Studying Abroad and Social Life

Last semester, I spent the semester abroad in Panama. I was part of a unique program run through the ecology and evolutionary biology department. When I first started thinking about going abroad, one of my biggest concens was "FOMO": fear of missing out. Would I miss out on fun events with my friends? Would I be sad that I wouldn’t attend spring events such as the annual dodgeball tournament or Communiversity (arts festival)? Would I be upset when I saw Facebook photos of my friends all having a great time without me?

However, once I went to Pamana, I quickly realized that none of those fears mattered. Sure, my friends were having a good time without me, and yes, I was missing out on events, but I was also doing incredible things. When my friends were having a movie night, I was busy celebrating Carnival (a celebration with parades, floats, music and dancing) and going hiking in a rainforest. When they were going out to dinner on Nassau Street, I was busy snorkeling and going to karaoke parties. I was having unique and special experiences that I wouldn’t have been able to have anywhere else. Plus, I was making new friends and getting to explore a new country.

Another thing that really helped was that I had WiFi and could stay in touch with my friends and family. I didn’t get to talk to them everyday, as I might have back at school, but I was able to Skype when I had free time. I think in some ways it may have even been more special because I had the designated time to catch up with them rather than constantly seeing them in passing at school and remaking how we wanted to get a meal and catch up. Also, for any of you with significant others, rest assured that your relationship can remain and potentially even become stronger while you are abroad.

Upon arrival back at campus, I was also a little frightened about what it would be like. Would people remember me? Would people even have noticed that I was gone? Yet, as soon as I stepped back on campus in May and visited the clubs and organizations where I spent the majority of my time, my fears vanished. I was immediately welcomed back and people constantly came up to me asking how my semester was. It was such a great feeling knowing that my friends did miss me and that they wanted to hear all about my experiences.

All in all, I would honestly say that my social life was not affected by my semester abroad, and if anything, it improved. I met a new group of friends whom with I was able to share a crazy and meaningful experience. Now that I’ve experienced the first half of a real semester back at Princeton, it feels like nothing has changed. I don’t feel out of touch with any aspect of campus life. Things feel normal, despite having been away for a semester.

By Love of Unseen Things that Do Not Die

My schedule strains under the competing pressures of lectures, precepts, office hours, meetings, study sessions, and appointments. I heave my too-heavy backpack up, down, and across campus, and I buzz around campus attending, accomplishing, and participating. My plate is full with obligations: to-dos, have-tos, need-tos, and whoops-should’ve-dones. It is no secret that Princeton students are busy—and on average, very busy. But it is this constant humming, buzzing, and bustling that makes Princeton so special.

Here, schedule and backpack straining, I am not busy but brimming.

Princeton is a home to the curious and the confused, the loud and the bold, the quiet and the earnest. It is home to the courageous and the keen.

A poem carved over the entrance to McCosh 50, a large lecture hall that has become an steadfast feature of many generations of Princeton students’ time here as undergraduates, by H.E. Mierow from the Class of 1914 reads “Here we were taught by men and gothic towers democracy and faith and righteousness and love of unseen things that do not die.” Here, we are taught by passion and curiosity and love for knowledge. Here, we are taught that learning is not limited to the confines of our lecture halls, our classrooms, and the grades that we earn.

Here, I am constantly brimming with joy and fulfillment and fear and excitement and hope and loss and growth. I am overwhelmed by the incredible complexity of the balance required of me (and of every student on this campus), but it keeps me on my toes. The bustle and the balance keeps me in check, constantly reminding me to make room for the things that make me happy, to dedicate time to those that I care for, and to give my energy to the people, activities, and work that make me feel curious, engaged, and fulfilled. Again and again it is my friends, my communities, and passion that ground me.

Here, we learn by the anxious and constant pursuit of all that lights us on fire, by “love of unseen things that do not die.”

I Could Be Really Happy Here

On every Orange Key tour, it is tradition that the last question each guide answers is “Why Princeton?”

Why Princeton?

I visited Princeton for the first time on Oct. 18, 2014 (there’s even an Instagram post to prove it). I was an incredibly indecisive college applicant. Over the course of my college application process, I visited twenty different campuses of all different sizes and all across the country. I didn’t know what I wanted: I was interested in Biology and then Comparative Literature, and then English, and then pre-med. I was interested in going to a “big” school, though anything would’ve been “big” compared to my high school with a graduating class of 60 students. I was interested in everything, and emerging from high school, you should be!

Princeton was the last campus I visited. When we arrived at the anxious hour of 9:00 a.m., my parents parked in a parking lot I now know they weren’t supposed to, and we approached campus from behind Firestone Library.

As a first-time visitor to campus, I was immediately struck with immense reverence for my impression of the beauty and immensity of the school and its campus. Shrouded in beautiful, rich orange and red foliage, I knew immediately that I could be really happy here. It was nothing more than a feeling or a nagging intuition; but it was right, and I was right.

Indiana Jones and the Book on C Floor of Firestone Library

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.

Finding Spaces of Growth

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.

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!

The Busy Times of Junior Fall

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:

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.
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.
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?

Jewish High Holidays at Princeton

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.

Service at Princeton

Princeton's informal motto is "Princeton in the Nation's Service and the Service of Humanity." Revised last year to unite part of former President Woodrow Wilson’s “In the Nation’s Service” speech given on the 150th anniversary of the University with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s (Class of 1976) call in her 2014 Alumni Day speech for the University to expand its commitment to include all of “humanity,” the motto reflects the University’s dedication to service. Though "informal," I have always felt that this motto imbues Princeton students with a particular understanding of the duties that we collectively bear to commune amongst each other, sharing our knowledge dedicating our time and energy to our peers and communities. The language and values surrounding this commitment pervade student culture and student attitudes, promoting a culture of dedication to others.

At Princeton, some of my most valuable experiences have manifested through my engagement with different forms of service.

For the past two years I have volunteered as an English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor with a Student Volunteers Council group, El Centro, which runs through the Pace Center for Civic Engagement. Although many of the students are immigrants who have come from diverse cultures and countries, they are all united in their passionate drive and desire to become a part of their communities; to find ways to communicate across intolerance and insensitivity; and to improve their access to opportunities in this country. This kind of service keeps me grounded. It reminds me to dedicate my energy to others and it affords me with perspective.

Serving a community outside of my own provides me with the space to reflect on the privileges we are afforded as students and reminds me to constantly check and question the way I am prioritizing my time and energy. However, service manifests in multiple forms. Service is the act of giving and of dedicating your time, energy, values and knowledge to others, and these acts, too, can provide important value within our campus community.

Student leaders include Residential College Advisers (RCAs) and Assistant Residential College Advisers (ARCAs), Outdoor Action leaders and Community Action leaders; peer leaders across campus include Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources & Education (SHARE) Peers, Peer Health Advisors (PHAs), LGBTQIA Peer Educators, Carl Fields Center Fellows, Peer Academic Advisors (PAAs), and many others; student group leaders, and student government officers dedicate their time and energy to the Princeton community in equally meaningful ways. As an RCA and a leader in several student groups, I have found great value in providing guidance to younger students and working to model community values.

Service, in all its forms, has been a formative part of my Princeton experience, and I have found great value in the various roles that I play on campus, contributing to the Princeton community and to my peers.

Princeton’s informal motto informs each choice that I make as a member of this campus. These choices reflect values, and in each choice and each decision I make, I either reinforce those values or diminish them.

You May Say I'm A Dreamer

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.

Sophomoric

While the first year at Princeton, for most, is characterized by exploration (and, understandably, confusion, disorientation and hyperactivity), sophomore year at Princeton revolves around decision.

As a rosy-eyed first-year student, I indulged every whim and inkling of curiosity, exploring the extensive course catalogue with rampant curiosity and enrolling in courses with little rhyme, reason or regard for their “utility. ” I read every single email advertising opportunities on campus and applied to or joined every group or activity I was even vaguely curious about. I immersed myself in my coursework with genuine, focused attention and passion for my courses’ subject matter. I had fun, I followed my interests, and I didn’t overthink my decisions. With the ability to discover, to explore and to take advantage of every academic, social and cultural opportunity, I zigzagged through my first year at Princeton taking full advantage of the fact that I WAS AT PRINCETON.

Plasticity describes the ability and propensity of a solid to undergo changes under pressure. It describes the ability to be shaped, to change and to respond. I appreciated my firstyear for the enormous value I discovered in spontaneity, in curiosity and in plasticity.

As a sophomore, however, the pattern of my academic and social pursuits, was disorientingly measured by the quick succession of decisional junctures I had to pass through. My nomadic and restive model of decision-making as a first-year was quickly replaced by the jolted motions of my constant pattern of decision and indecision, and I experienced what is frequently called “the Sophomore Slump.” Every decision was daunting, and I was caught in a muddle of confusion and doubt over what I wanted to study and over how I wanted to dedicate my time and energy at Princeton.

As a sophomore, you will confront several significant social and academic decisions. In early spring, you will have the opportunity to join and eating club or co-op (or not) and by the end of spring semester, as an A.B. degree student, you will be required to select your concentration. (Students pursuing a B.S.E. degree select their concentration spring semester first year.) These decisions, significant for some and unremarkable for others, have the potential to shape the trajectory of your time at Princeton.

Thankfully, I navigated favorably through these decisions, finishing the academic year happily situated in a social community and an academic department where I feel supported and welcomed. I was the happiest I have ever been at Princeton during my spring semester, and as I gained clarity in my decisions, I grew confident in those choices, finding joy in my ability to find new opportunities to indulge in my curiosity again. The quick succession of these decisions served as a harsh awakening to the advent of the midpoint in my Princeton career, but instead of catalyzing crisis and doubt, it reinvigorated my absolute zeal and enthusiasm for Princeton and for the opportunities that are available to me here.

Subscribe to Student Life