In the north of campus sits the cavernous Firestone Library: six floors stuffed with books in an impressively iceberg-ish set up. What appears to be a normal building on the surface actually extends deep in all directions underground. I would say it has something of a villains’ lair about it, as nearly all Gothic buildings with more than two basement floors do, but I can’t: It really is too beautiful for that.

Most people don’t understand why I enjoy—actually look forward to—hunting for books in Firestone Library. To those people I say: fair enough. I admit it, I sound very strange when I talk about this particular hobby of mine. You begin with a paper topic in mind, let’s say West Asiatic elements of early Greek poetry. You get some book references from your adviser, such as “The East Face of Helicon” by M.L. West, you look it up on the catalogue for its Princeton call number—some long string of letters and numbers occasionally interspersed with periods and possibly other non-alphanumeric keys—and thus far I concede it’s all very clear cut. Simple.

But this is when the exciting part happens. You see, there’s no way to know where a book is going to be located in Firestone based on its call number. Well, of course there must be, but I’ve never met anyone who understood the system. To locate your book, you can search on the library’s online database, and provided right there on the book’s catalogue entry is an icon called “Where to Find It.” A map pops up, an orange dot appears that marks the book’s location and a thin stripe trail leads from the library’s entrance to the book's location.

Time to go on an adventure. You’re bound to be more or less alone as you wander through the 70 miles worth of shelves! If you’ve left the reading rooms and study spaces behind, then you’ve left civilization behind. It’s just you and the more than 7 million books that make up Firestone.

I always like to linger. It doesn’t matter what section I’m in—whether sociology, poetry, religion or foreign languages. Sometimes it’s for the bizarre titles—someone wrote a book on that?—and sometimes it’s for the book covers. I actually have a track record of sending pictures of great book covers to my friends. Looking back on all the times I’ve gone to Firestone, I’m not sure there’s ever been a time when I didn’t leave with at least two or three more books than I intended to pick up. There are times when I feel like reading about familiar protagonists like Indiana Jones, Marco Polo or Odysseus; However, oftentimes I wandering around, searching for some rare, hidden artifact, surrounded by authors I’ve never heard of and topics I know nothing about. Who wouldn’t want to turn everyday tasks into adventures? When searching for a book in Firestone, it’s just too easy.

After the end of my first semester at Princeton, I had a week-long vacation. During that time I spent hours looking at the websites of the different centers and programs at Princeton. Although I felt like I already knew the campus well and I had found interesting spaces where I felt comfortable, I still felt like there was a lot going on that I was not aware of. Friends would mention an event they had attended or I would suddenly see a poster somewhere on campus about a series of talks that seemed super interesting but which, unfortunately, had already happened. So when I finally had some free time I decided to look through the websites of all the departments and different centers at Princeton to make sure I would never miss these events! That is how I first heard of places that are now very present in my life at Princeton such as the European Union Program, the Center on Contemporary China or the Women*s Center.

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As a junior, the list of places I now frequent and the number of events I add to my Google Calendar has reached an all-time high, but my experiences in them have changed a lot during my three years here. The center where I have felt this personal growth most clearly is the Women*s Center. During the spring of my first year I decided to go to the Class of ’19 Lunch Group that the Women*s Center hosted for the first time, and I remember how comfortable I felt there talking about the many things that I had experienced my first semester at Princeton, and which I did not know I had been waiting to share. We talked about gender expectations in an Ivy League, about transitioning from high school to university and about the still very real gender disparity in STEM fields. After that first lunch, I went back to the Center every Friday and started bringing my roommate and other friends with me.

Later that semester the Women*s Center started hiring student workers, and I became part of the student staff. One of the best experiences of my sophomore year was working there. Not only because it was my first job ever, or because I also got to personally meet the speakers the Women*s Center brings to campus, but also because I felt like I was encouraged to come up with programming that I found exciting and that I thought the student population on campus could benefit from! That is how I started the Bechdel Film Club: a club that screens movies where women talk to each other about something other than men. This has become one of the most successful programs the Center hosts and it is a great way of taking a step back from our academically-driven life at Princeton and reflect of the world outside of the “Orange Bubble” and the patterns that we also repeat on our campus.

If you are interested in the club, you can read more about it in this interview that The Daily Princetonian, our student newspaper, published about us! My experience at the Women*s Center has taught me to never stop looking for spaces where I can work toward promoting the change that I believe in. So keep on searching!

Fall of junior year has come in full swing, and what a big swing it's been. Gone are the days of merely struggling to balance just classes and social interaction, as Princeton adds on to the workload with junior papers (JPs) and summer job recruiting season. As an Economics major, I was bombarded even as early as July about recruitment events taking place in the fall as well as internship opportunities for next summer! I had heard that these events started early, but wasn't aware of how early.

At this point, I've gotten through a month of classes and various internship-related events, and there are a few pieces of advice I'd like to impart onto you, dear reader:

1. Become very friendly with your calendar: In previous years, I never really relied on a calendar to help me plan out my tasks for the day or week. I would typically type them into my "Reminders" application or just write them down on a sticky note, but that certainly hasn't been enough this semester. Now I almost always put my series of meetings into my computer's calendar; it's been a life-saver. 
2. Prioritize your time: While this piece of advice may sound like I'm stressing time-management skills, I actually like to think I'm making a slight distinction between the two. When I say, "prioritize your time," I don't mean that you should plan out set times in your calendar (see above) to go to every event, because that simply isn't possible (believe me, I've tried). What I do mean is you should selectively choose which of these events is the most important to you, and attend those ones, as it'll save you from the stress of feeling like you can't do it all.
3. Do not take rejection personally: This piece of advice might arguably be the most important one. As Princeton students, whether it's intentional or not, we tend to be accustomed to receiving positive praise for anything we've worked on or strove for (that's how we made it here, no?), and that can lead to feeling "less-than" if things don't go our way. Remember, a rejection means nothing about you as a person, it just means that perhaps your qualities just weren't quite the right fit for that organization. The best thing I've done is to take rejection "on the chin"—to keep moving forward and to keep applying, thinking that the law of averages should eventually work in my favor. After all, you only need one of them to say "yes," right?

When I first came to Princeton, I was nervous about how I would be able to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. During high school, I had always taken the days off from school and attended services with my family. I loved seeing the community and catching up with my friends at the synagogue. But now I was away from home and didn’t know how things operated at Princeton. Were there services? How would professors feel about my missing their class? Would I know anyone else attending services or would I sit alone?

However, despite my fears, I learned very quickly just how special the high holidays are at Princeton. Our Hillel, the Center For Jewish Life (CJL) offers reform, conservative, and orthodox services for all of the holidays. Through posters and emails, they advertise when and where the services are taking place so that even though I was not well acquainted with the CJL community before the holidays, I was still able to receive the information.

Professors are super accommodating about missing classes for Jewish holidays. I have found that if you talk to them ahead of time and explain when you will be missing, they are more than willing to work with you on assignments or class material. Plus, I’ve also had professors videotape or record their lectures so that I can listen to them after the holiday.

As for being nervous about sitting alone, that certainly didn’t happen. At our services we have a special student section, so that I had an easy time finding and meeting other students. The CJL also hosts special holiday meals, so not only was I provided delicious food, I was able to meet other people observing the holiday too. Additionally, since a good number of other students were not attending classes, I spent my afternoons hanging around the CJL talking with others and making friends.

Yet, I think one of the nicest things about celebrating the holidays at Princeton is that you are able to enjoy and observe them however you wish. For example, if your tradition is to just eat a special meal with friends and family, you can do that. If your tradition is to attend all services, you can do that. If your tradition is to attend some classes and go to services when you can, you can also do that. There is the freedom to do whatever you want, and there is no judgment about how little or how much you want to do.

All in all, the holidays at Princeton are wonderful. I look forward to them every year because, for me, they are a break from crazy school life and provide a chance to connect with the other Jewish students on campus. If you observe these holidays and have any questions, feel free to contact me! I’d be happy to talk more about them with you. 

For the past three years, I’ve kept the same slip of paper pinned to the bulletin board in my dorm room. It reads:

“I think guitar groups are becoming passé.” – Record Company Executive in his 1962 rejection letter, one of many sent to the unsigned Liverpool-based band known as The Beatles.

In 1963, The Beatles became the biggest musical group in England.

In 1964, The Beatles became the biggest band in the world.

Each day, I carry these words with me.

At a university like Princeton, rejection is inevitable. Here, I am surrounded by some of the smartest, most talented people I have ever met. And I wouldn’t change that for anything. This is the path I chose, and it is the path I would choose time and again if I had to do it all over. The path is not easy, but I never wanted it to be. I came to Princeton wanting to grow. To push myself, to be inspired—to learn just how much I do not know.

And so, whenever I open an email and see the familiar words: “Thank you for your application. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept you at this time," my mind returns to The Beatles. The words on that little slip of paper have taught me not to fear rejection, but rather to embrace it as a reminder that I am brave. I am resilient. I am here.

Just years before founding Disney World, Walt Disney was fired by a news editor for “lack of imagination.” Growing up, Albert Einstein was oftentimes called “mentally handicapped” by teachers who said that he would amount to nothing. J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” was rejected by publishers 12 times. One rejection letter advised Rowling to “get a day job” because she had “no future in writing children’s novels.” The net worth of these individuals? Sky-high. The look on their critics’ faces as they realized how foolish they'd been? Priceless. As J.K. Rowling states: "It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default."

It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default. 

Naysayers are nothing. Live the life you’ve imagined. Audition for your favorite a cappella group. Interview for a position you’re passionate about, even when you know you’re not the most qualified candidate. Apply for that ultra-competitive summer internship in Paris. Whether you wind up munching on a baguette in front of the Eiffel Tower or adding another tier to the tower of rejection letters in your dorm room, you’ll know that you put yourself out there. You lived.

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one…” Listen to the boy from Liverpool. You’re in good company, after all.

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Most children’s first word is “mama”; mine was “book.” In preschool, as other kids scampered around Toys "R" Us, I devoured the shelves of Barnes & Noble. Some go weak in the knees at the scent of chocolate lava cake, but the new book smell has always been my aroma of choice.

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Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve dreamed of working in the publishing world. And so, standing in the entryway of Princeton’s Career Services building at last fall's Communications & Media Meetup, I was rendered a child once more. Somewhere in the crowd, I knew, was a representative from the book publisher Simon & Schuster. Straightening my nametag, I navigated my way across the room until I found myself standing before the Simon & Schuster booth.

“Welcome! You’re my first visitor!”

Later that evening, I emailed the Simon & Schuster representative, thanking her for such a fantastic conversation and mentioning that I couldn’t wait to apply to her company’s winter internship program. A few minutes later, my inbox dinged.

“Let me slip a little note along to HR…”

One week later, I was sitting in an office in midtown Manhattan, interviewing for an editorial position with Simon & Schuster.

I didn’t wind up getting the internship that day. Instead, I walked away with something even more valuable. Midway through our conversation, my interviewer cocked her head and asked me, “Have you ever considered becoming a literary agent?”

I hadn’t. In fact, I had never even heard of the job before. And so, later that evening, I typed the words “literary agent” into Google for the first time. With childlike wonder, I watched as my laptop conjured up descriptions of a dream job I hadn't known existed.

Minutes later, I was scouring the web for internships once more.

It’s now been almost a year since my Simon & Schuster interview, and I just completed my third literary agency internship. Like the others before it, this internship provided me with endless inspiration and insight. But—at its completion—it also gave me one more thing.

A job offer.

“Hi, I’m sorry to bother you, but I saw your ‘Princeton Dad’ shirt and I just had to ask, do you currently have a student at Princeton?” This was how I started a conversation with a total stranger last summer when I was working in Key Largo, Florida. I had been living in the Keys all summer and had not seen or heard about any other person related to Princeton in months. Therefore, when I saw this man who was visiting the same beach, I just had to find out if I knew his son or daughter. Well, it turns out his daughter was a graduate student in the MAE (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) Department and I had no idea who she was. Yet, by reaching out to him, we ended up having a great conversation about Princeton and the research his daughter was doing. Although I had just met this father I felt connected to my Princeton family.         

While I do remember the lesson my mother told me about refraining from talking to strangers, there is something about Princeton that encourages me to reach out to other members of our community. I love hearing the stories from alumni about their experiences and how the campus has changed since they graduated. I also love meeting fellow students whom I had not had the chance to meet earlier on in my Princeton career. Sometimes, my attempts at conversation leave me looking silly, but other times, they have helped me tremendously.

For example, when I was recently studying abroad in Panama, I was given the contact information of a family who could help me find Shabbat services and kosher food while I was abroad. I had absolutely no connection to them apart from the fact that one of their sons was a Class of ’06 graduate and that they were Jewish. I sent an email introducing myself, explaining how I would be studying in Panama for a few months and asked tons of questions of what life was like there. Even though they had long since moved away from home, this family took me in and became my adopted Panamanian family. They invited me over for holidays, gave me warm food and let me stay at their house. I am thankful that Princeton provided me with the opportunity to be introduced to this family.

In a slightly different example, when I flew back to campus in January, I was waiting for my luggage at baggage claim when a girl came up to me and asked if I went to Princeton. She had seen the orange Princeton bag tag on my suitcase and figured there was a good chance I was a fellow Princetonian.  She explained that she was a first-year student and had never gone back to campus on her own. She was looking for someone to help her. Of course, I was more than willing to explain the train process and go with her back to campus. We ended up talking the entire ride back and now we are good friends on campus.

I’ve met so many fellow Princetonians out and about. I can’t tell you how many wonderful conversations I have had with total strangers in the airport because of my Princeton sweatshirt. I have met alumni, fellow classmates and even professors from the University. My conversations are always engaging and I learn something new about the University every time I meet someone.

Furthermore, our alumni network is so helpful when searching for jobs and internship opportunities. Alumni are always willing to provide advice and even help with job opportunities. While I personally haven’t taken advantage of this resource yet, I know in the coming years once I graduate, this will be extremely helpful.

It may be hard to understand, but once you become a Princeton Tiger, you are able to connect with an entire community of people offering their experience and guidance. These people may provide engaging conversation while you’re stuck on an airplane or they may be a wonderful resource when you are abroad. Whatever the case may be, they’re proud to be a Princetonian, and I am too.