“Please evacuate the stadium,” exclaimed the announcer. “We ask that everybody leaves the stadium now due to lightning.” 

Ready to welcome the Princeton football team onto the field, we watched as the sea of orange and black in the stands got thinner and thinner. The sky grew darker and that’s when we heard the first loud clash of thunder. We stopped shaking our pom poms and followed our coach into the tunnel within the stadium, just beating the downpour of rain by a second or two. And then we waited. Everyone waited: the Princeton and Yale football teams, their families, the Princeton band, students, staff, faculty and Princeton Cheer.

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I can’t say this is how I imagined cheering at my last Princeton football game to go: playing hand-clapping games of concentration and slide in the tunnel and huddling for warmth as the rain continued to fall. At one point, all I wanted was to head back to my dorm, grab a hot chocolate and watch Schitt’s Creek in bed. But an hour or so went by and the sun peeked out. The teams started warming up again and we joined them on the field. Nobody’s going to watch the game after waiting all this time, I thought as I stared out onto the empty stands. But over the next 15 minutes, the sea of orange and black gradually returned. At first just a few clusters, then larger groups, then an entire crowd with creative signs, Tiger ears and waving hands. 

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It was still cold and even a bit rainy, but somehow that didn’t matter anymore as I looked up at the crowd. During the second quarter, Princeton Cheer performed a dance on the field and at the end, the seniors got recognized by the announcer. When my name was called, I waved to the crowd, standing side by side with my teammates, and felt incredibly thankful to call this place my home. As Princeton led Yale into the last quarter of the game, the crowd started chanting “Bonfire! Bonfire! Bonfire!” It’s a tradition that if we beat Harvard and Yale in football, we get a bonfire on campus. We already won against Harvard at the homecoming game, so all we had to do was finish out this quarter strong to secure our bonfire, something we haven’t had since my first year at Princeton. 

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When the clock ran out, the score was 35-20 Princeton. The crowd stormed the field to congratulate the team, jumping over the railings of the stands in excitement. I hugged my teammates and met up with my family and boyfriend who all came to watch the game. Yes, it was not the game I imagined, but it was exactly what was meant to be. I can’t wait for the bonfire!

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Stepping foot on Princeton’s campus for the first time as a first-year can be an intimidating process as you’re met with new lingo (What is a prox? Are P-sets different from precepts?), beautiful looming gothic architecture, and a myriad of brilliant people from all walks of life. 

For me and other international students, it was paired with the added challenge of attending university away from our home countries, and beginning our journey largely alone. 

Due to COVID-19, international students in the class of 2024 did not get the traditional International Orientation experience, a 3-day program where they are given the chance to acclimate to Princeton’s campus and the United States before the rest of the first years arrive. 

As a result, I was afraid that I was insufficiently prepared for what Princeton life entailed. I remember sitting in my dorm room on the first night, jetlagged from a 14-hour flight and feeling homesick already, wondering if and when this place would feel like home. 

It took only a few days for me to realize my worries were for naught, as not only was everyone incredibly friendly and welcoming, but I luckily had a strong international community at my disposal to help ease the transition. 

The hub of Princeton’s international community is the Davis International Center, where students can find resources ranging from a ‘Guide to Living in Princeton’ to information to help with Immigration. The Davis IC held weekly events all through the year such as Bingo Night, Cake Baking, and Immigration Sessions for work authorization. In addition to more administrative tasks, the Davis IC also has undergraduate student leaders who are there to help with programming for the international community at large. 

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The virtual International Orientation hosted by the Davis IC leaders early on in my first year led me to meet some of my first (and closest) friends at Princeton, and the weekly study breaks I had with my International Orientation group throughout the semester allowed me to connect with people from all across the globe. The community was close-knit and strong, in addition to being some of the most enthusiastic people I have had the pleasure of meeting. 

The international community helped me realize the emotions I felt as an international student were not isolating, and I welcomed the consistent presence of Princeton’s international community during an uncertain academic year. 

Towards the end of my first year, I applied to be an IC leader myself, as I wanted to contribute to taking the pressure off of future international students at Princeton by becoming their sounding board and support system. 

This year, the Davis IC continues to support its international students by hosting events such as International Education Week, with activities ranging from an opening gala with performances from student dance groups to international trivia night -- and they were all in person!

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Though the prospect of attending college in a country thousands of miles away is daunting, I can assure you that the Davis IC is more than equipped with the proper tools to help you. I am grateful for the abundance of resources at my disposal as an international student, and my fellow IC leaders who enhanced my sense of belonging here. 

When I feel overwhelmed by my coursework or other life stressors, going for a run never fails to help me put things in perspective. Movement and exercise are an important part of campus life for me, and I've found that the many opportunities here for group or individual exercise make it easy to fit fitness into my schedule. 

When I'm looking to run with a group, I'll join the Princeton Running Club for practice. The group meets to run together almost every day, and some members compete in weekend races against other universities. I often have meetings during their afternoon practices, so I drop by only occasionally, but they always welcome anyone who'd like to join that day's run. They've introduced me to several great routes in the area, many of which start on the "towpath."

The towpath, known formally as Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park, is a long, flat trail that runs parallel to the canal along its entire length. It runs parallel to both the canal and Lake Carnegie (water views on both sides!) if you make a left at the Alexander Street entrance. While you'll sometimes hear Forbesians grumble about being a little further from central campus, a benefit of Forbes' location is that it's the closest residential college to the towpath entrance: I can run down Alexander Street from Forbes and be on the towpath in about 6 minutes!

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After a heavy rainstorm, the towpath can be fairly muddy, and I'll usually choose to go for a run on the streets instead. Princeton is a very pedestrian-friendly town, so running on the sidewalk or street is a safe option that allows me to get off campus for a little bit. When I want to do interval training, I'll run a 1.5 mile warm-up to the public track at the local high school, run some interval laps, and then jog back. It's a nice way to explore the streets of the town.

After a run, I sometimes like to supplement the cardio with some strength training at Dillon Gym. Having a gym right on campus is highly convenient because I can just drop in for 15 minutes after a run to do some sit-ups or pull-ups, and then be back at my dorm in 5 minutes. Dillon also has cardio machines that I'll use when it's wet or cold outside. Running is my preferred activity, but Dillon also offers spinning, Zumba, and yoga classes every week. 

The trails, campus gym, and numerous clubs mean that there is no shortage of ways to be active during the semester. I've really loved getting to know some of the local running routes (my favorite so far is a 7-mile loop the running club has dubbed "Bean Fields"), and I'm excited to continue exploring.

As a student who had East Asian roots as well as a rich international experience, I thought I was well prepared for life at Princeton as an international student. I had lived in Utah for 10 years prior to my acceptance to Princeton. I was proved quite wrong, as my transition to Princeton was very different from what I had expected. My sophomore year was the first time I had spent a prolonged period of time away from home and family. The COVID-19 pandemic had allowed me to study remotely from home during my first year, allowing me to grow closer to my family. So, when I first set foot on campus, I was actually at a loss. The campus seemed big, I was alone and I didn’t know who I could ask for help. It felt as if I shouldn’t ask for help. I was a sophomore, after all, not a first-year.  It was the Davis International Center (Davis IC) that provided a lot of support for getting acclimated to campus and that made Princeton a ‘home’ for me. I worked with the Davis IC and organized events for the incoming international first-year students, such as managing the check-in on international first-year arrivals on campus and setting up group events to strengthen bonds between the international student groups. 

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Through collaborations with other IC Leaders, I planned and organized social gatherings for the International Class of 2024, deciding food and activities for international students to enjoy while getting to meet and become friends with each other. Additional events that are hosted by Davis IC are the International Orientation World Cup and socials organized by class year. By actively planning and participating in these activities, I felt like a part of the community, at a place where I belonged and where I could welcome other people in. Internationality, the very thing that made us diverse and different, also became the thing that tied us together. The friendly environment encouraged questions and cooperation, and it was clearly understood that nobody was expected to work alone.  When I found myself alone at night in my dorm, it helped that I was used to phone calls and Zoom meetings thanks to the ‘virtual’ experience during the pandemic. This aided me in communications with my family, which also lessened the homesickness that I initially felt. South Korea is still my home, and my family is still there, but I am no longer afraid to be on my own.

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Physical distance does not lessen the love one feels for their family; sometimes, it’s actually strengthened by such experiences. At Princeton, through the Davis IC and my classes, I found new connections, new people to call friends and to depend upon. I bonded with other international students who had various backgrounds yet shared a common experience of adjusting and living in a dual culture. And I was able to meet people who shared my interests and passions in the classes that I chose to take, especially in those related to my concentration. I wish I knew this before I came to Princeton. I wish I could say to my younger self to not be afraid; to be bolder, and to be more excited. The world may be big and I may feel small, but that only means there’s more for me to explore, and to discover.

Taking difficult courses in one of the world’s most prestigious universities, topped with moving to a new and different country seemed daunting at first. Coming from Poland, I didn’t know if my academic preparation was enough to thrive in a Princeton classroom and whether I’d fit well in the American college social life. As these thoughts began to fill my mind when I entered the walls of the beautiful Princeton campus, I remembered a piece of advice that has helped me succeed throughout my life: don’t be afraid to ask for help. I never would have thought that this piece of advice could make such a difference in my transition to college. 

As I progressed through my first fall semester, I quickly realized how many resources Princeton offers when you’re seeking advice. When I was choosing courses or became worried about my progress in them, I spoke to my wonderful academic adviser, Gene Grossman, a professor in the Department of Economics and Princeton School of Public and International Affairs who always knew exactly how to put me on the right track by both challenging me with exciting course choices and encouraging me to strike a work-life balance. Although he knew I was a prospective economics concentrator, he encouraged me to take Freshman Seminars which seemed to be very loosely connected with my concentration (one of which focused on the importance of failure in life, while the other on the constitutional debate over freedom of speech). These courses allowed me to discover areas of knowledge I never explored before and provided a healthy break from learning about economic consumption patterns and supply & demand. 

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When I found my days getting disorganized and unproductive, I scheduled mentoring sessions with the McGraw Academic Life & Learning Consultants who helped me organize my academic life. When I feared I’d never secure a summer internship after my first year I spoke to the advisers at the Center for Career Development who helped me polish my resume and land an incredible summer opportunity. With their support, I had a wonderful experience working for Magma Partners during my first-year summer: a venture capital investment fund that focused on supporting fintech and insurtech startups in Latin America. 

Finally, when I worried about adjusting to life in the United States I found a robust community at the Davis International Center. The Davis IC helped me effectively transition to living in a new culture. It allowed me to surround myself with people who found the same things about the United States to be different from their home countries and Davis IC empowered us to adapt to them together. I can certainly say that although Princeton has been a challenging experience, I was able to navigate through it well, without being afraid of failure. I proudly wear orange and black as I know that here I’m always surrounded by the right people who will help me succeed no matter what obstacle I encounter.

Hello! My name is Yujin Angolio and I am an international student from Nairobi, Kenya. I am a Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering concentrator in the Great Class of 2023.

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Coming to Princeton from Kenya was definitely both daunting and exciting. As I bade my parents farewell, I could feel my heart begin to quiver. I would miss them. I would miss my siblings and my friends. I would miss my country and its people. I would miss the food and culture. I would miss hearing people speak Swahili and their vernacular languages. I would miss more things than I could think of at the time. Even so, I was comforted by their words of encouragement: “More than we wish you could stay with us, we wish that you be brave and confident as you go out into the world. You are not alone. God is always with you.”

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It was the faith I knew my loved ones had in me that would keep me going. On the countless days I felt homesick, I would reminisce about the times spent together with family and friends and smile. The phone calls, WhatsApp chats and Zoom calls with them helped me through the homesickness while also allowing me to keep connected with people at home. With all the activities and programs that Princeton brings, one may occasionally lose focus of important things like relationships and faith. It takes a great deal of intentionality to shut out all the noise and decide to take time to pursue those meaningful things. If I had the chance, I would caution my younger self that doing so is not as easy as it sounds. I would tell myself: 

“As the days roll by, and you feel like life is slowly taking a toll on you, remember to pause and do those very things you think you are ‘too busy’ for. The call with a friend from home, the dinner in the dining hall with a friend from Princeton, the prayer in the morning before you dash off to class, the stroll around campus as you watch the leaves fall around you, the quiet reflection and meditation time before you go to bed...those things. Take the time do those things because that is ultimately where you find strength, life, assurance, and comfort. 

Yes, there are things you miss, but there’s certainly much more that you will gain!”

On certain cloudless days in the fall, the sun seems brighter than usual, magnified by the fledgling cold. The apple crisp air and white sun are radiant on my face, refreshing and stunning like a freshwater stream.

I always love how campus feels when you first step into it again. After a couple quiet hours of studying in the library, the outside feels new again. At Princeton, it’s tempting to move from one classroom to the next, one study spot to the next, run from class to club meeting to meal. But in those elusive standstill moments, home truly comes alive.

Today as I left Stokes Library, something tempted me toward the Fountain of Freedom. Located on its own pavilion, the fountain is one of Princeton’s iconic landmarks. On one side are rows of autumn-burnished trees, behind which meet the clean modern angles of the Louis A. Simpson International Building and the proud brickwork of the Julis Romo Rabinowitz Building.

The fountain’s other side is buttressed by the curving pillars of Robertson Hall, home to the School of Public and International Affairs. It’s a majestic sight in its own right, but the fountain, though dwarfed in size by its surrounding landmarks, is the real spirit of the place. For much of the school year, the water runs, curling out gently in parabolic paths and rippling gently in the reflecting pool around it. Its serenity, especially when stepping out of class, is truly something to behold.

Today, the fountain was especially beautiful. In the sunlight, I could see the true extent of the fountain’s mist, which in places clouded outward, and in others fell more fiercely like a rainstorm. From my approach, the fountain was so dark it looked flat, its form encased in whitewater.

The pavilion in the mid-afternoon was relatively busy. I noticed another student with a sketchbook on her lap, and milling around were small pairs of conversations.

The fountain’s colors became clear on its other side when my eyes were no longer blinded by the sun. Although the trees behind it had begun to shed, the fountain was still oxidized green, its tips appearing a translucent turquoise, like an icicle.

As my eyes adjusted, I saw an arching rainbow wavering in the flickering water – at times nearly invisible, the next second vibrant and whole.                                                                  

Spooky season has arrived! Princeton students go all out when it comes to Halloween. In previous years, Halloween occurred during fall break, so Princeton collectively celebrated so-called Princetoween the Thursday before the break. Fall break is earlier now because of the calendar change that made finals take place before winter break, so this year we were here on actual Halloween.

On October 30th, the Princeton Students Events Committee hosted a Princetoween event. They brought in food from Nomad Pizza, Taco Bell, Terhune Orchards, and other local delicacies. The event also featured a DJ and a photo booth. It’s so much fun to stop by Campus Club, eat some delicious food, and see the creativity of everyone’s costumes.

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The Chapel Choir holds an annual silent movie screening in early October every year. This year, they showed the classic 1923 silent film "Hunchback of Notre Dame”. The event takes place in the University Chapel, which is Gothic style and fits the eerie vibes. A live organ performance accompanies the silent movie. Members of the Chapel Choir “haunt” the chapel as the audience waits for the movie to start.

Butler College, my residential college, hosted Halloween events of their own throughout October. They planned a haunted trip to nearby Fields of Terror in East Windsor, NJ, where Butlerites could enter the haunted house, find their way through the haunted corn maze, or take a ride on the haunted hayride. Elizabeth Armstrong, the Head of Butler, hosted a pumpkin carving event at her house earlier in the month. These events are in addition to the excellent decorations every dining hall puts up around Halloween. Maybe I'm biased, but I think Butler's dining hall Wucox does the best Halloween decor out of any of the dining halls!

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Butler and First College also planned their 13th annual Halloween 5k event. People could participate in person or virtually. Costumes were optional but encouraged, with awards going to the best costumes as well as the top finishers in the race. All proceeds from the event go to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. 

As you can see, there is no shortage of fun to be had around Halloween. You should be prepared to bring your best costume to Princeton, and have a spook-tacular time celebrating, hopefully with treats, not tricks!

The quaint Princeton campus is far from overwhelming, but it does have around 200 buildings. When you first arrive on campus, how do you choose the ones to locate and explore first? To help, I've assembled a list of what I see as the five essential buildings to familiarize yourself within your first few days at Princeton. These buildings are likely to play a central role in your campus life, and as the semester progresses you can gradually visit at least a fraction of the remaining 195.

1. Frist Campus Center

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Frist Campus Center, with its central location just off of Washington Road, is the hub of campus life. It's where you pick up your mail and packages, get "late meal" if you miss the dining halls' lunch or dinner hours, and attend events like Flu Fest (for a flu shot) and club meetings. Frist isn't quiet like a library, so it's also a common spot for study groups to meet to collaborate on problem sets and projects.

2. The University Store

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The U-Store, close to Blair Arch, is a convenience store located right on campus. It sells snacks, cleaning products, toiletries and school supplies, and is open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day. When you realize your calculator batteries are dead or that you're out of shampoo, the U-Store is the place to go.

3. Firestone Library

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There are many libraries on Princeton's campus (Engineering Library, Plasma Physics Library, East Asian Library, Lewis Science Library, to name a few), but Firestone is the principal home of books and special collections. You can visit Firestone to study or browse, and it's also where you'll pick up books requested through the digital catalogue.

4. Dillon Gym

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Dillon Gym is where to go to destress with a workout. Inside you'll find the Stephens Fitness Center, which has cardio and weight machines, as well as several basketball courts and the Dillon Pool. Each week Dillon has a number of group fitness classes to offer, like yoga, spinning, and Zumba, that are free to Princeton students, so you can stop by Dillon for either an individual or group workout.

5. Your Favorite Dining Hall

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Princeton has six residential college dining halls, and you can check the menus online ahead of time to see what each one is offering in the upcoming week. You may find that one dining hall consistently offers your favorite meal, or you might just prefer the ambiance and lighting of one dining hall over the others'. For me, I'm partial to Whitman's dining hall, because they always have a fantastic salad bar at lunch and dinner with greens and hummus. 

These places are important to almost every student, but everyone finds their personal favorite spaces to study and socialize. For me, there's a spot in the E-quad lobby by the printer where I like to study before class. I still have many places to get to know, though, if I hope to visit even half of the 200 buildings!

Princeton transfer students come from a range of backgrounds. Some are married with children. Others have earned badges of adulthood, like paying a mortgage or caring for elderly parents. Bodies and minds worn by military service may yield medical emergencies that conflict with final exams. These considerations exist on what are arguably transfers’ two heaviest burdens: 1) adjusting from the standards of another institution to the expectations of Princeton and 2) acclimating to Princeton’s culture as adults with life experiences. I do not intend to say that non-transfer students never face these issues. Some do. But for transfers, these are not just possibilities. They are common.

I know this because I have witnessed these events first-hand. I also know from my own transition to Princeton—which was much more difficult than I had expected.

I transferred to Princeton in 2020, when the world was on proverbial fire. I anticipated my first year at Princeton would be intellectually challenging—and it certainly was—but I greatly underestimated the social transition. During the 2020-21 academic year Princeton classes and activities were fully remote and while Princeton’s many resources made me feel academically supported, I initially felt socially isolated. The things that helped me endure two remote semesters at Princeton—besides my partner, Jenna, and our dog, Bishop (love you both!)—were the Princeton Transfer Association and its members.

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“PTA,” as it is commonly referred to, is a transfer student-run organization with two main missions: to advocate for transfer-friendly policies and to strengthen the transfer community. Since its inception in early 2020, PTA has made great achievements in policy reform (none of which would have been possible without the transfer program director, Dr. Keith Shaw, campaigning in tandem). Community building, however, has been much more challenging during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was especially the case during the University’s remote year.

Fortunately, PTA was resilient and held many virtual events that allowed transfer students to remain connected. For example, PTA conducted virtual “coffee breaks,” or informal Zoom meetings where members of my cohort could speak to transfer students who knew how to navigate Princeton efficiently and wisely. I attended plenty of these sessions,  just to connect with other transfers. At nearly every coffee break that I attended, meetings quickly turned from Q&A to transfers getting to know one another. These meetings often replicated some of my favorite memories from community college: conversations that naturally and tangentially jumped from topic to topic.

My favorite organized events were PTA’s “Transfer Trivia” nights. During these Jeopardy-style trivia matches, I mingled with members of all three transfer cohorts and appreciated focusing on something other than coursework. Coffee breaks gave me a space to chat with other transfers, whereas trivia gave me an opportunity to talk trash (as all parties competing in trivia ought to do). This allowed me to forge genuine connections with others. (And a bonus was seeing Dr. Shaw flex his vast knowledge of politics, history and basketball.)

Above all else, the best resource was the small group of on-campus transfers. I moved around a lot while serving in the United States Marine Corps, so I was well-prepared for the cross-country move from Southern California to Princeton, New Jersey. But Jenna had never moved away from home. Homesickness and the isolation of the pandemic made her relocation terribly difficult. Thankfully, a few transfer students and their families welcomed us both warmly. Made safer by biweekly COVID testing, we got together routinely for bonfires and coffee. When in-person interaction was scarce, the transfer community ensured that we were not alone.

Without PTA and its community, my transition to Princeton would have been much worse, and Jenna would have found our move much more difficult. They reminded me that I was at Princeton to do more than read and write, and that Princeton was a place for families, too.

I am grateful to now be the vice president of the Association. With the help of the PTA board, I plan to continue advocating for transfers and strengthening our community. And when President Alejandro Garcia graduates in the spring, I hope to fill his shoes, continuing his legacy of guiding PTA and ensuring that Princeton is a place for transfers because of other transfers.

If you are a prospective transfer applicant reading this, do not put weight on the fact that my transfer experience was more challenging than anticipated. If admitted, your experience will certainly be better than mine because you will not be transferring during a time like 2020. And if you do find yourself in that position, do not worry. The Princeton Transfer Association and its community will be there for you—and any family you may bring—no matter what.

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