My teachers in high school used to say that “college would be different.” Usually, they were referencing the idea that expectations of college students are higher than they are of high school students. For most of my high school career, I didn’t think much of those warnings. When I learned of my admission to Princeton, and felt my future beginning to roll out in front of me, I panicked. How right were they? Was I going to be able to handle the rigor of my college coursework? Was I going to be well prepared?

Three years later, and I’d tell my high school senior year self to take a deep breath. In some ways, college is certainly more demanding than high school. Your professors are going to expect that you genuinely engage with the course material — not just regurgitate memorized facts for a test. They’re going to expect that you care about what you’re learning, because you’ll find most professors have dedicated their lives to studying that very subject.  Balancing coursework in college is something some people also find tricky — class schedules are less structured in college than in high school and can make it difficult for first year students especially to properly budget their study time. You’ll be surrounded by tempting opportunities to ditch the books for time with friends, extracurricular groups and campus events.

But, in my experience, it’s not that college is more difficult than high school. The best way to describe it is merely to say that it’s different. You’re studying what you love, so you’re going to care about all your classes. You’re going to want to prepare for your classes, because you’ll grow to know and care for your professors on a personal level. They’ll care about you, too, and the vast majority are very understanding if you’re unable to meet a particular deadline or need special assistance in class. You have more resources available than ever before to make sure you succeed — everyone from residential college deans and Peer Academic Advisers to the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning has your back. And, you’ll be surrounded and motivated by other passionate learners every day. You’ll see a substantial reduction in the amount of “busy work” you’re assigned, and you’ll spend your time on more meaningful projects.

Believe me, your academic preparation is good enough. Nothing can really prepare you for the totality of your Princeton experience. But, relax: you’ve got this!

Dear Great Class of 2024,

This is an open letter from me, a jealous senior, to all the incoming first-years. Congratulations! You’re about to embark on the journey of a lifetime in a beautiful place I’ve been lucky to call home for the past 3.75 years. On behalf of all the bloggers, I’d like to welcome you to Princeton. There will be ups and downs, but you’ll soon learn that this truly is the best damn place of all.

Princeton is full of new opportunities, experiences and memories that you will cherish forever. My advice to you is this: take advantage of every single opportunity, experience and memory that comes your way. This is a once-in-a-lifetime journey, and as I know many of you can relate as high school seniors, it can all change in a matter of seconds. Cherish your time here. It really does fly by, I swear. It feels like just yesterday I was moving into Butler 1967 Hall, meeting my roommates, getting my bearings on campus and looking forward to the four years to come. Instead, a few days ago, I moved out of my cute little Patton Hall dorm room and said goodbye to everyone who made Princeton feel like home.

But enough with the sadness! This should be a happy time for you all. Be open to new experiences! Meet new friends; it may take a while to establish your core group, but you’ll get there! Get to know your professors; they can be great mentors and they’re there for you. Thank your dining hall workers! Explore the campus; Princeton is gorgeous, and it’s yours to take in. Try out every coffee shop in town. Call your parents ⁠— they’re anxious to hear from you! Stay in touch with your high school friends. Cope with stress in healthy ways; watch the sunrise, go to the gym, try out a new restaurant, take a walk. Take your time. Get to know some upperclassmen; I know they can look scary sometimes, but I promise they aren’t!

Last, but certainly not least: believe in yourself and trust in the process. You’re meant to be here! You’re meant to be a part of this amazing community. Good luck, and have fun!

Once again: welcome to Princeton.

Sincerely,

A jealous senior who wishes she could do it all over again.

Navigating around Princeton—both on campus and in the surrounding communities—is an important part of the Princeton student experience. 

First, some caveats: I spend almost all of my time here on campus and in neighborhoods within walking distance. This isn’t the case for some students, especially student athletes who travel frequently for competition. When I leave campus, I usually do so by car or train — I usually only leave campus by plane during the breaks, but it’s an extremely common experience for students to fly during the normal year.

Like on most college campuses, people walk here. A lot. Bring your best walking shoes — you won’t be wearing high heels on your hike to class! Campus isn’t that big, so most students get around solely on foot. A substantial number of students do have bikes and scooters (both the traditional kind and the electric ones— I don’t quite understand these). There are bike racks near most dorm buildings, and scooters have to be stored in your room in order to keep the campus as accessible as possible. Don’t think you need these things, though — unless you’re a resident of Forbes College or a student-athlete frequently traveling south on campus to Jadwin Gym, you’ll easily be able to make it everywhere on foot, on time. If you ever don’t feel like walking, Tiger Transit (the campus shuttle system) can take you to different hot spots on campus. 

Tiger Transit also runs shuttles off campus for students. The most commonly utilized service they offer is the Weekend Shopper, which loops students from campus to a variety of different shopping centers in the larger Princeton area. Highlights include Trader Joe’s and Target, two of my favorite suburban spots. Something important to note is that students aren’t allowed to keep cars on campus, meaning that you’ll have to find another way to get around. In addition to University services like Tiger Transit, students frequently use the Enterprise Car-Share service offered on campus (easy to use, and pretty cheap!) or use a ride-share app. 

If you’re looking to get out further into the world, your ticket is the ‘Dinky.’ The ‘Dinky’ is a train station on campus that provides shuttle service to the larger Princeton Junction station. From Princeton Junction Station, you can mainly catch NJ Transit trains and Amtrak trains. Trains branching off from these can take you to New York City, Philadelphia or even Newark or Philadelphia airports, which is a passport to anywhere in the world! 

Princeton’s unique residential culture means getting around can seem daunting for incoming students. The reality is that it’s pretty easy — you’ll find your way around in no time at all!

Before this year, I had never had a problem set, or “pset” for short. I came to Princeton as a potential English concentrator, hoping to limit my exposure to any quantitative subject. That changed rather quickly after I changed my prospective concentration in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. I am in two prerequisite classes for my concentration that have weekly psets, worksheets filled with math and problem solving. These assignments are a lot different from my usual workload of reading and writing essays. Here are some tips I’ve learned about how to handle psets for the first time:

1. The most helpful resource for handling psets is the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning. The McGraw Center runs group review sessions and individual tutoring for many of the most popular classes on campus. I go to the group review sessions for my microeconomics class almost every week. The tutors are students who did well in the class previously, and they do a great job explaining concepts and assisting with the psets. The McGraw Center also offers learning strategy consultations, where students work with you on topics ranging from thesis planning to overcoming procrastination to study strategies. I find all of the McGraw Center offerings to be very helpful, so I highly recommend using the many programs they offer to help students.
2. It is also very important to go to office hours when you can. During office hours, you can ask your professor or preceptor specific questions about the psets or concepts that you are having trouble understanding. It might make you a little nervous to go to office hours at first, but they are there to help you learn and succeed. If the regularly scheduled office hours don’t work for you, sometimes you can find a different time to meet and go over your questions. Even for classes without psets, office hours are a great way to talk to and learn from the amazing professors we have here at Princeton.
3. A final strategy involves working on the psets with friends and classmates. I have several friends in my classes with psets, so we formed a study group. We work on homework together, check answers and just act as a support system for each other in these difficult classes. Working with friends is definitely more enjoyable than working alone.

While classes can be challenging, I’m glad that I have found some of the many ways Princeton supports students in difficult classes. Everyone has their own strategy about how to get through their work, so I’m sure you’ll find even more resources to help you along the way.

There is endless food on Princeton's campus: late meal, Nassau Street, study breaks and free food from events. However, you're likely to eat most of your meals in the residential college dining halls. Check out my guide to dining on campus.  

Forbes (my residential college–go Forbesians!)

• Environment: Forbes’s dining hall is quiet for breakfast and lunch, great for studying or doing homework. Since Forbes is the furthest residential college from most classes and activities (a bit of an exaggeration – my longest walk is only 15 minutes), the dining hall is never that crowded during the day when students are out and about. On a nice day, you get plenty of sunshine in the dining hall, and when it’s warm out, you can eat outside with a view of the golf course in Forbes’ “backyard.”   
• Best Known For: “Sunday Brunch” (with a huge chocolate fountain!), special dinners for Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, Thanksgiving and other holidays). It's the only dining hall that offers omelets during lunch, and you can order a quesadilla anytime at the grill
• Best Food: Paella, tortellini, potato bar (all kinds of potato), avocado bar (all types of avocado pairings), waffle cones with fresh fruit & whipped cream at Forbes Flexitarian Night
• So Underrated: Saturday’s brunch (with breakfast quesadillas & açaí bowls)

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Roma (Rockefeller (Rocky)/Mathey)

• Environment: A common place to meet friends for lunch or dinner because of its close proximity to Firestone Library and several academic buildings. The dining hall is so big that even when a lot of people are there, it still doesn’t feel overwhelming. There are two connected seating areas in this dining hall, one on Rocky’s side and the other in Mathey. If your parents ever visit, take them to this dining hall and they’ll surely be impressed with the Harry Potter/castle-like structure.
• Best Known For: Only dining hall with fried chicken sandwiches offered daily, grilled cheese trio, and two cheese options for omelets – cheddar & mozzarella (most just have cheddar)   
• Best Food: Creative quesadillas (apple, brie & arugula is my fave!), chicken nugget bar, shell mac & cheese
• So Underrated: RoMa’s house chicken soup

WuCox (Wilson/Butler)

• Environment: The name “WuCox” comes from the seating areas in Wu Hall (Butler) and Wilcox Hall (Wilson), which are connected by one dining hall like RoMa. WuCox has the most booths out of all our dining halls. Many student groups meet here because there are booths available for even large groups. WuCox is in a prime location close to the biology and math departments, as well as Frist, our student center. 
• Best Known For: “Beans, Greens & Grains” station offered for lunch and dinner (a pasta and ramen bar: choose your sauce, pasta – ramen or penne, and add chicken and veggies), breakfast 
• Best Food: WuCox breakfast muffins, corn bread, perogies, southern fried chicken
• So Underrated: pesto ravioli 

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Whitman 

• Environment: Much like RoMa, this dining hall is quite a sight with its beautiful architecture. Whitman is made up of mostly long tables and a few booths in the back. The dining hall also has one of the best private dining rooms for teams, clubs or language tables. Lunch gets very popular on certain days (such as chicken pot pie day), and dinner always draws a crowd. You can never go wrong with Whitman because there’s so many options to choose from. 
• Best Known For: Amazing salad bar, specialty bars (ramen, mac & cheese, burritos), Whitman lunch 
• Best Food: Naan bread, orzo pasta salad, pizza & garlic knots, sautéed veggies
• So Underrated: Spinach artichoke hummus

Students can go to any residential college dining hall – not just their own. They can also eat at the Center for Jewish Life (CJL), which houses our kosher dining hall on campus. I typically eat breakfast at Forbes, lunch at Whitman and dinner at RoMa or WuCox. If you’re considering Princeton as your new home, hopefully this guide gave you a sneak peek into what eating in the dining halls is like.

From twist-outs to wash-n-gos, black hair care is important to the Black identity. The Princeton community finds unique ways to bring students together to celebrate black hair and culture. For Black History Month, the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality + Cultural Understanding hosts a multitude of events; everything from panel discussions to community dinners designed to honor black culture. “Curlchella” was one of the events that I attended and participated in. Curlchella is an event that is dedicated to promoting self-care, with a specific emphasis on the ways in which black students can take care of themselves. The event features black barbers for haircuts, a DIY shea butter table, and includes skin, make up, and hair care stations. This is an important event to me as a black woman because it allows me to interact with other knowledgeable people about care that is particular to my hair and my skin. 

I collaborated with a friend to work the protective hairstyle and natural hair care station. We taught interested students the ins and outs of hair porosity, density and texture. We educated attendees on different hair care routines and the importance of using essential oils and wide tooth combs. Finally, we also instructed students on how to do protective hairstyles like Marley twists and box braids. The event was a great experience as it allowed students to connect with each other through their hair. I enjoyed speaking about wearing my silk bonnet because I basically live in it on campus.

I’m so excited to attend a school like Princeton where we have the space to talk about things that matter to the black community. It is especially important to have opportunities to learn more about black hair as it can be a controversial conversation as shown by the recent passage of the Crown Act. Black hair is kinky, beautiful, defined, but also undefinable. Having these conversations at Princeton is essential to my growth. These are the kinds of events that I find to be irreplaceable in black culture and necessary to continue to support Princeton’s focus on diversity.

Editor's Note: Dr. Keith Shaw, director of transfer, veteran and non-traditional student programs and Alex Bustin '08 , senior associate dean and director of transfer and military/veteran admission work together on Princeton's reinstated transfer program. Hear from them about their roles and their experience establishing and growing this program.

How has reinstating the transfer program impacted the Princeton community? 

Keith: Alex and I are very proud of the students in our young transfer program and we are excited to welcome a new crew of Princetonians. In building this program, it was so exciting to use transfer admission as an access and inclusion initiative, and you can see that in the students we’ve enrolled.

Through Alex’s stewardship of transfer admission, it’s been humbling to see and hear the stories of so many fantastic candidates from all over the world with such a range of backgrounds and experiences. The transfer program has helped us to see a rise in our student veteran population and they’ve been quick to form a tight community and become a visible presence on campus. We’re also thrilled with our community-college scholars – many of whom arrived on campus with inspiring academic achievements already under their belts, such as the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. 

We’ve had the opportunity to meet and understand the perspectives of students who have attended various colleges or have had non-traditional trajectories. Our students have worked in various industries or in the military, giving us just a glimpse of what kind of impact they can have in enriching the student body once they get to campus.

Are there any misconceptions regarding the transfer program? 

Alex: A common concern we usually hear from prospective students relates back to their academic history. Since reinstating the transfer program, we’ve seen a wide range of applicants. Some who have always done well academically throughout high school and college and others who didn’t hit their stride until much later – maybe even after multiple attempts at college. We recognize that different students reach their academic prime at different times for any number of reasons. You absolutely can be a competitive applicant for our transfer program if you have a strong record over the most recent semesters. We’re admitting our students and community members for who they are now and not necessarily who they used to be.

What has been one of the most rewarding parts of reinstating the transfer program? 

Keith: My favorite job responsibility has been teaching the incoming cohort of transfer students in their customized writing seminar each fall, where they cultivate the intellectual practices of emerging scholars. Just as important, this writing seminar enables our students to build a  community of their own. As their instructor I have the opportunity to watch a classics major from a local community college refine a thesis statement with a Navy intelligence analyst, or a Marine special ops veteran spar over the finer points of Orwell with the Miami-Dade Jack Kent Cooke Scholar. This provides a window into what makes the program so special. Our transfer students’ varied, informed and mature viewpoints are in high demand on campus. As we look forward to their academic and professional successes, we’re excited and curious about what Princeton will learn from them.

How has Princeton helped non-traditional students transition to campus? 

Alex: Helping to make Princeton a comfortable home for transfer students with families has been a welcome and ongoing challenge. Several of our transfers moved here with spouses and children and that means a cultural transition for an entire family, not just an individual student. (In their first year, one student even welcomed a newborn into their family on the first day of classes.)  While there’s more to be done, we're grateful for the effort of so many campus offices that have invested to make this transition as smooth as possible for these families including Housing, Financial Aid and the Residential Colleges, who have all been working hard to provide the best possible options. 

We are looking forward to seeing how the transfer program will continue to grow in the coming years and we are excited to welcome the new class of transfer students to the Princeton community. 

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When it’s warm and sunny, my friends and I love to go the backyard behind Forbes College and toss around a frisbee. On weekends, we bring our brunch onto the patio, sit on the red lawn chairs and look out onto the golf course and the gothic spires of the Graduate College beyond, where at noon the chimes of its clock tower can be heard across campus. From our window, my roommate and I wake up to this wonderful view and a still sleepy sun.

In the evenings after dinner, we pass by the game room and are often tempted to go inside for an hour or more. Over games of pool, we watched James Holzhauer’s record-breaking run on “Jeopardy” here. On midweek afternoons, I cheer on my soccer team in the Champions League, and I am often joined by a member of the staff, many of whom are always willing to have a conversation, whether over a game of soccer or when swiping in for a meal.

Forbes is a small residential college, and it feels even homier because of its unique setup. As a repurposed hotel, it is the only residential college where you can walk from one end to the other in your pajamas without ever stepping outside. There are also so many cozy nooks and crannies: a TV lounge in the annex basement with murals on the walls; the sci-fi library adjacent to the sunken lounge; and the Forbes Café, always open late and offering a place to study, relax and get ramen for 25 cents a package.

No matter how early or late, Forbes always seems to be bright and warmly lit, and its “Forbesians” are always around. I love the community here, with a shared bond over our campus-renowned weekend brunches and the distances we have to walk – Forbes is as close as you can get to the Wawa, a local convenience store, the Graduate College, or art installations by Maya Lin and Ai Weiwei, but as the joke goes, a bit far from anywhere else.

Nevertheless, I’ve loved every second of living in my residential college and being a part of this community: Forbes really is worth the walk. And maybe I’ll see you around next year: I’ll be sticking around as a residential college adviser! I’d be happy to grab some chocolate covered strawberries at Sunday Brunch and talk over a game of pool.   

It is often easy to stay on campus for long periods of time without stepping out of FitzRandolph gates. Students at Princeton are busy with classes, extracurriculars and a social life. However, there are many things to do in the town of Princeton that I encourage current and future Tigers to make time for and enjoy.

The most common reasons to venture through the gates and onto Nassau Street involve a craving for food and drinks. Princeton has four ice cream shops in a very small vicinity. My personal ranking is Halo Pub, Kilwin’s, Bent Spoon and Thomas Sweets. Everyone has their own personal preferences for where they go to satisfy their sweet tooth.

The town of Princeton also has a variety of coffee options. Regardless of if you’re a Starbucks person or a Dunkin’ Donuts fan, you can get your favorite coffee. If you want a coffee that doesn’t come from a chain, I would recommend Small World Coffee, a local brand with two locations, one on Nassau Street and one on Witherspoon Street.

The Princeton Public Library on Witherspoon Street has a great selection of books available to students for free. I got a library card pretty soon after coming to campus. With that card comes access to the library’s collections, as well as free tickets to museums in New York City and Philadelphia.

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Princeton Garden Theater offers multiple movies per week at a discounted price for students. Princeton Undergraduate Student Government (USG) screens movies at the Garden Theater every weekend for no cost at all if you’re willing to wait in line for the free tickets.

While all the activities I described above are in walking distance from campus, there are also some fun destinations within driving distance. TigerTransit has a Weekend Shopper shuttle that takes students to shopping locations, such as Wegmans grocery store, Walmart and Trader Joe’s. The shuttles often get crowded as students refill their rooms with snacks and cleaning supplies.

If you’re willing to take a car share service and go a little farther from the campus, there are multiple malls in the area. I’ve seen a couple movies at an AMC movie theater at the MarketFair Mall and Quakerbridge Mall is also quite popular with students.

We have our own train station on campus with a one-car train called the "Dinky" to take us to the Princeton Junction station. From there, it’s an easy ride to New York City and Philadelphia. My friends and I have taken several fun trips to New York City to explore the museums and see shows on Broadway. 

The Princeton campus is often described as the “Orange Bubble,” but I do my best to get off campus every so often. Princeton is a great town with lots of fun activities. Pretty soon, you’ll have your own list of favorite spots off campus.

If you’re a prospective Princetonian reading this and already know you’re considering law school, congratulations! You’re much further ahead in cementing your career goals than I was back when I was in your shoes. When I came to Princeton, I didn’t have a clue what I was interested in pursuing for a career. I knew I loved American politics and wanted to dedicate my life to service, but I didn’t know how that translated into a career path. As I arrived for my first year, I was bouncing a variety of future plans around in my head — everything from investigative journalism to opening my own veterinary practice.

I first became interested in attending law school during a freshman seminar I took on constitutional war powers. I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that I found arguing and analyzing the law and its controversies far more fascinating than any academic discipline I’d previously encountered. By the end of my first year, I was pretty sure law school was in the cards for me. The research I’d done, both on my own and with the help of the gracious Center for Career Development advisers, helped to cement the idea that I could combine my prior love of writing and passion for service with my academic interest in law.

Two points I’ve already highlighted — the availability of incredible law-related classes here (taught by world class faculty) and the rigorous support provided by the Center for Career Development—are just two of many reasons preparing to go to law school at Princeton is a privilege. There are a variety of course offerings, across a number of different departments that allow students to explore diverse fields of law within the contexts of their academic specialties. Many of those offerings change every semester, meaning that there is a wealth of fresh opportunities available if you aren’t feeling any one semester’s worth of law-based courses. The professors who teach these classes, both permanent faculty and visiting professors, are often themselves distinguished lawyers with unbelievable career experiences. 

There are also many co-curricular ways to explore an interest in the law. Princeton Internships in Civic Service and the Guggenheim Fellowships are two of many Princeton-supported programs that offer undergrads unique summer law opportunities in public-service. Many student groups here provide an additional avenue, during the school year, to explore legal interest, whether through pre-professional organizations or activist work. 

I didn’t pick Princeton for its legal-studies opportunities. After all, I didn’t even know it was something in which I was interested! But I’m incredibly lucky to have stumbled upon a community which provides what I believe is one-of-a-kind for students interested in learning more about law.