FIT: Fitness and Individual Development at Tufts
FIT (Fitness and Individual Development at Tufts) is a pre-orientation program for students interested in leading a healthy and active lifestyle while at Tufts.
About
Incoming Tufts students have proven they are academically FIT to be a Jumbo; likewise, we believe Jumbo Health is just as important. The program introduces students to the Tufts community through holistic wellness, nutrition, and activities. Students are taught how to include healthy behaviors and learn about self-care, wellness, and stress reduction. FIT provides the opportunity to develop lasting relationships with other first-year students and upper-class student peer leaders.
FIT students are placed with 10 other first-years and 2-3 upper-class student peer leaders. The leaders were first years just like you and will help guide you in your transition to life as a Jumbo. Participants in FIT develop strong relationships with other first-year students and their peer leaders. These friendships have been known to last all four years.
FIT is supported by two Tufts staff members who have years of experience in college health and support Tufts students’ health year-round.
Fitness
Over the course of the program, students will learn how to live an active lifestyle at Tufts. During the program, they will get the opportunity to participate in fun Jumbo Workouts like kickball, ultimate frisbee, swimming, spin classes, yard games, hip-hop dance, and many more. Additionally, they will participate in outdoor activities off-campus like sailing, golf, hiking, kayaking, and rock climbing.
Health/Wellness
Throughout the program, students will be introduced to the mental health resources and support systems available at Tufts. FIT also teaches students about proper nutrition, sleep, and stress management at college. Moreover, they will receive a tour of the fitness center and the fitness amenities available to Tufts students, along with information about how to get involved with activities on campus, such as club and intramurals sports.
Adjusting to Campus
FIT program primarily takes place at Tufts and students will get the opportunity to find their way around campus before Orientation. They will have a few days to adjust to campus life before the rest of the rest of student body arrives. However, FIT isn’t just all on-campus! Participants also get the chance to explore the city and surrounding areas of Boston. FIT groups take an afternoon field trip to areas like Davis, Cambridge, or Downtown Boston. You will learn how to navigate the T (Boston’s subway system) and about the best places to hang off-campus.
FIT is built for anyone! You do not have to be athletic or super “fit” to participate in FIT! While participants certainly will have the opportunity to engage in athletic and fitness activities, the program is open to anyone who generally likes to be active. FIT offers a wide variety of options for everyone, regardless of your athletic experience or fitness background.
We encourage everyone to sign up for FIT and follow us on Instagram @Tufts_FIT! We can’t wait to meet you in the fall!
Typical Day
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8 a.m. | Breakfast in Carmichael Hall |
| 9 a.m. | Hear from Tufts faculty about life at Tufts |
| 10 a.m. | Jumbo workout: Choose from various activities like spinning, swimming, and hip-hop dance |
| 12 p.m. | Lunch with your peers and leaders |
| 1 p.m. | Outdoor adventure: Get off campus to (for instance) hike, golf, or kayak |
| 5 p.m. | Dinner and good conversation |
| 7 p.m. | Group activities like bowling in Davis Square or exploring Boston |
Student Coordinators
Louie Demetriades
Louie '26 (he/him) is a junior from Houston, TX double majoring in political science and history. Louie is a member of the varsity swimming and diving team, and he swims distance freestyle. While some might disagree, Louie strongly believes that Cars 2 is the best Pixar movie ever made.
Arya Gupta
This is Arya '27 (she/her)! She is from Bethesda, Maryland and studies computer science and quantitative economics. Outside of school Arya is on the swim and dive team, e-board member for Athletes of Color, and a civic life ambassador. She loves to bake, paint, and go on walks with friends!
Staff
Alexa Erb (she/her/hers)
Associate Director of Campus Life - Student Engagement
I have been working at Tufts since July 2022. As Associate Director for Student Engagement I oversee the over all student organization system including management of JumboLife, the Tufts student engagement platform. My work with JumboLife includes registration, communications and data analysis. I am also responsible for student organization training and development opportunities. I support our 300+ student organizations and their events, and directly advise all publication organizations. I serve as a direct OCL liaison to the GSC, Graduate Student Council, SMFA Student Life and SMFA student organizations. I supervise the Assistant Director of Campus Life-Programming and serve as the director in his absence. Please stop by to say hello!
Richard J. DeCapua, EdD
Senior Associate Dean of Students and Deputy Chief Student Life Officer for AS&E
As the Senior Associate Dean of Students, Rich is responsible for ensuring that programs and services are adding to the success of students in and outside of the classroom. From Orientation to Housing, to Health Promotion and Campus Life, Rich leads efforts to create a safe, welcoming, and educational environment for all students. He leads the day-to-day operations of the division of student life, and collaborates with several campus partners, ranging from Athletics and TUPD, to envision programs that result in student success.
Contact Us
FIT allowed me to be a part of an instant community and helped make my transition to college less stressful. I established a great group of friends, and had so much fun participating in the outdoor activities-but nothing can compare to the grand finale: The Amazing Race!
Zoe Browning, Class of 2027
FIT at Tufts allowed me to familiarize myself with a new college environment before the busyness of the school year. It handed me opportunities to socialize with students I would see in my classes anyway in just a few weeks. As a sports fanatic and someone who likes to get a feel for social environments before entering them, FIT was a great decision.
Constantine Katsoris, Class of 2026
I was very anxious when flying into Boston my freshman year as it was only the second time I would have been in the states. I didn't really know to expect or where to even start so being in FIT really helped me settle in, get to know the campus, and also introduced me to some great people!
Jan Springer- Class of 2027
Right now I live with 9 other girls and I met 8 of them on my first day at Tufts. I am so lucky to be able to say that I truly met my best friends because of FIT. As someone who came to Tufts knowing virtually nobody, the prospect of coming to an unfamiliar place was incredibly daunting. I am so grateful that FIT provided me with such a comfortable place to get to know new people so that I could really be my full self, even in an unfamiliar environment. Having the support of my leaders even to this day has been so important to my development at Tufts and even as I think about my life after Tufts.