these students can have the best of both worlds: freedom while on campus, countered by assistance from their
families while at home.
For example, students that must obtain rolls of quarters or fill up their student ID card with money designated towards laundry may be jealous of those who have family - and free washers and dryers -only a few minutes away. "I don't have to pay for laundry," Jacques said.
Jacques points out that clean laundry is not the only thing he can obtain from home. "Any time I need something from home, I can get it," Jacques said. Jacques mentioned home-cooked meals as one item he does occasionally return home for.
Just like the decision to take a room on campus has its pros and cons, so does the choice of commuting. For senior Steven Boutrus, the financial advantages of commuting made it an offer he couldn't refuse. "I am currently commuting to save money," said Boutrus, who resides in New Hampshire.
"I was planning on living on campus until the middle of this summer, when the bursar bill came," said freshman Carolyn St. Laurence, who has lived in Medford for almost her entire life. "Commuting was not really a choice - it was the only way I could afford to come here."
"I guess one of the best things about commuting is that it's so much cheaper," St. Laurence added.
In addition, the transient lifestyle of residents of on-campus rooms - which requires relocation every year - is not for everyone. "I wouldn't like to be continuously moving from one dorm or apartment to the next," Boutrus said. "I like to live in one place and stay put."
For some commuting students, the comforts of home - a single bedroom and bathroom every year, home-cooked food, cars, and family and friends - are just too irresistible to pass up. St. Laurence pointed out that whenever she does need to stay on campus, "there's a commuter house that I can stay at whenever I want for $2 a night, which helps a lot. The house itself is pretty nice too," St. Laurence said.
The house St. Laurence referred to is the Hillside House, a 15-room house located at 32 Dearborn Road that provides commuting students with a place to study, cook, and even crash for the night. Commuters may also invite guests to the house.
The distance between home and campus, however, can create a large barrier between commuters and on-campus students. "What's hardest about being a commuter is that there are so few of us," St. Laurence said. "Commuters are definitely somewhat isolated. We don't get the experience of living with other people in a huge dorm."
Some students also find their commute restricts the amount of on-campus activities they can participate in.
"The main disadvantages to commuting are the time lost getting to and from campus and the difficulty of attending campus events at night and on weekends," Boutrus said.
Whether students with local homes decide to stay on campus or commute, all face the issue of Tufts' proximity to their hometown. "I think the proximity of Tufts is both a bonus and deterrent [to enrolling here]," Jacques said. "I love being close, and the pros of it outweighs the cons, but I feel going to college is a test of one's independence - if one can survive in this world on one's own."
"Going far away for college is a great way to test such concept," Jacques said.
Reilly feels that given the choice again, he would still make the same decision. "After putting everything in perspective - the friends, the sports [rugby], the academics, the social life - I think that I would make the same choice and go to Tufts," Reilly said.
In retrospect, Bosak, too, believes her decision to attend Tufts was the correct one. "It may have taken me a semester or so to adjust and appreciate Tufts, but since that point I really enjoyed my undergrad years," she said.
