I will not be the first, nor the last to say this: Welcome to Princeton, congratulations! You should be incredibly proud of yourself, your hard work and dedication to school, and your journey up until this point. The Tiger community can’t wait to see you at “the best old place of all.”

As a bit of a side note for those reading this that did not get in or are hoping to in the future: just know that everyone’s journey is different and ‘success’ isn’t bound to getting into somewhere or not. Make the most of whatever situation you find yourself in and the world will be your oyster!

For those of you who will be coming to Princeton next year as the great class of 2029, you have a lot to look forward to! This includes so many things—lookout for future blogs or check out ones written by my peers—including but not limited to: Academics - famous professors, research opportunities, and cool classes; Social - student organizations/events/shows, school sports, or Eating Clubs; Professional - access to alumni, networking/info sessions, and unique opportunities.

Before then, however, you may be wondering: “I got in, but now what?” I definitely went through this when I opened my decision in December 2021. From what I can recall, the process of matriculating was very smooth so long as you read the emails the university sends. Basically, just make sure all of your paperwork, forms and eventually AP/IB exam results are sent in.

Some time after the regular decision results come out, you will be invited to meet other admitted students and alumni near your geographical area. I am from Sarasota, Florida and there were five students admitted from Southwest Florida so we met via Zoom (it was also 2022). Some of my friends from NYC and LA have told me that they went to much larger in-person gatherings, so it really depends. Regardless, it is a great opportunity to connect with future peers or alumni who may be open to mentoring you!

Speaking of meeting other students, Princeton Preview is a great place to meet other kids who got into Princeton. This happens in the spring after regular decision results come back, so one advantage to getting in early is that you can plan travel a little better (I enjoyed this perk haha). Take full advantage of meeting prospective students, or meeting up with others you’ve met online beforehand. I’m sure they have unofficial Instagram pages where you can send a profile for someone to post (I didn’t do this and definitely don’t pay money—that a scam). The official class of 2029 Instagram made by Princeton is a good place to start following other kids. I also joined Facebook and Discord groups since there was some good information about rooming. That said, it doesn’t really matter if you meet peers online beforehand since the orientation events once you get here are amazing.

While this has been a really brief overview of what happens after you get into Princeton, I hope it was somewhat helpful. I would say the most important thing right now to do is: enjoy the time you have left in high school and don’t slack off (for the most part). If you have any questions about this transition or want some advice from my experience, feel free to send me an email, thomas.danz@princeton.edu! 

I can’t wait to see you on campus. Welcome to Princeton!

Being a Community Learning Advisor (CLA) for Yeh College this year has been a unique experience. It’s given me a chance to connect with students across different years, support my peers, and get a better understanding of Princeton’s residential community.

Connecting Across Class Years

Before becoming a CLA, most of my interactions were with people in my year or major. This role has been a great way to meet students from all over campus— sophomores diving into new opportunities, juniors making the most out of the remaining years of college, and senior students who’ve been through it all. Hearing their stories and perspectives has been a reminder of how diverse and vibrant the Princeton community really is. It’s been especially rewarding to meet new students and learn about their backgrounds, interests, and goals. A lot of the students I work with are also in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, which has made our interactions even more relatable and meaningful. Being able to share advice about navigating tough problem sets, picking classes, or handling the challenges of the major feels like paying it forward.

Getting to know these students—not just as peers, but as people with their own stories and ambitions—has been wholesome and fulfilling in a way I didn’t expect. Whether we’re talking about academics, campus life, or just figuring out where to grab the best late-night snacks, these connections have reminded me why building a supportive community matters so much.

Being a Resource and a Listener

A big part of the job is being there when people need support. Sometimes it’s helping someone navigate a tough course or answering questions about campus resources. Other times, it’s just about listening—because college can get overwhelming, and knowing someone has your back can make a big difference. It’s not always about having the perfect solution; just being available can go a long way.

What I didn’t expect was how much I’d learn in the process. Helping others with their challenges has pushed me to think more creatively and be more patient, even in my own life. Whether it’s figuring out a tricky situation or just staying calm when things don’t go as planned, this role has made me better at problem-solving and more aware of how to support others effectively.

Study Breaks and Small Moments

One of the fun parts of being a CLA is organizing study breaks. Whether it’s snacks, games, or just a chance to hang out, these little events are a nice way to pause and recharge. It’s not about doing anything fancy—it’s about creating space for people to breathe, relax, and connect.

Sometimes, the best moments are the unexpected ones: a late-night conversation in the common room or seeing people bond over a shared love for food at a study break. These small, everyday interactions are what make the role feel meaningful. They remind me that, even in a busy place like Princeton, taking time to relax and connect with others can make all the difference.

Princeton’s residential colleges are designed to make campus feel a little less overwhelming, and being a CLA has shown me how much thought goes into building that sense of community. From the people I work with to the students I’ve met, it’s clear that this network of support isn’t just a nice idea—it really works.

Looking back on this semester, I’m glad I took on the CLA role. It’s helped me feel more connected to the campus and given me a new appreciation for the small, everyday ways we support each other.

"I’m just lucky."

Words I’ve found myself saying far too often.

Imposter syndrome is a pervasive feeling of self-doubt that leads people to question their accomplishments and believe they don’t deserve them. When we think about imposter syndrome, we often associate it with feelings of distress or fixating on mistakes. But there’s another side to it—a quiet voice that says we’re just lucky. That we barely scraped by. That, for some inexplicable reason, we were chosen.

It took me a long time to realize these were the feelings I carried at Princeton. I thought I was lucky to be here, grateful for an opportunity no one around me had. That mindset subtly followed me through every aspect of my college experience, unnoticed. Oh, that professor must have been grading lightly—this wasn’t my best work. The internship pool probably wasn’t that competitive this year—I’m lucky I got in. With every step forward, I was unconsciously doubting my abilities, the effort I put in, and ultimately, myself.

Slowly, I began to see the truth. My professors’ feedback, the kind words from my dean, the encouragement from my advisors—they weren’t strokes of luck. They were reflections of my work, my dedication, and my growth. Bit by bit, I began to understand that it wasn’t just luck. It was me.

These small affirmations became stepping stones, reminding me that I could take up space and claim my achievements. I grew into someone who embraced new opportunities, tackled big projects, and found confidence in my abilities. I realized the same energy I used to doubt myself, could be redirected to reassure myself.

With early action decisions coming out, I want you to know this: you aren’t just lucky. You deserve it. You earned it.

Words I wish I had told myself back then: I hope you take up space. I hope you dream big. I hope you recognize that your success isn’t just about potential—it’s about you.

My time at Princeton has taught me that I deserve my accomplishments and more. It’s given me the drive to push myself further and the confidence to acknowledge what I’ve already achieved. Mistakes, successes, and everything in between have shaped this journey, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. As I prepare to leave, I carry the confidence I wish I had started with. My hope for you is this: don’t wait. Know that it was never just luck. It was always you.

Perhaps at some point or another you might have stumbled across Princeton’s beloved nickname of the “Orange Bubble.” For those unfamiliar with the term, the phrase refers to the relative isolation of Princeton’s campus. It is not by any means in the middle of nowhere—there is a small though lively town surrounding campus, and cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. are easily accessible by train. However, because anything and everything students might need is either on campus or a short walk away on Nassau Street, the student body tends to exist in this phenomenon of seclusion. In the middle of a busy semester, it is easy to forget there is life beyond campus.

And yet, the “Orange Bubble” is not the end of the story.

I try to make a conscious effort to get off campus or interact with the local community as often as feasibly possible. Whether it’s engaging in service activities, doing schoolwork in the Public Library, or taking day trips off campus, doing so always helps me feel more grounded as a student. That’s why when one of my friends sent a picture of a flyer for a nearby cow parade to our group chat, it did not take long for us to make plans to attend.

I know what you’re probably asking yourself: what is a cow parade? To be honest, I’m still not entirely sure. On a community calendar, Cherry Grove Farms advertised the event as follows: “At our annual Cow Parade, we celebrate and honor our cows who provide us with fresh milk daily, from which we make all our farmstead cheeses.”

I had no idea what to expect when we arrived, but I enjoyed every second of it. The farm itself was about a twenty-minute drive from campus in nearby Lawrence. After parking, we made our way to a large field where people seemed to be lining up along a fence. Eventually, a long line of cows wearing strings of flowers around their necks and heads emerged from the barn. Slowly but surely, the cows made their way to the other end of the field, at times stopping to eat some grass and eventually dispersing. Trailing closely behind them, a small group of people played some instruments while they walked. I would have never anticipated attending an event where the main attraction consisted of standing along a fence and observing cows in the distance, but it was one of the highlights of my fall semester.

After the cow parade, we stopped by the various booths set up closer to the farm’s small store. There were vendors selling soaps, raw honey, earrings, wood carvings, bread, cheese, and many more items—all made locally in central New Jersey. After taking some pictures with the cows, we made our way back to campus and finished the day with jazz night at Small World.

Maybe we aren’t located in the middle of a bustling city, but we are by no means isolated from fun opportunities and events. (I mean, how many people do you know that can say they’ve been to a cow parade?) My only wish is that I’d found out sooner about this local annual tradition.

With the holidays approaching, I've been thinking a lot about home. As a first-year student immensely new to campus, the holidays and the breaks that came with them were a refuge from the Princeton chaos and unfamiliarity — I could go home and escape campus-related stress. Now, as a sophomore, much more acclimated to campus, I approach the holidays with much gratitude for all the ways in which Princeton has become my home. And leaving it during breaks can even be a bit difficult.

Thus, in honor of the holidays, I devoted this blog to expressing my gratitude toward everything at Princeton that makes my life feel warm even as the weather becomes frosty with the holiday air.

1. Friends!

I'm grateful to finally balance academic life, extracurricular activities, and socializing this semester. When I get stressed, I tend to retreat into my own bubble. However, recently, I've found that I make better, more thoughtful contributions to my classes and activities after spending time with friends. Taking time to decompress from the chaos of campus life — laughing, going out, and even just chatting — has become as important to me as writing essays and attending meetings. This time with friends is often the thing that powers me through my busy weeks, and it's the place I come back to when academic stress gets too much. As excited as I am to leave campus and see my family this holiday season, I'm a little sad about the weeks I'll spend away from my friends here. It's a bittersweet feeling, but more than anything, I'm grateful to have something that makes saying goodbye hard. 

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   2. Art!

As a creative writer and theater maker, I'm grateful to live on a campus with many artistic opportunities. And the last few weeks on campus have exemplified this fount of creativity. I write and read gorgeous poems for my Advanced Poetry class every week. I even represented my poetry class at the Creative Writing department's Fall semester reading. I've spent the last couple of months assistant-directing a musical for the Lewis Center of the Arts (the home of Theater, Creative Writing, Dance, and Visual Arts at Princeton), which opened and closed in the previous couple of weekends. Saying goodbye to that production was hard, but the creative opportunities that came with it brought a lifetime's worth of fulfillment. I've attended friends' art exhibition openings, dance expositions, and play performances when I'm not in class. The artist in me feels so full of gratitude for all the creative engagement that the past weeks and months have fostered.

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  3. Supportive Professors

This portion of the semester can feel dizzying. In the coming weeks, before I can return home for the holidays, I'll have to navigate the chaos of writing several term papers and completing final exams. Fortunately, I have kind professors who make this process more comforting. I enjoy using Office Hours to talk to my African American history preceptor about which class readings can best inform my final paper. My French cinema professor always leaves thoughtful comments on my grammar assignments and encourages me to explore my West African heritage throughout my creative projects in class. My poetry professor always creates time to discuss and workshop my poems and recommend poems that speak to my lived experience — a nice break from my other academic work! My art history professor is always willing to help me look through dense scholarly sources so that I can craft a well-argued and engaging term paper. Even as the stress of the final weeks on campus set in, I'm grateful to know that these resources are available to me.

  4. A Warm Place to Come Back to at the End of the Day

At the end of long days, I'm grateful that my warm dorm awaits me. I've made my dorm a place where I can decompress from academics. So, when I come back to my dorm, I can rest, call home, hang out with friends, watch movies, eat, and watch the seasons change right outside my window.

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The holidays always bring bittersweet feelings, especially when you're far from home. This holiday season, however, I'm enjoying taking time to reflect and express gratitude for life and all its simple wonders.

SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, hit me my first semester at Princeton. Now it is a frequent friend I embrace once a year. 

Coming from California, where the sun never stops shining, the dark cold days of winter overwhelmed me with a profound wave of sadness that I wasn’t entirely sure how to describe; seasonal depression was a concept I was always vaguely aware of, but never fully believed I would experience. 

As the temperature continued to fall, I watched as the days grew shorter and the nights came sooner. The warm crisp days of the summer gave way to the harsh winds of the winter and I found myself desperately wanting to go home. Homesickness, coupled with intense work loads, worked in conjunction to render me absolutely miserable. The persistence of this feeling led me to eventually conclude that I had gotten SAD (no pun intended). 

However, I found ways to co-exist with this feeling. Rather than let this gloom consume me, I decided to embrace the melancholy of winter and took it as a time to recharge and to be present. Below are some techniques I learned to challenge SAD:

1. Romanticizing the seasonal change by getting into the spirit of the holidays – To me, this meant watching my favorite Christmas movies, baking cookies, and dressing warmly for the weather outside. 
2. Spending time with my friends – Rather than mull about not being able to see my family til break, I try to schedule activities with my friends and be present. Company is the best medicine.
3. Exercising – A healthy body = healthy mind. Being active and interacting with the environment gives me clarity and a sense of calm that grounds me amidst the chaotic season of finals.
4. Getting out and about – Taking day trips to New York or Philly always helps stimulate my mind as I take in the seasonal sights and decorations. 
5. Being kind to others and myself – I try to acknowledge that I might not always be in the best mood but that I should try to exhibit kindness to everyone around me and myself during this difficult season. By giving grace to myself and others, it helps me feel a little bit better on days when I might not have the energy to do anything, to interact with my friends, or to go to class. 

For someone coming from Barcelona, fall at Princeton is like stepping into a postcard. The campus is surrounded by red and golden leaves, cozy corners for studying appear everywhere, and there’s an almost magnetic pull toward the pumpkin-flavored everything on Nassau Street. But while the season brings all the classic fall vibes, it’s also when midterms, projects, and extracurriculars pick up pace. Finding balance is key—and I’ve learned that the best way to navigate a busy semester is by making space for both the cozy, seasonal distractions and the academic responsibilities that define college life.

Balancing the Cozy with the Coursework
The start of fall always tempts me to slow down. The idea of sipping a hot drink while sitting by a window and drawing or reading a book sounds perfect, especially when Princeton’s fall foliage seems like it’s straight out of a movie. But with a full schedule of classes and assignments, giving in to the seasonal appeal can be tricky. I try to blend the two: setting aside time in the mornings for a coffee run or a quick study session with friends. These small breaks make the workload feel lighter, keeping me recharged and motivated. Sometimes, even just a 15-minute walk outside between classes is enough to reset.

Finding Time for People  
Spending time with friends and classmates is one of the best ways to break up the week, especially as the weather cools and cozy indoor hangouts become more appealing. Whether we’re grabbing dinner after a long day of classes or simply studying together, I’ve realized that these connections are essential. With the heavy workload, I make it a priority to keep these moments part of my routine. Scheduling doesn’t have to be formal, but a quick “Want to grab a coffee?” text can lead to some of the best conversations—and it’s often these unplanned moments that make the semester feel more balanced and enjoyable.

Extracurriculars as Both Commitment and Escape
I’m involved in extracurriculars that give me a break from academics in a way that feels productive and energizing. Whether it’s rehearsing with Sinfonia or Triangle or working on designs for Princeton Racing Electric, these activities give me a chance to apply my skills in a hands-on way. They’re a break from the study grind while still keeping me engaged and focused. I make it a point to carve out specific times for these commitments, so they become a natural part of my week rather than a source of added stress. Extracurriculars give me a change of pace, which can make all the difference during an intense semester.

Setting Aside Time for Myself
Amid the classes, social time, and extracurriculars, I’ve also learned the importance of carving out solo time. Fall invites a sense of reflection, and I find myself leaning into it by journaling or taking short walks through campus. It’s my way of grounding myself, especially when things feel fast-paced. I’ve found that these solo moments help me process what’s happening around me and stay focused on my goals, even as the semester gets busy.

Fall at Princeton may be a season of pumpkin spice and problem sets, but it’s also about making the most of each moment—both academically and personally. With the demands of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, balancing all these elements can be particularly challenging. The MAE workload often involves intense problem sets, lab reports, and late-night study sessions, all of which require focus and persistence. But finding time to enjoy the season, connect with friends, and engage in activities I’m passionate about has taught me the importance of balance. It’s this mix of hard work and meaningful breaks that brings a sense of rhythm and purpose to my college life.

Embracing both the rigor of my studies and the joy of seasonal experiences has helped me approach each semester with a renewed perspective. I’ve found that this balance not only makes the workload more manageable but also makes each success feel even more rewarding. It’s a reminder that while academics are a huge part of my journey, so too are the moments of connection, discovery, and enjoyment that make Princeton feel like home.

Last weekend, I drove more miles in a single day than I’ve driven in my whole life leading up to that point.

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A friend had convinced me to come on a road trip to Niagara Falls, in upstate New York, and I was one of the designated drivers.

In a way, this road trip was a quintessential college road trip. We ate at 2 am in a 24-hour Denny’s, we talked about life on the long drive up, we pulled into rest stops looking for food and fuel.

The Falls were incredible! My friends and I took a boat tour that went just below the falls, and we strolled throughout Niagara Falls State Park.

Although my friend did all of the driving up to Niagara Falls, I was determined to cover at least part of the drive back.

“I can take the first shift of the drive back,” I told my friend over dinner on the last night.

“If you’re sure, then okay,” he said.

Was I sure? I just got my driver’s license last summer. The license wasn’t even three months old yet. Up until that moment, my driving experience amounted to twenty hours behind the wheel, two of which were on the freeway.

Interstates are long and unforgiving… was 2 hours enough to get to the other side? 

Was I out of my mind? That’s what I asked myself as I went to bed, and as I got ready the next morning.

Fun fact: Niagara Falls is close enough to Canada to have a chain of Tim Hortons. That’s where I drove my friends for breakfast.

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The parking lot of this random Tim Hortons… my comfort zone was here. It was time to get out: of Niagara Falls (literally), of my comfort zone (metaphorically). The little voice in my head that doubted my skills–it needed to go out, too. I’ve found that acquiring a new skill is equal parts learning and practice. I had done the initial learning, but practice was how I would get comfortable. “Use it or lose it,” is a saying for a reason.

So much learning happens inside Princeton’s classrooms, but why stop there? This was an opportunity for self-education! Getting comfortable with driving lay on the other side of driving back to campus.

It was in that parking lot that I decided I was sure. This was as safe an environment as any to practice, and this chance wouldn’t come again for a while.

Over the course of the next few hours, I would end up driving 145 miles. In those hours, I learned a lot about freeway etiquette: which lanes to speed up in, how to pass big rigs, the importance of matching other people’s speed.

As the miles passed, from one to ten to fifty, my apprehension gave way to focus. My comfort zone had expanded to encompass this difficult thing I was now doing.

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The miles melted, and I kept driving, and the sun continued its arc across the sky. And there I was, pulling into gas stations and changing lanes. Smiling, because I was proud of myself for getting out.