As I reached the conclusion of writing my thesis, it was time to begin the exciting process of printing and binding it! In my department, it's traditional to present a bound copy to your advisor and an unbound copy to your second reader. I also wanted a copy for myself, so I ordered two printed theses and printed an unbound copy at Frist Campus Center.

There were more printing decisions to make than I initially anticipated. To begin, I headed to the Princeton Pequod website to place my order for the goldstamping (cover) and interior pages. Among the covers, I could select Traditional Hard Binding (most expensive but classic option), Laserfoil Suede Hard Binding (similar and slightly less expensive), or one of three soft cover options. At the Pequod printing center on campus, I was able to view examples of each of the cover types. I liked the Laserfoil Suede option best.

Then I could choose the paper type, which ranged from the budget "Regular White" to the pricey "100% Cotton Bright White," as well as which pages, if any, I wanted printed in color. I decided to go with the intermediate "25% Cotton Bright White," and I opted for the $10 upgrade to have four rather than three title lines so that my complete title would print. Printing a thesis is a bit like buying a car, in that the list price can really rise once you start selecting the add-ons...

The thesis printing service is surprisingly fast. Goldstamping must be ordered 24 hours ahead of time, but the interior pages can be ordered up until 9:00 a.m. on the thesis due date. To account for any printing mishaps or other potential delays, I printed my thesis on the Thursday before the Monday due date. I placed my order for both goldstamping and the pages at around 10 a.m., and it was ready for pickup by 2:00 p.m. On Monday morning I'll deliver a copy to my advisor, Professor Bourg, and I'll deliver the unbound copy for my second reader to my department's main office.

This marks the official end of my undergraduate thesis, but not yet of the research project—I'm working with my advisor to submit it to an academic journal, so I'll continue refining the manuscript in the coming weeks. The printing was an important milestone nonetheless, and I'm pleased with the final product!

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This past fall semester of my junior year, I was able to take my first ever class in the Visual Arts (VIS, for short) Department. Two of my best friends at Princeton are pursuing the VIS certificate and always raved about their classes. As someone interested in the arts, I knew I just had to take at least one VIS course before I graduated.

Now, VIS classes are infamously known for being hard to get a spot in. They tend to be capped at only 10 to 12 students each in order to ensure an intimate learning environment. Luckily, I was able to snag a spot in VIS216: Graphic Design: Visual Form!

Taught by Professor David Reinfurt, the course was absolutely everything I wanted and more. It was so refreshing to have a class that was hands-on and project-based, especially to balance out my very reading and writing-intensive curriculum for my concentration.

One of my favorite assignments was when we were tasked with coming up with two new symbols that were meant to represent “stop” and “go.” We had to think outside of the box and figure out how we could communicate these definitions, without relying on the usual colors of red and green or the octagonal shape of a stop sign. I ultimately came up with the two symbols below:

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Can you tell which is which? I hope so! I genuinely enjoyed creating these and seeing what else my peers came up with. Throughout the semester, we also got to learn the basics of using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, how to make animated GIFs, as well as how to present our ideas during class critiques.

Our final project was to reimagine the recycling symbol and system. Over the course of four weeks or so, we each brainstormed solutions to the recycling crisis, graphically or otherwise. I especially appreciated how open the project prompt was because it didn’t tie us to any one medium. I ended up designing an incentivized app similar to Fetch, where you could scan a QR code on recyclables to earn points and redeem rewards! I was really excited about my idea, and during our final critique, Professor Reinfurt brought in several of his colleagues to listen to our presentations and offer us feedback. Their insight and advice were invaluable.

Reflecting back now that the semester has ended, VIS216 was an incredible experience! Even though I wouldn’t consider myself to be the most artistically inclined person, I’m super grateful that I had the opportunity to take this class. I’d highly encourage anyone with even an inkling of interest in art to try a VIS course. The department is made up of renowned faculty, there are tons of facilities and resources available to students, and it’s ultimately fun to have a class that lets you think a little differently than classes for your concentration. Take advantage of all that VIS has to offer!

By the end of sophomore year, I felt confident as a Princeton student. I’d already been through several semesters and I had gotten used to Princeton’s social and academic environments. But as junior fall approached, I felt increasingly nervous. I didn’t know what to expect out of Junior Independent Work, I was nervous to be taking mostly department courses for the first time, and I was worried I had taken on too many new leadership positions.

When junior year finally started, a lot of my nerves persisted. Although I was taking the standard four courses as an A.B. degree student, my workload quickly piled up in a way that it simply hadn’t before (which was saying a lot). I’d enrolled into each of my classes with great enthusiasm, but as the semester progressed, I felt let down by certain aspects of a few of the courses, whether it was the way class discussions were organized or the general selection of readings each week. On top of dealing with a variety of personal matters and other extracurricular responsibilities, I often felt extremely overwhelmed.

Now that the semester has ended, though, I’d still refrain from dismissing junior fall as a “bad” semester.

Writing my Politics Research Prospectus was, as anticipated, a different kind of challenge. For a while, I struggled to find a topic because I was afraid to pick the “wrong” one, but I quickly learned this simply was not possible. Although I struggled with not receiving frequent feedback on my project, in the end, my research prospectus became the highlight of my fall semester. I decided to study migrant caravans through the lens of social movement theory, and I am beyond excited to continue developing my research during the spring.

I also took one of my favorite classes in the Politics department last semester, POL360 Social Movements and Revolutions. In terms of structure, it was a pretty standard Politics class: a midterm, a research paper, and a final. However, Professor Beissinger was an engaging and knowledgeable lecturer, and his selection of readings was always great. I had never looked at social movements from a theory-based perspective before, and it was actually this class which helped inspire my independent work topic. I’m looking forward to studying contentious politics more during the rest of my time at Princeton.

And of course, my semester was far from devoid of good memories and times with friends. I love the communities that I have found within my co-op and extracurriculars. Among some of the highlights of the semester are celebrating my 21st birthday, taking a day trip to NYC funded by our student government, and eating from way too many cheese boards with my friends. I discovered I love cappuccinos, and I continued to be amazed by my peers.

Even amidst the chaos of deadlines and responsibilities, I was pleasantly reminded that Princeton can always surprise you—and that’s a good thing.

A chilly morning in late January, with gray but otherwise clear skies, marked the first day of classes of the spring semester. For the class of 2024, this first day was particularly special, as it was our LFDOC (last first day of classes). There is always a photographer on McCosh walk at the beginning of each semester to take FDOC photos, but our class government organized a special session with a unique poster to celebrate the particularly significant LFDOC.

This is indeed my last first day of undergraduate classes, but it's not quite the end, since I will continue to have first days of classes as a graduate student. Even when I'm no longer a student, though, there will continue to be first days: a first day at a new job, followed by a first day in a new position, and then a first day at a new institution or company. There are first days outside of career as well, like your first day in a new apartment or first day in a new city. While the LFDOC marks the end of the student era of your life, there will continue to be first days, in one form or another, throughout life.

To me, it is reassuring to know that there will continually be opportunities for fresh starts throughout my professional and personal lives. A new beginning signals a chance to break out of a particular rhythm, shake up your routine, and learn new habits. It's a chance to meet new people, learn new strategies and information, and expand your horizons of what you're capable of. Some aspects of a new role will be improvements from before, maybe a better schedule or more independence, while others will be less welcome, like a longer commute or a difficult boss. The novelty of the new challenges, though, is exciting in and of itself, and you may surprise yourself in your ability to handle the elements that are more difficult than those in your previous position. There is always hope for the future when you know that things can change over time, and that there can always be another first day.

Huzzah for the LFDOC, and here's to an auspicious start to the last semester!

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As an engineering student with a passion for artcraft, I've always found joy in creating things with my own hands, exploring various methods and techniques to bring my ideas to life. So, when I arrived at Princeton and discovered the wealth of resources available for creative exploration, I was absolutely amazed. From the moment I stepped into the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Machine Shop to the countless hours spent in the Studio Lab and makerspace, my journey with Princeton's creative spaces has been nothing short of transformative.

My first experience in the MAE Machine Shop was the MAE 321 Engineering Design course. In the course’s labs, we delved into the art of design and manufacturing, utilizing advanced machinery like milling machines and CNC machines to craft intricate designs. From engineering a flywheel cart and bottle opener, to creating an airplane wing from scratch, the MAE Machine Shop is where imagination meets precision, providing students with hands-on experience and technical expertise.

Another vibrant hub of creativity is the Studio Lab, home of the Council of Science and Technology and a playground for artistic expression and experimentation. Here, students can explore a diverse array of mediums, from traditional embroidery to cutting-edge video game design. Equipped with incredible tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters, the Studio Lab empowers students to turn their ideas into reality. Workshops ranging from cryo painting tote bags to origami engineering foster a culture of collaboration and innovation, inspiring students to push the boundaries of their creativity.

Finally, Princeton's makerspace offers students the chance to delve into a multitude of crafts and technologies. From designing custom stickers to crafting intricate bead jewelry, the makerspace provides a hands-on learning environment where creativity knows no bounds. Students can also rent a variety of tech gadgets, from projectors to VR sets, allowing us to bring their visions to life with professional-grade equipment.

If you're someone who loves getting their hands dirty and bringing ideas to life from scratch, Princeton is the place for you. And for those who've yet to dip their toes into the waters of creation, who knows? Maybe Princeton will be the place where you uncover a newfound hobby.

When I first got into Princeton the idea of conducting independent research was a faraway idea—a requirement to graduate I knew I was signing up for, but an idea I didn't quite grasp in its entirety until it was my turn to start my Junior Paper (JP).

Within the Politics Department, students have to write two pieces of independent work during their junior year: a research prospectus in the fall (a 12 to 15-page research proposal on a topic you can expand on in spring semester), and a Spring Junior Paper (which is typically between 20 and 35 pages). All Politics juniors enroll in a required class about research methods in Political Science alongside a research seminar on a topic of their choice. For example, I took one on Migration and Forced Displacement, meaning my fall JP had to broadly focus on this theme.

My fall prospectus sought to ask why Central American migrants made the choice to join migrant caravans. Although I excelled in this project, by the time spring semester came around, I realized that my fall topic would be infeasible to carry out: I simply did not have access to the kind of evidence that I would need to answer the question within the time I had. By late February, I felt a bit panicked about my JP and the prospect of having to start over.

During the spring semester, Politics juniors select a JP Advisor from the Politics faculty. This professor becomes your primary point of contact for all questions related to your project, providing guidance along the way and ultimately contributing to the grading of the final product. Luckily, my advisor, the lovely Professor Nancy Bermeo, provided me with guidance and extremely helpful advice early on. By early March, I was back on track and ready to do research for my JP before the draft deadline at the end of the month.

My Spring JP is still a study of migrant caravans, but the focus of my research has shifted to understanding why the caravan of late 2018 achieved relatively more success than other caravans in the surrounding years. I have spent the last two months conducting an analysis of various books written by individuals who traveled alongside the caravan, interviews with caravan participants, press releases from the Mexican government, and newspaper articles from both the U.S. and Mexico. Although many students pursue more quantitative methods in their research, I have learned that I really enjoy conducting qualitative research in my own work. This topic has allowed me to build on some of the research that I had already conducted in the fall, and it has connected with a topic of interest that I had studied in the spring of my freshman year. (One of my papers freshman year analyzed how Mexico-U.S. relations have shaped Mexican immigration policy in the 21st century.) When I began to connect the dots across these different topics, I felt what I can describe only as a full circle moment.

They say that the senior thesis is the culmination of your four years as an academic here at Princeton, but as an outgoing junior, I am already beginning to feel that way about my JP. So many of the academic interests I have spent so long researching and taking classes on—immigration, Mexican politics, collective and contentious action—are coming together in this project to create something I am genuinely excited and proud to be working on. Understanding who I am as a researcher and discovering the topics I am most passionate about have been some of the most rewarding aspects of my time as a Princeton undergraduate.

Maybe in a year I'll be writing about my senior thesis, whatever that might look like—I think I'm learning the uncertainty is the best part. Until then, however, I'll be working away in Firestone Library, thinking of summer but enjoying every bit of hard work that will go into my JP.

“I wish Princeton felt like this.”

A comment from my fellow classmate after my short film (shown above) was screened for my digital animation class.

I think it’s fair to say my animation has quite a calming undertone. I wanted to capture the monotonous yet beautiful moments of my days here at Princeton - the simplicity of studying in Firestone Library during the early mornings, my bike rides across campus, and the much needed coffee breaks at Coffee Club. 

While I love to honor these small moments, I think many students, like my classmate, often experience a very different day in the life of Princeton. What I see at Princeton, which is often a love for these small moments, is not what everyone sees. But what I’ve learned during my time here is that Princeton can be so many things - too much to sum up in a day. 

Incoming freshmen often want a description of what a “day in the life” looks like at Princeton. Of course I could generalize my experience as stressful and overwhelming while simultaneously everything I could ask for in a college experience. It’s hard to describe the beautiful stressors, challenging moments, and new experiences that go on here. Ultimately, Princeton is a very unique college experience inside the “orange bubble” - an almost alternative universe on campus where you're swept up and time passes in odd ways.

But there are so many nuances in an experience. The description above, and further my own animation, fall short of describing so many aspects of Princeton: days where you’re in Firestone from sun up till sun down studying, memory making late night chats with roommates, or even how campus comes alive in spring as students flock to Cannon Green for picnics and frisbee games.

Princeton is too large to sum up in one day or one animation. Further, I think it’s important for incoming students to realize that Princeton is not a “day in the life”. No experience is. Despite being in the same academic and physical environment, everyone experiences college differently - hence the disparity between how I view Princeton through my animation and my classmate’s reaction.
But with this comes an important lesson; the reason we experience things differently is partly due to how we choose to perceive life around us. Our own experiences are ultimately what we make of them. At the end of the day, Princeton is what you make of it. So how do I answer the question: “what is a day in the life like at Princeton University?” It’s up to you to tell that story - my only advice, remember the sky's the limit.

Princeton students are familiar with the University’s famous P/D/F policy. 

For some students a P/D/F is the admittance that perhaps that experimental physics class wasn't as easy as expected. But for many others, the P/D/F is a symbol that represents something else entirely: the University’s commitment to ensuring students can explore different subjects without fear. 

P/D/F is a policy implemented by the University that allows students to opt not to receive a grade and instead receive a “pass,” “fail,” or a D. As the undergraduate website explains, “the intent of the pass/D/fail option is to encourage exploration and experimentation in curricular areas in which the student may have had little or no previous experience,” (2024). This policy is a lucrative option for many students because it allows them to take classes beyond their comfort zone without impacting their GPA. 

The only stipulation is that it can only be used once a semester and it cannot be utilized for a class required for one’s intended major. Oh, and you have a limit of 4 P/D/F classes during your time here at Princeton. Rules aside, the P/D/F policy is arguably a fantastic option for students who are looking to expand their knowledge in different subjects.

For example, as a Politics major, I’ve taken classes on Philosophy, Computer Science, and everything else in between. These classes have challenged me in ways different from what I expect in my politics classes. I trade in Rousseau for Descartes and Arendt for Booleans. Additionally, I find myself grappling with different concepts that I’d be apprehensive to learn had I not been given this opportunity to freely pursue different subjects. Put simply, the P/D/F policy has truly allowed me to expand my breadth of knowledge; I am given the option to learn without the fear that my GPA will be significantly impacted — especially if I find out that I may not be a natural in specific fields. Especially given my ever changing interests, the P/D/F policy has truly been of great use to me. 

The P/D/F was a tool I was unaware of coming to Princeton but something I now truly believe is important in any University; the pursuit of knowledge should not be penalized or limited to mandated classes and I believe that the University does a good job of broadening these horizons through the  P/D/F option.   

A hallmark of the Princeton experience is the senior thesis, a culmination of the past four years of your academic work and interests. All students, with the exception of BSE Computer Science majors, have to write a thesis before they graduate, though many BSE Computer Science students also choose to write one. As the weather begins to warm and more and more students make their way outside to bask in the sun, more and more seniors will make their way into the depths of Firestone Library, eagerly anticipating the day that they enter PTL (Post Thesis Life).

All departments also have their individual deadlines for the thesis, and at the time of writing, there are some students who have a month left till they have to submit, and others, such as me, who have nearly two months left. My thesis is due on April 24th, both a blessing and a curse because it means I have enough time to finish it, but also that I will be working on my thesis up to the last day of classes. 

Though everyone has a different process, I have found that the best way to approach my thesis is to work on a little bit of it every day. Initially I told myself that I would write a bulk of it in one day (say 5 pages), which became daunting, but not so much if I just spaced out those pages over the course of a week. I am also helped by the fact that my thesis is not that long, at least in comparison to some of my friends. As an East Asian Studies major, my thesis has the minimum length of 60 pages, and my adviser specifically requested that mine not exceed 80 pages. I have found this length to be quite manageable, while at the same time I have become a lot more intentional about all of the words I am writing, as I know I will not be able to keep all of them. 

Currently, I have a thesis draft due on the Friday of midterms week, March 8th, and am mostly done with all of my writing for that draft. Afterwards, there are no more ‘checkpoints’ offered by the department I have to work towards, which means that I will be largely left on my own and will be responsible for keeping myself on track. The good thing is that I will not be alone, as my friends will also all be working towards their final thesis submission. I expect many days in the basement of Firestone Library together, but all working towards the sweet day where we will exit the library, having passed one of the most important milestones of the Princeton experience. 

This winter break, I had the opportunity to travel to Sicily, Italy with a group of students who all took the Humanities Sequence (HUM Sequence for short) in our freshman year. The HUM Sequence is a one year course that explores around 50 seminal texts from the Western literary canon from as Homer’s Iliad to Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway. The course typically starts off with 60 students, and rotates between 12 total professors from different departments. Upon completion of two semesters of HUM, students have the option to partake in a university-funded trip in two different locations — the choice this year being either Greece or Sicily. I chose Sicily because it was a part of Italy I had never visited before — and because I love Italian food!

After a grueling 24 hours of travel from my hometown of Sydney, Australia, I arrived in Sicily’s capital, Palermo. From there, the group embarked on a trip through time, moving from the ancient to modern. We first headed to the ancient city of Segesta, and saw a Doric temple (a Greek-style temple that has an unembellished and simple design, especially in relation to columns) that was immaculately preserved, likely as it was never actually finished due to war. We then went to the city of Agrigento, where we viewed The Valley of the Temples, home to sites like the monumental Temple of Zeus and a bronze Statue of Icarus.

We continued on our trip by visiting Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site decorated with vibrant and mosaics; a medieval castle carved on the side of a windy rock face called Castello Sperlinga; Villa Palagonia, a beautiful Baroque mansion filled with grotesque and beastly statues. When we arrived back in Palermo, we toured ruinous Norman castles, gold and mosaic-covered Cathedrals with Byzantine, Arab and Classical inspiration, and dressed up for a rendition of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in Palermo’s Teatro Massimo. Throughout these nine days, I loved learning about Sicily’s history and how it has become a “melted pot” of different cultures and traditions. 

Not only did we get to see and explore Sicily’s culture, we also got a chance to taste it too. Sicily is known for its cannoli (which consists of a crispy outer shell and a creamy ricotta filling), granita (a refreshing ice dessert), and its arancini (fried rice balls). Whilst we got to try all these dishes, and other sorts of pizzas, and mains, one restaurant experience sticks in my mind. For one of our lunches in Palermo, we were treated to a decadent charcuterie spread of sweet honey, crunchy bread, three types of meat, and five types of soft, sharp, and hard cheese — only as a starter. We then had a plate of pomodoro pasta, a massive rotisserie chicken thigh accompanied with a mound of fries, and tiramisu, to top it all off. This absurd meal experience lasted about two hours — and so did most of our meals on this trip!

Beyond planned activities, we also got some free time to explore by ourselves. I loved sketching Sicily’s unique flora–such as cacti, eucalyptus, orange trees, and more–with my friend, window shopping citrus perfumes and souvenirs, feeling the cool ocean breeze on my face when we went down to a pier in Palermo, and ordering a cappuccino at a crowded cafe.

When it was time to leave, I was genuinely shocked at how quickly time had passed by this trip. Coming back to Princeton, I reflected on how none of this would have happened if I had not mustered up the courage to sign up for a year-long humanities course even before the start of freshman year. None of this would have happened had I let my doubts about my unfamiliarity with the course content and fears of getting bad grades hold me back. For all those thinking of applying to Princeton and even the HUM Sequence, I say: take the risk! Who knows, one day you might end up strolling down the roads of Sicily, breathing in the aroma of street food, and listening to the hustle and bustle of street buskers.