Tufts Creatives: How to Jumbo at Tufts and beyond

Take the necessary risks to achieve your dreams. There will be a time when you can only get what you want by putting everything on the line. When the moment arrives, go for it. You won’t regret it.

Understand that things won’t always work out for the best. Don’t waste time agonizing over why. Learn from your mistakes, pick yourself up and keep going. The only true path is the one that leads forward.

Focus on what you care about. Wherever your passions lie, throw yourself fully into everything you do. As Confucius said, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

Tell yourself that you matter even if you feel lost. So many downward spirals could be avoided if we learned to respect ourselves. And if you need further help, don’t hesitate to ask for it.

Stay true to yourself. Take advice from friends and family, but remember that no one knows you more than you do. Make choices based on your personal values and hold tight to your identity.

Call your loved ones as often as possible. We need people in our lives who want the best for us and will do anything to help us in times of need, but we have to do our part to maintain those connections.

Read a book for pleasure once in a while. As students, we have learned to associate reading with work. If anything, reading should offer us a much-needed escape from our arduous lives. Join a book club and meet new people!

Exercise is crucial for both your mind and your body. Yes, it hurts, and it might be difficult to find the time, but if you make exercise a staple of your week, you are guaranteed to feel happier and healthier.

Ask questions. Nothing should be taken for granted or presented to us without an explanation. Just because something is 'traditional' doesn’t make it right. Blindly accepting things is the worst mistake one can make.

Think carefully before you act or speak. Entering into a situation unprepared can only lead to grave consequences. The best solution to a problem is often not the first to come to mind.

Initiate plans to hang out with your friends, even if they never do. Don’t let a friendship fade away just because you feel scorned – friends don’t have to text or call you constantly to prove that they care.

Vary your day-to-day schedule. Don’t get bogged down in a routine. Switching things up every now and then can help fight boredom and depression. And dedicate some time each day to treating yourself!

Energize yourself to do better. Don’t adopt a defeatist attitude. Develop a growth mindset rather than a fixed one, even if there aren’t immediate results. Incentives are a great way to make you push yourself.

Stop and smell the roses. College necessitates a fast-paced lifestyle, and it won’t be any easier in the real world. But take time to enjoy life. Allow yourself to be happy. In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”