Princeton Resolutions


New Years is a time for reflection and resolutions. Therefore, I reached out to my fellow bloggers about some of their Princeton Resolutions for the coming year. Below you will find a few ways in which students are looking to take advantage of all that Princeton offers in 2017.

Michelle Greenfield '18

My Princeton resolution for this coming year is to search out new and exciting study spots on campus. Princeton has so much beautiful architecture ranging from Collegiate Gothic to contemporary that it is a shame to always sit in my room or in the basement of the library. Therefore, I want to explore the hidden gems the school offers and find those spaces that are quintessentially Princeton. I found one just before leaving for winter break in East Pyne, an academic building, where there is a comfy chair and a beautiful stained glass window of the Princeton shield. I am sure there are many more out there waiting to be discovered.

Briana Pagano '18

My Princeton resolution for the New Year is to attend more of the campus talks that pique my interest. On Dec. 1, I attended a lecture given by bestselling author Richard Preston: "The Hidden Worlds of Narrative Nonfiction."  As Preston read from his book, "The Wild Trees," and recounted daring tales of himself scaling 300-foot redwoods in search of a story, I found myself enthralled and inspired. One of the few students among a sea of grey hair, I promised myself in that moment to take better advantage of the endless hidden wonders Princeton has to offer.

Avaneesh Narla '17

As my time here comes to an end, I have been reflecting a lot on my Princeton experience. I do believe that I have challenged myself academically, and hope to continue doing so in the future. However, before I leave, I want to strengthen the relationships I have made, and seek out new ones among people that I don't ordinarily run into.

Peyton Lawrenz '19

Next semester, I'd like to prioritize forming strong relationships with my new professors! Princeton professors are very open to hearing from their students and getting to know them. I have definitely made the effort to make sure that I get to know all of my professors in past semesters by going to their office hours and setting up appointments to discuss course material or continue conversations from class, but I'd like to take advantage of Princeton's Home Dining Program (aka bring your professor to a meal). Grab a professor, grab some food (for free), and get to know each other!  

 


Class of 2020: It’s the Moment You’ve Been Waiting For


Welcome To Princeton! You will hear this phrase at least 100 times when you first step on campus. So, for all of my class of 2020 readers, let me be one of the first of many to say congratulations and welcome to Princeton. I am super excited to meet you and can’t wait to get to know each and every one of you. I wanted to take this opportunity to offer a bit of insight into the unique Princeton Orientation experience.  Princeton’s academic calendar is very different from other schools, and because of this, we are able to have an extensive orientation program focused just on our freshmen.

Orientation includes many different components to help facilitate some of your first days on campus. There are activities set to teach you about Princeton culture and history, times to ask juniors and seniors questions about their experiences, opportunities to reflect upon where you came from and where you see yourself going, and of course, moments to hang out and create friendships and experience Princeton for everything that it has to offer.  

This year, Princeton is offering three orientation programs. The first is Outdoor Action (OA), which consists of a weeklong outdoor experience. This could be a biking, canoeing, backpacking, camping, or some other outdoor adventure. (I am an OA leader, so if any of you lovely readers happen to be in my group, bonus points if you mention you read this blog post!) The second program is Community Action (CA), which consists of a weeklong community service experience. As part of CA, you could be volunteering at a soup kitchen, painting murals in the park, planting in a community farm, tutoring, or doing some other fun activity with your new Princeton friends. The third program is designed for fall student-athletes. In this orientation program, students will remain on campus and train with their teams, while still getting that same personal reflection and community-building experience.

In addition to these exciting trips and experiences, as another part of orientation, freshmen will have the opportunity to get to know their "Z-groups," which is short for "advisee." This group, run by a student residential college adviser, brings together students who live near one another in their residential college. They will discuss Pre-read, the book assigned to the entering students of the Class of 2020, and become acquainted with special Princeton traditions (start thinking of your favorite songs to sing at Step Sing). And, of course, they will start making those life-long friends everyone talks about when they mention college.

So, Class of 2020, get excited about Orientation. Are you ready?  


Sophomore Slumping


Princeton’s campus looks fundamentally different at Princeton Preview than when you return on the Dinky for sophomore year. Novel were the shapes of sidewalks, grandiosity of buildings, and historically rooted landmark names; the complex and at times confusing dining hall swipe rules, eating clubs, and workings of Frist’s mail system; the short semesters, intimate precepts, and independent nature of academic inquiry.

 

One year in, Princeton is still beautiful but it is also just home. I order coffee from the same shop each morning, grab the same sushi at Late Meal in the afternoon, and return to the same residential college at night. What do you mean, like Nick Carraway said in The Great Gatsby, we just beat on boats against the current? Perhaps it was unrealistic to expect a daily transcendental revelation. Perhaps it’s my fault for thinking all I needed was to be splattered with orange paint. But I like new, shiny, unfamiliar things. Where to look? One might call this the sophomore slump.

 

Sophomore slump (noun): A sophomore’s dwindling motivation as college loses its perceived grandiosity and palpable novelty.

 

The starry-eyed condition of my freshman year was an incongruent prediction for how my four years would feel. College burnout is real! My romanticized view of college as an endless cycle of new friends, new ideas, new heights of achievement proves to be an illusion as my first sophomore semester soars by. Intermittently, I think NOOOOO where did my weeks and months go!?!?! What did I even accomplish in September and October?!?! Am I failing to be a true Princetonian?!?! Sometimes I feel that I am a nondescript creature floating in the primordial ooze, accountable to no one and spiraling to academic paths eroding in employability by the second. Certainly taking a class to read War and Peace and keeping a journal pretending to be a character on the home front will fix this all.

 

What happened to the infinite four years I so desperately anticipated? You look around each campus destination and alright, this is what it is. All you’ve got. All you are. Like a limerence-fueled relationship losing its spark. Lamentably, you realize the problem might be you. Damn.

 

While I’ve painted a picture that is more blue than orange, despair not, some relationships just require a bit of soul-searching. Whether you switch majors after getting bored like me, reboot old artistic hobbies, or discover an unfamiliar direction to pursue, the sophomore slump is the universe’s (or this primordial ooze in which you float) invitation to breathe new life into your relationship with your beloved prince. Maybe your Big Bang is just ahead, don’t relent! The slump lets you rest until you uncover the effervescence of your youth anew.


How My Creative Writing Poetry Class Got Rid of My Seasonal Depression


Last semester, in the depths of the grey and dark December nights, I was seasonally depressed. Even when I first returned to campus, the winds still had a frosty bite, the days were still short. Fortunately, the fates were on my side when I clicked the class registration button and I finally made it into the creative writing poetry class, and it has been my favorite class since.

Contrary to a lot of Princeton classes, the creative writing department has almost all pass/fail classes, taking the pressure off stressful performances or assignments. After my brief encounter during my freshman writing seminar, New South (home to the Creative Writing department) became a safe space to write straight from the heart, express all my emotions, and learn from my peers and professors’ suggestions through poetry readings and workshops each week.

For me, the highs are really high, and the lows are really low in the Orange Bubble. I used to feel trapped when I hit those plateaued days with no place to escape, but now I just pick up the pen and write. When I am stuck in office hours with an unsolvable bug in my computer science Java program, drenched in the freezing rain after a dreary midterm, covered in smoke after an unsuccessful pad thai cooking session, or just generally sad when the sun crept into the night before classes even ended, I just let the feelings wash over me and wield them into prose, bit by bit. Somehow, the freewriting, proofreading, changing out specific vocabulary only added to my catharsis each time I create a new poem.

I used to have a lot of trouble putting my thoughts onto the page, judging them to be never original or poetic enough. However, being assigned to write each week in a completely freestyle manner, guided only by a general prompt, has allowed me to trust and push myself into opening up. I've also healed my grievances as I see others in the class relating to them. After class, I stay perched in the sixth floor classroom, entranced with the peaceful quiet of the room as the sky gradually dims.

Now, I can’t believe I went through Princeton without ever writing poetry, which marrows all the angsts in my mind and evaporates them as soon as I let them out. Even now, when I am writing this blog, I hope this will be an inspiration for you to find your own outlet: going to the gym, listening to music, or writing a poem, like me. I would like to share one of my poems with you, which summarizes how I feel about my poetry class overall.

 

Never have I ever             

                           
“Never have I ever
Looked at art in the museum and
Understood what it truly meant.”

Never have I ever
Wished I could be 
Someone else’s             muse

Never have I ever
Gotten used to being perceived
Beyond the confines of my own frame

Never have I ever 
Been certain that I belonged
In a room crammed with gazes, voices

Never have I ever
Not wondered if they 
Meant to hold or hurt             or both

Never have I ever
Been able to tune out
The deep, dark nagging

Never have I ever
    Had the confidence to believe
        I was created for an original purpose

Never have I 
Ever been brave enough
To lay my vulnerabilities on canvas

One down. 
 


Midterm Week and Lessons Learned


To put it plainly, any type of midterm week can get hectic. I have experienced two midterm weeks at Princeton so far, and these two specific weeks have taught me some valuable lessons that apply to not just academics but life in general. 

 

Lesson #1: Time management is key. At Princeton, midterm week differs from finals week in that classes are still operating as usual. When finals week rolls around, classes are already done and over, and you have an entire week dedicated to preparing for your final assessments, which is called “Reading Period.” However, classes are in full-swing during midterm week, so you have to balance your regular day-to-day classwork with midterm preparation.​​ This balance can undoubtedly get tricky at times. One helpful hack I have learned, though, is to start midterm preparation early AND finish classwork early. Doing so not only gives you a head start on midterm studying but also provides more room in your schedule for you to focus directly on your midterms. Believe me, not having classwork looming over you is always a plus, especially during midterm week! So, starting early and finishing assignments early is very important!

 

Lesson #2: Surround yourself with supportive people, and be one of those supportive people. If your midterms are ever making you stressed, the good news is that everyone else around you is likely feeling the same way. Reach out to your friends if you feel overwhelmed, and likewise, encourage your friends. I have found that study sessions with friends are great refreshers, as surrounding yourself with friends who are also doing work is not just motivating but also gives way to some fun conversations and laughs! Midterm week can feel crazy, but surrounding yourself with friends and being a friend can always help keep you grounded and uplifted. 

 

Lesson #3: Take breaks, and know that everything is going to be okay. For me, I cannot do good work when I am tired. If I feel sleepy or just simply unmotivated, I know there is no point in me trying to complete something complicated because I will likely lose focus and have a harder time understanding whatever it is. Thus, I love taking a rejuvenating break! Whether I am taking a nap, going for a walk/jog around campus, or chatting with friends, I always enjoy a break that helps me “refuel” and stay motivated. Additionally, I have learned to not obsess over midterms or exams. Yes, it is important to prepare and to do your best, but at the end of the day, do not sacrifice your health or well-being for a good grade on an exam — you are a person before you are a student. It is much easier said than done, but as long as you put in your best work, that is all you can do. Just know that you are still amazing regardless of what a grade on an exam says. 

 

Although it can seem frantic, midterm week is a great way for you to see and to show off what you have learned so far in your classes. They are meant to be “check-ups” on how well you are understanding your class's content and growing as a learner. They are not meant to stress you out, but even if they do, always remember to manage your time well, surround yourself with good people, and rest assured that your best is enough. 


Stained-Glass Windows... in a College Dorm Room?


Princeton’s architecture is extraordinary. After moving in and getting settled here, I had a hard time fully grasping that I was going to be surrounded by breathtaking collegiate gothic architecture 24/7, especially as a member of Rockefeller College, or Rocky. I had to get used to walking under the arches by Holder Hall anytime I went to the dining hall, giving a shout-out to Blair Arch as I made my way to my Writing Seminar, and greeting Benjamin Franklin and Joseph Henry when entering Frist Campus Center. These are some of the most iconic and picturesque parts of campus, and now they are just a hop, skip, and a jump away from me — and I am extremely grateful to get to see them all the time!

 

However, one architectural feature that really took some getting used to was having stained-glass windows in my dorm room. Before coming to Princeton, if I ever heard someone say, “Stained-glass windows,” a college dorm room was never the first thing that came to mind. Nonetheless, for the amount of surprise I felt toward having such gorgeous windows in my new little home, there was just as much thrill.

 

Stained glass window
One of the stained-glass windows in the late afternoon

 

Every now and then, in the early morning and late afternoon, right when there is just enough sunlight to seep through the small glass panels, I find myself just sitting and admiring the windows. Blending with colors of other things behind them, like clouds and nearby buildings, the panels transform into an array of hues, with some of the aquamarine squares projecting shades of yellow and green and the blue circle in the middle reflecting an ombré of violets and pinks. Anytime I see the windows in this state of beautiful transition, I feel like I have to pause and remind myself I am in a college dorm room.

 

Because I admire these windows so much, for a project in my drawing class this past semester, I decided to draw one. Getting the lines and proportions correct was definitely tough, but the part I enjoyed the most was filling in all the panels with their complex aspects. As I made each mark and sketch, I became more aware of how truly detailed the windows are, as beams of sunlight and outside objects enable them to present a unique variation of colors. I hope my drawing was able to do the windows some justice! 

 

Sketch of a stained glass window
My drawing of one of the windows

 

All this talk about windows is to encourage you to never overlook the little things in life — and to show you how BEAUTIFUL Princeton is ;). The “out-of-the-ordinary” are oftentimes sources of genuine beauty, like holding the door open for a stranger, reaching out to a friend you have not spoken to in a while, or appreciating a stained-glass window in a college dorm room. Never take for granted the power of random demonstrations of beauty and goodness — they are more powerful than we know! 


Silicon Valley Tiger Trek


“I’m going to Silicon Valley!”

 

United States flag in front of the Golden Gate Bridge

 

Back in November, I grabbed a yellow sticky note, wrote down these five words, and stuck it to my wall like they do in the movies. Flash forward, I somehow got myself a seat on Princeton’s Silicon Valley Tiger Trek, a 10-day trip to San Francisco, organized by the entrepreneurship department. Twenty students are chosen to have one-on-one, private interviews with 30 CEOs, founders, and head executives of tech and VC firms. My trip to Silicon Valley felt nothing short a movie script.

 

When we arrived in early January, the Bay Area was stunning. It’s a stark contrast from the cold, dark winters we see at Princeton. Palm trees and rich blue coasts welcomed us to the mecca of entrepreneurship—and we were there to meet the top players. While every person on the trip had something to teach us, they all had one thing in common: success. And what I took away from these different conversations was that the path to success is often more serendipitous and non-linear than one might expect.

 

Personally, I’ve never quite known what I wanted to do. I’ve always struggled to settle on a singular career path due to my disparate interests. As a junior, I've been feeling the pressure to apply to linear, corporate engineering roles, but these types of positions have always made me uneasyworried that they won't leverage my diverse background. So venturing to California, I didn’t have a clear vision of what I wanted to doand I was uncomfortable with that. 

 

However, I left California with a widened perspective. All the founders we met described unexpected paths to where they got to today. These conversations helped me realize that success is not always methodically planned, sometimes it’s a result of brilliant minds creatively exploring, at the right place, at the right time. Not only did the pressure to decide my career vanish, but Tiger Trek completely opened my mind to different paths like finance and venture capital; coming from a family of engineers and professors, I didn’t know much about the financial world until I became interested in entrepreneurship.  

 

I feel extremely privileged to have had this opportunity. I can now acknowledge that it might take me several years, or decades even, to find my dream job. And it might also take me some time to find what we conventionally call success. But until then, I’ll celebrate my small wins, including that yellow sticky note on my wallthat I'll keep for just that reason. 

 

Group photo in front of the Golden Gate Bridge

 


One of Many Weekends


It is the eve of my last ever midterms week at Princeton, and I’m bringing you along on a quick recap of the last three days. You might be wondering what a typical weekend looks like at Princeton. Although there are certainly some consistencies like studying and making time to see friends, every one of them is different. This weekend, I had an exciting mix of time off campus and time spent getting a lot of work done.

 

Friday, February 28

 

For six of my eight semesters at Princeton, I was one of the lucky students that had no class on Fridays. This semester, however, I am enrolled in a class that meets Wednesdays and Fridays—nevertheless, I consider myself just as lucky. The class is one of the many classes offered by the Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship, or ProCES. Courses under this program combine “academic teaching and research with community knowledge and practice.” This means students get to engage with community partners through more directly involved projects. In our class, the largest component is our collaborative work on ongoing asylum cases handled by a New York-based organization.

 

On Friday, I woke up early to catch an 8:20 train to New York City with my class. It was our first time meeting with our clients in person. Although I was extremely nervous on the way there, it was great to meet our client and my group left feeling that the meeting had gone well. I spent the train ride there and back reading Anna Karenina for my Russian literature class, and when I got back, I did some light work on my friend’s dorm room floor before heading off to dinner at my co-op. I ended the night watching a movie over the phone with a loved one back home.

 

Saturday, March 1

 

With thesis deadlines coming up, my friends and I have been working hard to make progress on our research. Although I had planned on getting to Firestone, our main library, right when it opened, I was still exhausted from the day before and decided to have a slower morning. I started the day calling my parents while I made myself chilaquiles, fried eggs, and an iced coffee at the co-op—they tasted like home! I finished Anna Karenina, then I spent the rest of the day working on my current thesis chapter. In the afternoon, I took a break to get coffee and catch up with some friends I hadn’t seen in a while. After another session of work, my friend and I relocated to a new study location, walked to pick up some takeout for dinner, and brought it back to our study room. I spent the rest of the night working until I finished my chapter draft, then finished the night unwinding in my room and watching Pride and Prejudice. (By the way, it was the 2005 version, which I still do not believe is better than the 1995 BBC series adaptation.)

 

Sunday, March 2

 

Every Sunday, I get breakfast with one of my friends and we keep each other company while we study. This weekend, I invited her to my co-op to make pancakes. While cooking, our friend—who is also in my co-op and whom we both met in the same class our freshman spring—walked in and joined us. After eating and tidying up, we headed off to find where our other friends were already studying.

 

As I mentioned, this was the weekend before midterms week. Because it is my senior year, I am only taking three classes this semester. One of my classes has a midterm the week after spring break, another has an assignment due next Sunday, and the third—a class in the Department of Religion—has a midterm paper due this Friday. As you can tell, I’m using my senior spring to explore very different classes. Therefore, all of today was dedicated to completing this paper, which is expected to be around 3,000 words. By 4:30 in the afternoon I had made significant progress, and I showed up to my co-op for my weekly Sunday cook shift. On the menu for today: spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce and broccoli on the side (and a non-meat option for our members that do not eat red meat). After dinner, I made some tea, wrapped up my midterm paper, and sat down to complete this blog.

 

I love that my weekends at Princeton always have a good mix of familiarity and spontaneity. One of the biggest lessons I have learned during my time here has been how to balance work with my personal life and my friendships, and I think this weekend was a testament to that.

 

A collage of nine photos including food, sunsets, and books.
Some snippets from my weekend!

Beyond the Orange Bubble: Exploring Opportunities Off-Campus


Princeton is often collectively referred to as the Orange Bubble — a colloquial term for the cozy, safe, and tiny Princeton neighborhood. Our campus is not always as bustling as our neighboring schools in the city, and although I always feel quite fond of our homey Orange Bubble, sometimes, the Princeton community can feel too small. We, as students, tend to frequent the same local businesses and sites until we've exhausted them; we often see the same people. Thus, our little community can sometime feel a bit stifling — especially in the middle of high-stakes semesters. However, the thing that no one really tells you is that there is indeed a world beyond the Orange Bubble. And that world is always available to you.

 

Over the last two academic years, I've devoted myself to exploring opportunities outside the Orange Bubble. This was apparent last fall when my friends and I visited Drexel University in Philadelphia for their annual "Nollywood" party. This party celebrates Nigerian cultural heritage and brings together Nigerian students from schools across the tri-state area. This was one of my first times attending a social event outside of the Princeton ecosystem. I got to visit my cousins who attend Drexel and even made new Nigerian friends who were enthusiastic about collaborating with Princeton's many affinity groups. It reminded me that my community is not just limited to Princeton — there are so many nearby academic institutions and like-minded students at my fingertips.

 

Image
Two girls smiling for a photo against a white background
My cousin, Morinsola, and I at her school's Nollywood party.

 

In addition to visiting other local universities, I often enjoy trips to New York City to see art shows. The Lewis Center for the Arts — Princeton's center for most arts-related academics — frequently provides a bounty of free opportunities to see theatrical performances in the city. This has always been highly beneficial to me, given that theater is one of my greatest passions at Princeton. Most excitingly, I saw a preview show of Princeton alum Brandon Jacob-Jenkins's play Appropriate last winter. One of my professors designed the show's lighting and was thrilled to host us in the city. It was a truly amazing night of theater. Sitting with my theater friends, watching a work made by someone once in our shoes, was a surreal experience.

 

Image
A playbill of the Broadway play Appropriate
My playbill from Appropriate!

 

Image
Three students posing for a selfie, holding snacks
My theater friends and I grabbing a late meal snack after the show!

 

Most recently, Princeton's Office of Undergraduate Research helped fund an opportunity for my friends and me to attend Howard University's 2025 African Indigenous Knowledge and Languages International Conference. This was a conference my peers and I had longed to attend, given our academic interests in African Studies and indigenous African languages. Howard University is known as a large hub for this kind of research, so participating in this event was a dream come true. After a three-hour Amtrak ride, we found ourselves in the middle of D.C., forming unforgettable memories. Since D.C. is my hometown, I could take my friends to some of the sites and spaces I adored as a child. I also visited local family and friends — which provided a nice break from the mid-semester stress — while engaging in stimulating conversations during the various panels I attended at Howard. At the end of that weekend, I found myself full of gratitude for the opportunities Princeton provides for me to navigate my academic interests beyond the boundaries of our campus. I also felt immensely grateful to be able to share my hometown with my beloved Princeton friends.

 

Image
Three girls posing for a picture at a metro station
Some of my hometown friends and I reuniting at a metro station in D.C.

 

Princeton can feel small, but the world outside of it is big and the university offers many opportunities for students to explore the big world beyond our campus. I look forward to continuing to take advantage of these opportunities as I pursue my studies.


Combating Boredom


When I was a Freshman, everything at Princeton was exciting. There were always activities to do, places to go, and events being held. But by the time Sophomore year rolled around, the novelty wore off and I found myself constantly escaping to New York City. 

Despite my love for the school, I quickly found that there wasn’t much to do in the immediate area. I would frequent the same three coffee shops, cycle through the same six study spots, and end up back where I started: bored. Three coffee shops expanded to four, and six study spots expanded to eight, but still, there was nothing new, exciting, or anything to look forward to for the weekend.

Spoiler alert: there still isn’t much to do, but in my attempt to combat boredom, I found some not-so-hidden gems that I try to take advantage of whenever I feel that inkling to flee. Here are some of those gems:

 

  1. The Graduate Hotel: Nested next to Sakrid Coffee Roasters, the Graduate Hotel has been a relatively new study spot that I enjoy spending time at whenever I want to feel the quintessential - dare I say - Princeton experience. 
  2. Belle Journée: Located across from the Graduate Hotel is a new bakery offering iconic twists on classic pastries. From cookie croissants to coffee buns, the bakery presents exciting options when I’m craving a classic study-break but don’t want to frequent my usual croissant and coffee suppliers.
  3. Jazams: Though Jazams has been around for quite some time, I’ve recently found myself obsessed with board games. Every now and then, I’ll host a game night with friends, which not only is a nice reprieve from studying, but also is a relatively easy way to try new activities. We’ll have beverages, snacks, and occasionally play some music in the background and it’s always a fun time.
  4. New College West’s ceramics studio: Though only open to students, the ceramics studio is a great way to pass some time. Despite lacking skill in pottery, trying to create new dishes and trinkets in the ceramics studio is a good way to teach myself how to be more creative. Plus, I get to leave with a keepsake. 
  5. Hoagie Mail: Though not a place, Hoagie Mail is a gem that has helped me combat the depths of my boredom when I’ve exhausted all else. There are always sales of some kind and it is interesting to see what I can find on rare occasions. From printers to lamps, to sweaters to shoes, you’ll never know what people are selling, and it offers a nice opportunity to find something new. 

 

Though sometimes it may feel like there might not be much to do, there is always something happening – even if you have to dig for that gem. These are the few that I’ve managed to find, but if you have any others, please feel free to send me an email so I can add them to my list. (Seriously, please).