Ariel Elia
"If you know what you want to do after you graduate, then get involved with people from that community. For me it was film, and I've met all the people from the film community. It's a very tight-knit community. It's nice to have friends from all areas around campus, but know your entourage, know the people that are going to be in your field of work after you graduate. It's going to help you a lot to build up your experiences, which you can use later on when you enter into those fields.
And please, drop your classes before the deadline or else administration will give you a lot of crap for it."
Walter De Simoni
"The academic aspect of college is very important, but, at least in my experience, it wasn't the most important thing. When a lot of people come to Tufts, they take themselves really seriously. While that works for a lot of people, that doesn't work for me. Don't be afraid to put your friends or your personal life in front of something else. Sometimes those things are more important than your classes. When you leave college, you're going to remember your hallmates and the guy that you hung out with freshman year much more than your econ class or that bio test you studied for."
Laura McNulty
"Whatever preconceptions you have from high school and before about what you want to do before and after college, don't feel beholden to those. Be open to exploring a new career and new major that you've never been interested in, because you never know where it could lead. Don't feel like you need to define yourself by what you wanted to do in high school. I always thought I wanted to be a doctor, and if I had continued down that route, I would be in a very different place than I am."
Amal Rahman
"Don't spread yourself too thin. It can be very tempting to attend meetings for every organization that catches your interest, which can hurt both your academic and extracurricular career. Find something you're truly passionate about and make a difference there. In my junior year, I joined the Tufts Timmy Foundation, which organizes a yearly medical relief trip to the Dominican Republic. It has been one of the most important experiences in my life and will definitely influence my future career in medicine.
And don't major in biochemistry."
Erica Shipow
"Don't graduate. But if you must, live your life to the fullest until you get there. Take chances. Make some stupid decisions. And trust in yourself along the way. Above all else, don't forget to smile."
Carrie Jones
"Get involved and get involved as soon as you can. Make yourself part of the community. Seek out experiences you wouldn't necessarily think you would enjoy because you'll find out you probably will enjoy it. Don't be too concerned about requirements. Take the courses you want to take, not just the ones you need for your major. Try something new. Study abroad, if you can."
Will Kent
"I would have made more mistakes. I would have tried more classes that were out of my league. I would have taken too many classes. College is a good time to push yourself and see what works and see what doesn't. It's not a time to play it safe. It's a good lesson in learning how to fail - it's an instructive place to do it because people can pick you up and tell you what to do. You shouldn't be afraid to bomb a paper. You should feel like you should try anything.
Explore the area, explore the campus. Find a place around campus or around Boston that you can make your own. Some people make it the library, some people make it the deck on top of Fletcher. Whatever it is, find your spot."
Rachel O'Donnell
"Go see your advisor as often as possible. I think that advisors really do enjoy it when you go and see them. They can help you out with a huge range of things. Not just about class or about your degree, but if you need to get a job, etc.
And rent movies from Tisch. They have a lot."
Amod Rajbhandari
"I wish I'd done something to do with performance arts. Anything salsa, or join a dance troupe. Especially shows with SOC [Spirit of Color] and La Salsa and TDC [Tufts Dance Collective] - groups like that look really, really fun. They put in a lot of effort behind the stage. The collective energy looks like a fun activity. Just try new things. I wish I'd done Tae Kwon Do or something.
Big one: The butternut squash soup. In your four years at Tufts, if you haven't tried it, you should. It could be close enough to be proclaimed God's gift to mankind. Ambrosia in soup form."
