Although all Princeton students were invited back to campus for the Spring 2021 semester, students also had the option to continue learning remotely.  I’m one of those students who chose to continue remotely — but I also was looking for a change of pace from the Fall 2020 semester.  Instead of staying at home in Colorado, I’m currently living in the Czech Republic with my grandparents.

I decided to make the move in order to spend more time with my extended family and to sharpen up my Czech language skills.  I study Slavic Languages & Literatures at Princeton, but there’s nothing quite like an in-person immersion to really ramp up the pace of learning.  Here’s what my typical school day looks like: 

8:30 a.m. - I usually wake up around this time.  Because of the time difference, all my classes are in the evening, so I don’t need to set alarms to wake up.  One of the perks of living off campus!  After I wake up, I get ready for the day and make myself tea and bread with jam for breakfast.  

9:30 a.m. - Time for work.  I check my email and then start working on assignments.  Today, I’m working on a problem set for my linguistics course.  Later, I’ll read a poem for my Russian course, so I’m prepared to ask questions and comment on the material during class.  If I finish early, I might get a head start on my readings for my history seminar — I do about 150 pages of reading a week for all of my courses.  

12:00 p.m. - Lunchtime!  During the week, my grandma usually cooks meals so I have time for my coursework.  On the weekends, I cook or we make something together.  She’s an excellent cook!  After the meal, I help clean up.  

1:00 p.m. - Now it’s time for our daily walk! It’s a cloudy day, but it’s not windy or cold.  We had snow here for a while, but it’s finally melted and we can see the beginnings of spring.  Today’s route takes us past the river, and we also get to see some animals.

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2:30 p.m. - After our walk, we have our afternoon coffee or tea.  It’s nice enough to sit outside today while we sip. 

3:00 p.m. - Back to my desk to finish anything I need to do before classes.  Usually I have more emails around this time, as those on campus begin their day.  

4:00 p.m. - Classes start!  I’m on Zoom for my linguistics lecture and my Czech class. 

6:00 p.m. - A short break for dinner before the rest of my classes.  For me, lunch is usually the biggest meal of the day and dinner is something quick.  

6:30 p.m. - Back to Zoom for the rest of my classes.  My Russian class is first, and then I have another break before my linguistics precept.  

10:30 p.m. - Classes are finally over and it’s time for bed.  Tomorrow is another full day!

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One of the biggest changes for me when I came to college was adjusting to eating on the Campus Dining plan. In high school, I ate breakfast at the same time each day in my kitchen before going to school, lunch when the bell rang at school, and dinner at 6:00 each evening with my parents; once I arrived at Princeton, I realized that not only would my diet change, but I’d have to introduce new flexibility into the timing of my meals.

Princeton made the transition about as easy as possible. The dining halls keep good hours: pre-COVID, breakfast was open from 7:30-11 a.m., lunch was open from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and dinner from 5-8 p.m. On the weekends, instead of breakfast and lunch hours, brunch was from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (although one dining hall offered early morning breakfast). And with the unlimited meal plan, you could swipe in as many times as you wanted: I remember going to breakfast many mornings to get oatmeal before my 9:00 a.m. class (one of the few offered — most start at 10 a.m. or later!) and then again to make my own waffle after the class concluded.

If your schedule demanded that you couldn’t make any particular mealtime, Campus Dining offers a (extremely popular) back-up plan called Late Meal. Available to all students on unlimited meal plans, Late Meal happened twice a day, from 2:30-3:45 p.m. and again from 8:30-10 p.m. Students got one ‘swipe’ for each Late Meal, which you could spend on prepackaged snacks like Snapple drinks or Doritos or on hot grill items like quesadillas, specialty hamburgers, or tenders and fries. Even when I didn’t miss lunch or dinner, I very frequently attended Late Meal, even if only to pick up some snacks to stash away for later.

Campus Dining is perhaps at the center of community on campus for students. Eating meals in the dining hall with friends new and old is often a welcome escape from homework, and meals you’d intend to last for 20 minutes often stretched into hours as new friends squeezed at your table. Late Meal was perhaps the most popular spot to congregate for underclass students; gathering to catch up with friends over a hot slice of pizza and a soda was often a way for me to relax after class.

You’ll notice a lot of this is in the past tense — COVID-19 protocols on campus have dramatically changed the way dining operates at Princeton. To protect the health and safety of students and staff at the University, options in the dining hall have been reduced, hours shortened and Late Meal temporarily eliminated. Still, Campus Dining and its wonderful staff are working tirelessly to create opportunities for students to enjoy meals on campus, and have worked to make seating in the dining halls available for students at each meal. As with many things during this time, Princeton’s not the same, but the University is striving to preserve the meaning in our most important experiences.

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Whenever friends from other universities ask me if I’m part of Greek life, I muster the quizzical response, “Kinda?” This is the inevitable dilemma that every Princeton student must face as they try to describe our campus’s beloved Eating Clubs. Princeton’s 11 co-ed eating clubs are in houses that are all situated along Prospect Avenue, known as “The Street,” and each house boasts their own architectural flair and style. However, what most distinguishes each club is the quality of food offered to their members and the kinds of social events they host.

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These two criteria are on everyone’s mind during “Street Week,” in which sophomores interested in joining an eating club attend various events and meet current members to get a better idea of where they would fit in. While six of the eating clubs require that sophomores undergo “bicker,” a mutual selection process where prospective members meet with students already in the club, five of them are sign-in and extend membership invitations on a first-come, first-serve basis.

This year, I chose to bicker two eating clubs virtually. Here’s my experience with this process:

Pre-Bicker

Each student has the opportunity to request to bicker at only two of the six selective eating clubs, which is a hefty decision to consider for many sophomores. Most bickerees choose where to bicker based on the personality associated with each club or chance encounters that they’ve had with club members. I also took into account where my friends were bickering so that I could be accompanied by familiar faces.

Street Week

Bicker can be a tiresome undertaking, consisting of at least three days of back-to-back socializing with current eating club members. Each bickeree’s main objective is to meet as many members as possible to make connections with current club members and to learn more about the eating club.

Although the process took place online this year, I enjoyed being able to meet and talk with juniors and seniors, especially after an isolated semester away from campus. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to connect with strangers. Overall, Bicker forces bickerees to produce creative, spontaneous answers, yet also demands a healthy dose of introspection, which I say isn’t a bad way to spend quarantine.

Post-Bicker

Afterwards, members of eating clubs regroup and deliberate on which bickerees to welcome into the club. Many clubs have policies in place to ensure that discussions remain positive, and results are released at the end of the week.

Bicker is not the only option!

I woke up to a canopy of snow. Still falling thick and heavy, it had landed gently on branches one by one till the entire ring of trees in the courtyard was a low-hanging forest cloud. 

Snow was scarce my first two years on campus. My first-year fall, it had come early and enthusiastic - I had snowball fights by lamplight and unexpected attacks leaving class at noon. But since then, the skies had been less forthright, and besides a light dusting that I enjoyed in Prospect Gardens in the January of my sophomore year, I missed the opportunity to see campus asleep and then vibrant in the snow.

This year, though, the snow is generous and constant. Snowmen rise and, imprecisely weighted, topple back to earth, where their redolent domes are hidden under a new skyfall. Steady groups make their way to Whitman hill, holding flattened cardboard and plastic lids and other makeshift sleds. 

Golden lamps and old stone walls married to moss and vine are well-suited to the snow. We take walks, following made footsteps where the snow is too deep. We are showered by snow from familiar branches and roofs. 

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We hope it stays, a little while.

At the start of your first year at Princeton, there will be an amazing Students Activities Fair where you can really get a sense of all the different clubs and organizations available on Princeton’s campus. The social scene, the clubs and organizations will definitely color some of your experiences at Princeton. But with so many options, it is so common to overcommit yourself during your first year. Here are some things I wish I knew as a first-year student about managing commitments!

Pace Yourself

We come to college with so many passions that we may want to explore all of them! However, you don’t have to join everything at once. Take your time. You may find out about new clubs as the year goes on. Leave some space for spontaneous gems.

Less is More

I personally suggest to start with 2-3 clubs with differing commitment levels. Your first semester at Princeton can be very exhausting! The academic pace or workload may be different than what you are accustomed to. I know it was for me. Having spaces that allow you to de-stress is amazing, but too many clubs can lead to stretching yourself thin. Princeton would love to see you shining at your best with a few clubs, rather than feeling overwhelmed by too many.

No is Okay; Not Yet is Okay; Not Now is Okay

If you find yourself overwhelmed, you can always take a semester off of one club to focus on another. You can also choose to no longer be in that club altogether but still show support. Most clubs, if not all, are led by students just like you and they will understand if you need to take a break. Additionally, unless you’re interested in the club's emails or are planning to rejoin, do yourself a favor and unsubscribe from the email list.

Take a Less Active Role 

If you don't want leave or take a semester off, one possibility is to take a less active role in the club or activity. Doing so will reduce the number of hours you have to commit to that one club. That leaves space for you to breathe!

Once You Have the Schedule, Make it Visual!

Scheduling is a huge determinant of what clubs I choose to particpate in. I like to use Google calendar to schedule all my classes, job hours and expected club commitments in one place. If you don’t have time in your schedule to just spontaneously go out for a meal or sit and do something you love, you’re possibly over committed. Learning Consultants, which are students through the McGraw Center, can help you make these schedules or these tough decisions if you're feeling overwhelmed by your commitments.

I hope you found these helpful! Also here is the list of most of the clubs and organizations on campus.

Editor's note: Princeton University invited students back to campus for the spring 2021 semester following a hybrid model consistent with both CDC recommendations and guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health. In this post, our bloggers write about their decision to return to campus.

Grady

As a first-year student, I had a different set of pros and cons to weigh when it came to deciding whether or not I wanted to be on campus. I spent the first semester in Chicago with a few others from my class, and while that was enjoyable, it wasn’t the same as an on-campus semester. Except for my roommates, I rarely interacted with other college students; I didn’t feel like I was a member of a college community. It was easy to feel isolated from the rest of Princeton. This was the main reason I wanted to come to campus. Although the interactions I’ll have with others will be limited by social distancing requirements, there are some things that I’ll be able to do — go to the library, live on a hall with other first years, get to know the campus that will be my home for the next three and a half years — that I wouldn’t be able to replicate at home.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the decision was easy. I’m aware that the social scene won’t be anything like a traditional year, and that I might also feel isolated in my dorm room. But ultimately, I decided to come to campus so that I could feel like I belonged. I wanted to finally feel like a Princeton student, not just someone taking classes at Princeton.

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Mallory

When Princeton announced in November that all undergraduates would be invited back to campus, I knew immediately I’d be back. Since March, I’d sorely missed both the opportunity to spend time in person with my Princeton friends and the ability to live independently. It’s possible my calculus would have been different, or more complicated, if I’d been nearer to the beginning of my Princeton career, but as a second-semester senior I knew I would treasure my last semester physically at the University.

 I knew before arriving that campus would look different when I got here. As a senior, I finally got a big, beautiful room through Princeton’s room assignment process, but I can’t share the space with classmates with the freedom I’d treasured in past years. The University’s 11 Eating Clubs made the decision to close for the semester, meaning I’m back to eating Campus Dining food as I did when I was an underclass student. But the most important things are still the same: my friends are as happy to see me as they were back in March, and if anything, I’ve had more time to walk the campus and appreciate the otherworldly architecture. If getting to treasure my last few months on campus means I have to space out a little more from my friends on our regular walks, I’ll take it in a heartbeat.

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Naomi

Ever since that fateful March day when I had to leave campus, I have been yearning for the chance to go back. In November, I found out that dream would now be possible. I first consulted with my doctors because I have underlying medical conditions that could make me more vulnerable to the virus. We felt comfortable with me returning because of Princeton’s extremely thorough COVID-19 response plan, including a strict quarantine period and testing all students for the virus twice a week.

Once I got medical approval, my decision was easy. I wanted to be back in the amazing Butler College dorms where I would have more privacy and independence. I wanted to be able to take advantage of the beautiful libraries and study spaces where I felt more productive than I did at the desk in my childhood bedroom. Most of all, I wanted to be able to see my friends again, in person and not just in a small box on my computer screen. I have now been on campus for a week and I feel happier than I’ve been in a long time now that I’m back at Princeton, my true “home.”

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Rob

For the spring semester, I decided to rent an apartment within walking distance from campus. I have already lived off campus and I enjoy cooking for myself, so that’s why I opted not to stay in a dorm. I recommend living off campus to those wanting to gain some sense of independence while still being close to campus and the Princeton community. I will be living with a friend of mine and I look forward to baking together and ordering food from our favorite restaurants on Nassau Street!

 As an international student, staying home wasn’t ideal because of the time difference and because I prefer to be in a productive environment, which Princeton offers. Coming to Princeton for my last semester is a chance for me to reconnect with my friends before we all graduate and move to different places around the world. In addition, I will be able to continue working part-time at Marquand Library as a front desk student manager and hope that I will be able to take one class with an in-person component. 

Ever wonder what sort of books are assigned at Princeton? Since I’m concentrating in English, I’ve definitely read my fair share of books here. From Jane Austen to Toni Morrison, Justin Torres to Susan Stewart, I’ve read a wide range. But with each new book comes a new perspective, a new understanding of what words can do, a new appreciation for how a story is pieced together, and a new reflection on my own life and the world around me. So without further ado, here are my top five best reads at Princeton (so far): 

Emma by Jane Austen

It was inevitable that Austen would make the list, because c’mon, we all know she’s a fiction queen. In a course called “Jane Austen: Then and Now”, we read all of Austen’s novels and paired them with contemporary adaptations. I’ll admit, it was a real toss up between Persuasion, Pride & Prejudice and Emma. I stand for the clear sense of female empowerment in Persuasion, I’m obsessed with the romance in Pride and Prejudice (and who doesn’t love Elizabeth Bennett?), and Emma inspired the movie, Clueless—enough said. But I ultimately chose Emma for much more than its contemporary icon. Out of all of Austen’s novels, Emma left this question lingering in my mind the most: to what extent does Austen critique social structures, and to what extent does she conform to them? While not much actually happens in the novel, you finish reading feeling as if it were action-packed. If you’d like to make a case for another of Austen’s novels, feel free to email me and we can chat :)

Good Talk by Mira Jacob

Since I took a course called “The Graphic Memoir”, it was also inevitable that at least one graphic memoir would appear on my list. Good Talk is about trying to explain a world you don’t fully understand to your kids, and in the process, making sense of it yourself. What’s especially interesting about this graphic memoir is the relationship between images and text. Pay close attention to the way that Jacob places the character cut-outs, background images, and text in conjunction with each other, and don’t miss out on the repeated images that occur throughout the memoir. I give it a 10/10, and would recommend it if you’re interested in conversations about race, politics, sexuality, love, privilege, self-growth, childhood and so much more.

The Myth of Seneca Falls: Memory and the Women’s Suffrage Movement, 1848-1898 by Lisa Tetrault

This book is a MUST-READ for literally anyone. It was one of the first books we read in the course “The Long 19th Amendment: Women and Voting Rights in the US”, and it stuck with me throughout the class and beyond. While Seneca Falls is widely celebrated as the “birthplace” of the women’s suffrage movement, Tetrault deconstructs this myth and reveals that the movement was already in the works by women who were glossed over in history. How has framing the birth of the women’s suffrage movement at Seneca Falls shaped women’s history? Who has this myth left out of the narrative, and why? What are the prolonged effects of the myth and who created it in the first place?

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Speculative fiction has never felt so real, so urgent, so now, as it does in Ishiguro’s novel. I always find it so incredible when a science fiction/speculative fiction author can create an entirely different world—one with different rules, different challenges, different settings—and yet make that different world feel the same as ours. That’s exactly what Ishiguro accomplishes, and trust me, you will get attached to the characters in this book like no other. Amidst the clones and guardians and creativity culture is a story of what it means to be human: to love, to lose, and to persevere. I read this book in a course called “The Novel Since 2000”, and it was definitely my favorite on the reading list. 

The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark

In the aftermath of World War II, Spark immerses readers into the May of Teck Club, where social hierarchies, body image, gossip, and arguments over a shared dress dominate behind closed doors. Spark integrates the societal and historical context beautifully with the daily interactions and goings-on at the May of Teck Club. This is the kind of book that you’re going to want to read and reread, again and again, because Spark packs so much into such a slim text. Trust me, if you take your time with this novel, you’ll discover double (or even triple) meanings to words and symbols, nuanced perspectives on characters and their decisions, and a constant debate about what Muriel Spark meant when she referred to the women at the May of Teck Club as “Girls of Slender Means”.

Hopefully this list gives you a glimpse into some of the reading assigned at Princeton. Ultimately, however, it’s not the books that make the course, it’s the thought-provoking conversations that these books inspire.

Before the pandemic started, it was always easy to get a workout in at Stephens Fitness Center or play a round of basketball in Dillon Gym. However, with statewide restrictions limiting the capacity of these facilities and the encouragement of public officials to stay indoors, most of us have succumbed to a sedentary lifestyle. Since almost every aspect of school and work transitions into a virtual format, there is little motivation to detach ourselves from our cushioned office chairs. I only realized the severity of my declining fitness levels when I opened the health app on my phone, in which a disapproving message informed me that my average of 9,000+ steps a day during the academic year has now dropped tenfold to only a pitiful average of 900.

Despite all of these challenges, it is of utmost importance that we continue to exercise to reduce our risk of diseases down the line and improve our mental health. Now with students back on campus under social distancing conditions, here is a guide for what you can do at Princeton to maintain your physical wellness.

Dillon Gym

Although Dillon Gym is open by reservation only and available only for students on campus, it still serves as one of the best recreational facilities suitable for anyone’s workout plans. The main gym floor has been retrofitted with strength and cardio equipment in order to create more breathing room in the Stephens Fitness Center, which still offers a wide variety of free weights, benches, dumbbells, and racks. Dillon Pool is also open for any swimmers. Reservations are only 45 minutes long and will only permit users who are enrolled in the asymptomatic testing protocol.

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Poe/Pardee Fields

Located right behind Butler College, these two fields housed Campus Recreation intramural sports pre-pandemic. The vast grassy surfaces are ideal for soccer, softball, lacrosse and other outdoor activities, which are subject to fewer restrictions.

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Towpath Loops

The Princeton Running Club has published a few of their recommended routes on their website. Those who enjoy running can take advantage of the towpaths to see the natural beauties that Princeton has to offer beyond the boundaries of the university, while improving cardiovascular health.

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Your Own Room

I have to admit that during the winter, it can sometimes be too chilly to play an outdoor sport with some friends or make the dreaded walk to Dillon Gym. Especially because of the social distancing and quarantine guidelines in place, it might be wisest to stay within the confinements of your own room. Although you can’t install pull-up bars in dormitory doorways, you can buy a set of dumbbells, a yoga mat, a weighted vest or resistance bands (along with any other equipment) to assemble your own makeshift home gym. If you aren’t sure which exercises to perform, there are plenty of YouTube videos and fitness websites that can give you plenty of ideas to achieve your individualized goals. You could even just turn the music up and jam out at your own private dance party.

Even if you don’t have a specific workout plan, you can include little things in your daily life, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or renting a Zagster bike instead of taking the bus. Fitness doesn’t need to be overly complicated or time-consuming: just take a break from your computer screen and move your body!

Happy New Year, friends! I am so excited to be stepping into a new year filled with new opportunities and chances. One of my favorite things to do at the beginning of the year, or semester, is to create a vision board or to write out my goals in list form. Goal setting is such an important part of my process as a student. I’d like to share a few tips towards fulfilling goals that I consider as I go about my year! 

Start Small:

Yes, it would be amazing to get over procrastinating overnight, but it's a process! Give yourself credit for the little wins! Set obtainable and consistent small steps that help you build toward the bigger ones. One example of this would be writing a few pages of a big assignment a day. Here, you have a consistent small goal that you can achieve daily that is also contributing towards your larger goal of a finished paper.

Accountability:

It is harder to put off tasks when other people are relying on you. Getting an accountability partner to whom who you express your goals, and letting them help verify your progress is extremely helpful. I know it’s very tempting to do all your hard work behind closed doors and come out a changed person, but I recommend trying to invite others into your process. Set up reading groups with friends if your goal is to read more, have someone randomly text you weekly or daily inquiring about your tasks if your goal is to be consistent. 

Adjust as Needed:

I know you said in December that you would finish 3 workouts by the first week of February but it's January 22 and your workout clothes are still in the hamper. (I’m definitely speaking from experience here). One really helpful tip is to leave room for change in your schedule. The feeling of being behind can be discouraging sometimes, so adjusting and pivoting allows you to account for days you won’t feel motivated and times when things come up. One example of this would be if I planned to work on my Junior paper for about an hour Monday and Wednesday, but I leave Thursday night open in case I don’t get to it on either of those days. Or, after working on my paper Monday, I decide to work Tuesday as well to leave Wednesday open for another assignment.  

Appreciate Progress:

Appreciate the days where you only consider working on things or even days where you don’t get work done, but you’re productive on something else. Your process and progression are just as important as the finished product. Yes, we want to see finished assignments and things checked off the list, but the process is important too. Having a time constraint on your goals is overrated. Take your time and progress mentally and change your mindset. The experience of persevering and or struggling is important to the goal. Explore that. 

These are a few things I consider at the beginning of my year or semester as I set goals and set the tone of my year. These are in no way the only way to go about things, but suggestions based on things that work for me! 

As Princeton University prepares to welcome many students back for the spring semester, questions abound about what to bring and how to prepare for a new type of semester.  Whether you’re a first-year student ready to experience your first taste of the Orange Bubble or a prospective student looking to get a better idea of what Princeton is like, I hope this post answers some questions about winter in Princeton.  

I, myself, am from Colorado — a state known for its winters.  But I come from southern Colorado, which is more of a desert climate than our famous mountains.  I’m used to a mix of warm and cold days, with occasional snow, each year from around October-February.  My biggest surprise when coming to New Jersey was that there weren’t really any warm days during the winter.  Some days were nicer than others, to be sure, but it’s still a far cry from the 57 degree Fahrenheit and sunny days that I’ve had here in Colorado these past few days.  

So, what’s winter like in New Jersey?  Well, it’s cold.  Most days are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and often cloudy or overcast.  There’s a mix of rain and snow, but winter storms are rare.  You’re more likely to need rain gear rather than snow gear! 

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My number one suggestion would be a knee-length winter coat.  In Colorado, I had a typical jacket-style winter coat.  It wasn’t until I spent a week in Chicago in March that I learned the value of a longer coat.  It makes all the difference in the world.  

You will also want some type of waterproof shoe for rain and snow.  I have a pair of waterproof hiking boots that I wear on rainy days instead of sneakers, and a pair of fun rain boots I wear with thick socks for other occasions (they have sparkles!).  There’s nothing worse than walking around in wet socks because your shoes soaked through. 

Of course, you’ll want plenty of jackets and hoodies to keep warm.  Luckily, residential colleges often give away jackets, and you can always pick up a Princeton hoodie at the U-Store!  Stay safe and stay warm.