Lakshanah reflects on her first semester at Tufts University

I arrived at Tufts University in Medford Massachusetts on August 28, and I was captivated by the beautiful architecture of the university. The campus on the hill, shivering chilly breeze made me grab my thickest coat while the shy squirrels during golden hour stopped my walking feet for a moment of admiration.

When I arrived here from Mauritius, I was afraid of how long it would take me to get adapted to campus and the United States in general. However, I was able to make good friends on the very first day of my arrival and we went to a pizza shop together. I ate the pizza eagerly without thinking much about the tip. One of my friends, on my behalf, took care of the tip and then I realized that tipping is indeed very real in the States.

I plan to double major in Biomedical Sciences and Cognitive and Brain Sciences and minor in Music, Sound, and Culture. At the moment, my classes are Calculus 1, Introduction to Psychology, New Music Ensemble, Redefining the Image of Science and Engineering (RISE) seminar, Emerging Scholars Program, and Calculus Workshop. The RISE seminar being a first year advising class for first-generation, underrepresented students eased my transition to Tufts and now I have a network of peers, advisors, and other faculty members to whom I can talk whenever I have a difficulty regarding academics or other issues. The Emerging Scholars Program also connected me with peers in the field of Computer Science and I always appreciate the group discussions and presentations lead by our Peer Leader that provide me more insights regarding the applications of computer science. The professors at Tufts are very dedicated to teaching and whenever I have difficulty, I go to office hours. During my New Music Ensemble class, I play the peculiar waterphone, which I very much adore.

I went roller skating with the Africana Center during the First Year Retreat. I had never roller skated before, but I was brave enough to try. During this event, I bonded with my peers in the Africana Center and had an amazing time together. The Black community was very welcoming and felt like home to me. As a sidenote, I fell more than ten times while skating, but I was proud of myself. Apart from studying, I do beatbox in an acapella group. Recently, our acapella group performed in a riff off with the other acapella groups and it was a wholesome experience. Apart from that, I also have an on-campus dining job.

The temperature has been very cold these days and I have been told that it will get worse. However, I hope that I will be able to survive the harsh winter. Also, I can’t wait to see snow for the first time!