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. 

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.

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! 

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! 

“I’m going to Silicon Valley!”

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 uneasy—worried that they won't leverage my diverse background. So venturing to California, I didn’t have a clear vision of what I wanted to do—and 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 wall—that I'll keep for just that reason. 

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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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).

     Ever since I was admitted to Princeton, I have felt so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to attend such an amazing institution. When I first got in, I remember thinking: what will Princeton do for me? It has taken a while for me to realize this, but that train of thought was so wrong; I should have been thinking, what can I do for Princeton? The magic in Princeton is not the place, academics, or even resources, but the people who utilize these tools to move the world forward. Princeton isn't a place, it's a people. After all, a place cannot be “In the Nation's Service and the Service of Humanity,” only a people can be.

     I bring up this point to shed light on the importance of perspective in understanding the value in being a part of certain communities. At the end of the day, communities are defined by the people who make them up, not the place or anything else. Sure these other factors can influence the people and their way of life, but like I said, at the end of the day, the common denominator across communities is people. This distinction is important because it gives power to you - you can be the difference that you want to see in this world, regardless of what hand you're dealt.

     I’ve come to this realization after having the privilege of visiting my old high school and speaking with a few classes of students. I was in their shoes four years ago, so I knew exactly what they were thinking - ‘Hooray! We get to skip actual class today and listen to our classmate’s brother talk about college.’ While I knew this is what they were thinking, I hope that I was able to get through to some of them and provide some good advice about college. On a more subliminal level, I wanted to inspire them to take a simple message away: make the most of every situation. Many of them will go on to college, so I told them, 1. it doesn't matter where you go but what you do once you're there, and 2. if you don't try the answer will always be a no automatically. I believe this advice applies to anyone and everyone.

     The link between this realization and the broader understanding of Princeton being a people is that people (aka you) are in charge of moving the world forward. It took me a while to realize that an extractive mentality isn't the most productive; instead, to get the most out of a situation, you must give back to those who have helped you get there (including yourself). Change and opportunity do not begin when someone else gives them to you, they begin with you. For me, asking what I can do for Princeton has led me to helping deliver on the informal motto of being “In the Nation's Service and the Service of Humanity,” and I still have a long way to go since this is a lifelong journey. For you, ask not what the world can do for you, but what you can do for the world. 
 

Touring with the Triangle Club was nothing short of an adventure. The Triangle Club is Princeton's oldest touring musical comedy group, in which students write, compose, and perform an original musical from scratch each year. This year’s show, Pageant Pending, debuted in McCarter Theatre during the fall semester, and as tradition holds, we took it on the road before returning for the spring semester. Over the course of our journey, we brought our show to audiences in Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Millburn, experiencing the thrill of performing in new spaces while also immersing ourselves in cities I had never explored before.

As a member of the pit orchestra, I quickly learned the art of adaptation. Every venue posed a new challenge—sometimes we played on stage, other times we were fully backstage, and occasionally we were in an entirely separate room, relying on monitors and headsets to stay in sync with the performers. It was exhilarating to adjust on the fly, knowing that each night would bring a slightly different performance experience.

Beyond the music, what made this tour truly unforgettable was the camaraderie. Spending time with people from all sides of Triangle—cast, crew, pit, and tech—allowed me to form friendships I never would have made otherwise. Whether we were unloading and reloading the truck with all of our sets, costumes, and equipment before and after every show, or simply passing time on the bus, the teamwork and support among us made the long days fun and exciting.

Another highlight of the tour was staying with Princeton alumni overnight in different cities. Not only did it provide a great opportunity to connect with past Tigers and hear about their experiences, but it also brought our group closer together as we shared stories and late-night conversations in unfamiliar yet welcoming homes.

Of course, no tour is without its challenges. One particularly memorable moment was being stuck in traffic for three hours—a test of patience that turned into an impromptu bonding session filled with music, snacks, and ridiculous conversations. And speaking of snacks, the discovery of Buc-ee’s was a game-changer. I had heard about the legendary Texas-based travel stop before, but stepping inside for the first time was like entering a world of endless road trip fuel, from brisket sandwiches to walls of snacks and souvenirs.

This tour wasn’t just about performing; it was about experiencing new places, overcoming unexpected obstacles, and forging friendships that will last far beyond our final curtain call. From the excitement of stepping onto a new stage each night to the simple joy of exploring a new city with friends, the Triangle Club tour was an experience I’ll always cherish.

At Princeton, Wintersession is a time to explore new hobbies, academic interests, or career aspirations on campus during the end of the winter break period. This winter, I had planned to return to campus a week before classes resumed, to give myself some time to focus on my senior thesis. Looking to fill my schedule with some much-needed study breaks, I perused the Wintersession offerings until one event captured my full attention: “Create Your Own Chess Board!”

On a cold Wednesday morning, I made my way over to the Princeton Facilities Carpentry Shop, excited for the day of crafting that lay ahead of me. Our instructor, Jim, kicked off the event with a tour of Princeton’s carpentry shop, showing us the equipment and ongoing projects. He explained his work as a carpenter, which includes tasks such as repairing broken legs from dining hall chairs and custom building retirement presents for his colleagues. 

Once the tour had concluded, it was time to start constructing our chessboards. We started by building the frame from the board, using hammers to nail the wooden pieces together. Next, it was time to select the pieces of wood that we wanted to use for the individual squares. This was the most special part of the entire process, as Jim explained to us that all the wood we would be using came from cherry and willow trees on Princeton’s campus. We inspected pre-cut slabs of wood for desirable coloring and grain patterns, before assembling the wood and gluing it into our frames. We left the glue to dry overnight and returned the next afternoon.

On Thursday, we put the final touches on our chess boards. I used about three layers of wood varnish to give my chessboard a shiny, glossy finish. It was remarkable to see just how much the color changed after the varnish was applied! While waiting for the coats to dry, Jim gave us demonstrations of each of the saws in the Carpentry Shop, and gave us miniature wooden versions of the Princeton crest that he had made in preparation for our last visit. After 2 days and 6 hours of work, my beloved chess board was finally ready to take home!

Altogether, I will cherish this as one of my most special experiences at Princeton. As a senior, this last semester already feels so bittersweet, and I have found myself eager to hold onto mementos before my time at Princeton comes to an end. Knowing that I made this chessboard from trees that grew on campus makes me feel like I am taking a small part of campus with me wherever I bring it. I will cherish it forever!

As hard as it is for me to believe, I’m somehow almost halfway through my last semester at Princeton. Time has flown by! The past 3 ½ years have been full of great friends and even better memories. Yet, there’s still so much on campus that I haven’t been able to do. With the countdown to Commencement starting, I’ve been ruminating a lot on what things I want to see, do, and experience before I graduate. I present to you: my Princeton Senior Spring Bucket List…

1) Eat at the Graduate College (and maybe climb to the top of the tower!)

Although it’s only a short walk across Alexander Street, I’ve never visited our esteemed Graduate College. As undergraduates, we actually do have access to eat meals in their dining hall, which I heard has some pretty awesome architecture (think Hogwarts Great Hall) and delicious food, too. Students have also been able to climb the stairs all the way up to the top of the Graduate College’s Cleveland Tower, where you can get a gorgeous view of the whole campus.

2) See the Danny DeVito Shrine

I’m not kidding. This is 100% legit. There’s apparently a shrine to legendary actor Danny DeVito hidden in the basement of ***** Hall, and I intend to see it before I leave this campus.

3) Walk the towpath

I’ll blame the fact that I’m not much of an outdoors runner for why I haven’t made it to this one yet. It’s true a lot of people usually like to do their morning jogs on the towpath, which runs alongside our beautiful Lake Carnegie. Once the weather gets a bit warmer, I’ll definitely be making my way out there soon with my friends—maybe not for a run, but a leisurely stroll!

4) Use the waffle maker in Choi Dining Hall

I know this one seems silly, but I’ve always wanted to use the waffle maker in Choi Dining Hall. Every time I’m at Saturday or Sunday brunch, I haven’t seemed to make my way over there. But I’m determined to before I graduate and hopefully finally understand all the waffle hype.

5) Take a class at the NCW ceramic studio

This is one that my friends and I have talked about since our first year here. The ceramic studio at our residential college home of New College West has free workshops, open studios, and study breaks that all students can attend. There are both professional and student instructors there, who provide a comfortable environment and are always happy to teach artists of all levels. Though I’ve never made pottery before, I can’t wait to try my hand at it!

6) Go to an Arch Sing

Given how many talented acapella groups we have at Princeton and how many Arch Sings they host over the course of a school year, I can’t believe this one is still on my list! For those who are not familiar, Arch Sings are when the various acapella groups gather in one of our campus arches—usually our famous Blair Arch—and perform a few songs. Besides it being just a cool visual to be surrounded by all the gothic architecture as you listen, the acoustics in the arches also make the experience that much more magical.

This list is still a work in progress, and I’m sure many things will be added between now and Commencement. But to all the prospective students reading this, take my advice once you’re on campus: savor it! Take advantage of every place, tradition, and activity here—even the silly stuff. Because before you know it, you’ll be a nostalgic senior like me, trying to soak in all that Princeton has to offer before I walk back through those FitzRandolph Gates!