Princeton prides itself in offering a multitude of study abroad and travel options, and making those as accessible to everyone as possible.  While COVID-19 has suspended most travel, I find myself reminiscing about past trips, including one university-sponsored trip I took just last year.

My freshman seminar course, FRS 161, was a geosciences course taught by Frederik Simons and Adam Maloof.  Over the course of the semester, we were to work with climate data and MATLAB to explore how climate change affected Italian olive orchards, even spending our fall break in Italy gathering data in the field.  Of course, I jumped at the chance for free travel and worked hard on my application to the class.  To my surprise, I got in, even though I had no programming experience and admittedly struggled with science.  I later found out that Adam and Frederik had read all of our essays personally, and selected a group they thought would be enthusiastic and hard working.  I can attest to the hard-working part — a year later, and I still count that class as the hardest one I have ever taken.  

However, I was sure all the long nights spent at my computer would be worth it once the lab portion of the class came along.  While most Princeton students spent the last day of fall midterms preparing to visit home or sleeping off the late nights studying, I spent it frantically packing my duffel bag and racing to the bus our class would take to the airport.  A bus ride and a plane flight later, I was blinking in the late-morning sun in Naples, Italy, the warmth on my skin in stark contrast to the air-conditioned flight or the chilly October morning I had left behind in New Jersey.   

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Over the course of the eight days FRS 161 spent in Italy, we drove along the beautiful Amalfi coast, collected data from three different olive orchards (where we were welcomed with open arms and presented with gifts of olive oil), visited historic Pompeii and majestic Mt. Vesuvius and shared pasta with our hosts at an Italian monastery.  This was no vacation — we were in the orchards from nearly sun up to sundown, and spent nights doing data entry and modeling.  I recall hours spent calling out pH readings for my classmates to record as we worked by flashlight and headlamp late into the night.  But I also recall running into the cold ocean at the end of a long hike, gleefully grabbing all of the gas station snacks I didn’t recognize from home, and finding stray cats wandering among the ruins of Pompeii.

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Although the days of international travel and unmasked gatherings seem so far away, scrolling through the old photos reminds me that there was a time before this, and there will be a time after.  I eagerly await the day when I can once again apply for Princeton courses that promise international adventure!

This semester I am taking four live Zoom classes, two classes in my department, one for my certificate, and the last one for my Quantitative and Computational Reasoning graduation requirement. I generally start my classes at 11 a.m. and end at 3 p.m., with about two classes a day. As an African American Studies concentrator, a reading-based humanities concentration, I read A LOT of pages for class. I prefer to read throughout the day, so I’ll chop up my readings accordingly, but whatever I don’t get to, I let it be. I read everywhere around the house, but I like to type and take notes at my desk! Having a work space that I can walk away from helps me handle my college course load. On campus, we would definitely have time to go from class to class or walk to a friend’s room to study or hang out, so I like to carve out those times into my Zoom schedule as well. 

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In my classes with about 60-100 students, it's a little harder to participate, so I am usually more present mentally when we review material in small groups during precept. It feels about the same as my on-campus experience with large lectures, but seeing so many faces at once on Zoom can be a little intimidating. My smaller seminars on Zoom have given me a chance to talk more and ask questions during class that I would feel a little more hesitant to ask. I like the way that the virtual setting allows more space for questions with the chat and raise-your-hand features. As a result of these features, I think students are asking more questions during class rather than privately after, which helps me learn more about the material.

The most challenging part of the college experience this semester has been navigating my schedule and internship applications while being a first-generation, low-income and immigrant student. I make time to clean the house and wash dishes! I cook, sometimes during class, because I don’t get to be just a student at home. I must take up that responsibility as a young woman in an immigrant home because I choose to make that load lighter on my mom, but also because that's the expectation of a young woman in my culture. Being on campus alleviates that sometimes, but being home and managing all these parts of me has been pretty draining. 

I have had a lot on my plate, but I am trying my best to be present when I can and say no when I cannot as well. I ask for extensions, take some classes off when I’m very tired, and go to bed early. Saying no is a form of self-care in this college world. Be kind to yourself. Let all of who you are take up space because all of you will be taking up space in whatever institution you choose.

As a first-year student going into college during a global pandemic, I wasn’t sure what to expect when it was time to choose classes. There were seemingly infinite options: comparative literature, philosophy, math, science, gender studies, anthropology, all of them interesting. Having no college experience, it was hard to choose. 

One kind of class that I knew I wanted to take was a freshman seminar. These classes are small (10 to 15 students) and focus on a particular topic for close study. I applied for and got selected to take part in FRS 173, the First Year Painting Seminar. Instead of learning how to paint, we would be looking at the mechanics of painting: colors, textures, shapes and supports.

I had never painted before, and I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to learn a new skill, and express myself through a new medium, one which I was very uncomfortable with but very interested in. I also thought it would be cool to get into an art studio at Princeton, because otherwise, I doubted that I would ever see the inside of an artist’s working space.

Once it was announced that Princeton would be going fully virtual, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But soon enough, some packages began arriving at my door. My entryway became filled with boxes and boxes of art supplies: canvas, paints, brushes, mixes tools, gesso and  watercolor paper. The class was still going to be taught, albeit on a virtual basis, and I’d certainly get to paint  even if my classmates only saw me via Zoom.

We’re now about halfway through the semester, and my weekly three-hour painting seminar is the highlight of almost every week. I was apprehensive about taking a visual arts class virtually, especially coming in with no experience, but it has been stress relieving and a valuable creative outlet for me. I entered the worlds of both painting and college as a newcomer at around the same time, and the two mesh very well. It’s been exciting and impactful to create with other first years, all of us together in our painterly endeavor, even if miles apart.

So far, we’ve painted ketchup bottles, sunflowers, tin foil, sketches from other artists. Will I become a great painter? Probably not. I’ve made my peace with this fact. But will I keep painting after the class is over? That seems pretty likely.

The senior thesis is the capstone project of your Princeton career: it’s normally between 80 and 120 pages, and is an opportunity at once to explore an academic passion and to produce original academic research. It’s also a huge time commitment for seniors. Many seniors begin work — oftentimes, after receiving summer research grants or fellowships — on their theses shortly after their junior year. Procrastinating types often wait until later in the fall (or occasionally, until the new year) to get started.

This year is a little bit different for seniors, and for their theses. The travel grants that so many students look forward to receiving each year, which often afford them the opportunity to journey across the country or abroad to conduct first-hand research for their thesis, were unilaterally canceled due to COVID-19. The vast majority of seniors also don’t have the opportunity to work with their advisers in person; instead, that communication is happening largely over email. Many students who had hoped to work in laboratories have had to revise their thesis plans so that research can be conducted at home. And being off-campus for the fall has meant students don’t have access to libraries and study spaces where, just a year ago, it was common to see seniors, surrounded by books, typing away on their capstone projects. 

But students and the University are adapting. My department, Politics, has worked hard to keep digital research funding available for seniors wherever possible, even if the pandemic has stolen much of the fun from its use. My thesis adviser and I have met over Zoom, and I’m excited and well prepared to begin my work. The University Library has stepped into overdrive, responding to student requests for scanned volumes and access to digital resources normally unavailable to off-campus students.

The senior thesis holds near-mythic status at Princeton; writing one is an experience shared by nearly all Princeton alumni, and many graduates cite it as the most fulfilling endeavor of their academic career. Writing a thesis is a way for seniors to explore future projects and career paths: Wendy Kopp, a member of Princeton’s Class of 1989, laid the framework for Teach for America, which she would go on to found, in her thesis. And, as is the case with most things, it would be impossible to argue the experience of piecing together a thesis will be quite the same this year. But I’ve been heartened by the way students, the faculty, and the University have come together to provide support for seniors in the home stretch of our Princeton careers.

My friend recently wrote a column for The Daily Princetonian in which he reflected on the meaning of community during an online semester. He notes that what makes the Princeton experience so special are the shared experiences we have with others. As he discusses, the Princeton community is more than just our close friends; it also includes the people we wave to on the way to class, and the people we end up studying near every night.

Now, almost halfway through the semester, I realize that the strength of the Princeton community has been what’s sustained me in this unusual period of college, even if making connections online takes a little more planning.

Community can be formed in Zoom breakout rooms, for example. While they can sometimes be awkward, I enjoy them because they allow me to talk to other students in a more personal setting. I’ve made connections with others by learning about my peers in our small group discussions.

While we can’t recreate the experience of whispering thoughts to the friend sitting right next to us, I’ve enjoyed group conversations in the Zoom chatbox filled with inside jokes or smart insights. I probably shouldn’t admit this publicly, but my friend and I often live-text each other during one class, reflecting on the content or laughing at our amazing professor’s extensive use of animal-based idioms.

Professors also enjoy the opportunity to connect with students virtually. By now, I’ve met with almost all of my professors for office hours. One professor remarked that these one-on-one interactions with students were what she enjoyed most about teaching. The shift to an online setting does not reduce the value of these conversations.

Outside of class, my eating club Tower held a speed-friending event where we got paired with another member in a private breakout room. I thought those minutes alone in a room would pass by slowly, but I really enjoyed these intimate conversations with people who I may not have met otherwise. 

I miss gathering together to watch political events with Whig-Clio, but I thoroughly enjoyed the political commentary my friends and I shared during the first presidential debate. The Class of 2022 and many other student groups communicate on the platform Discord now, providing even more opportunites to connect with one another. Whether through text or Facebook message, FaceTime or Houseparty, I know my friends are only a click away.

It does take more effort to make and sustain friendships right now, but I’ve found most people to appreciate any sort of communication. You never know the impact you can have on someone by just texting out of the blue to check in. The support and camaraderie of the Princeton community truly does extend far beyond FitzRandolph Gates.

Before classes went online, I didn’t fully appreciate just how wonderful some of my lectures were. But now, as I sit in my room for yet another month, I find myself reflecting back on the classes that I’ve had and hoping fervently that one day, long before I graduate, I’ll be able to experience that again. 

I think about walking up the spiral staircase to McCosh 10, a lecture hall, after a filling lunch in the RoMa (Rockefeller/Mathey residential college) dining hall with friends, and sitting in a cushy chair to listen to a survey of music through the centuries, dubbed after the Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix by my Marvel-loving professor. I think about my wonderful Children’s Literature class last semester, taught by the inimitable William Gleason, who is one of the most engaging lecturers I’ve ever had. I think about walking past dinosaur bones on my way to my Asian American History class, and learning more about my history in 50 minutes than I’d ever known. Just sitting next to classmates and friends, and hearing the small things, from the rustling and click-clacking of note-taking to the small pop as a water bottle is opened. Planning a day ahead, anticipating a trip to Dillon Gym or checking TigerMenus to see what each dining hall has in store for dinner.

As I sit in my room, far away from Princeton for so long, I cannot help but miss my classes. But I also have been struck by an appreciation for my professors as they too adjust to this virtual semester. I know, by their passing comments laden with hope, that they too anticipate the day when we can safely return. And I see during each lecture that they’ve been putting in a lot of effort to make this semester okay. My heart goes out to my Microeconomics professor, who re-recorded the same lecture five times just to get it right for her students. Everyone has put in so much thought and effort to make this digital transition a smooth one. 

Though I may not have appreciated in-person lectures until they were gone, I will appreciate these online ones. And I look forward to the day when I walk that spiral staircase in McCosh once again, and hear the sounds of students in those old lecture halls once more. 

When this semester started, I was full of uncertainty and no small degree of sadness. Every online class, Zoom meeting, and hour spent in my room reminded me of what I thought my junior year of Princeton would look like. As a Residential College Adviser (RCA) for a group of first-years, I had to put aside my plans for fun study breaks in my room and what interacting with my “zees” (advisees) would look like. It was hard to reconfigure my perception of Princeton, and difficult to overcome how devastated I felt about the state of the semester and the world.

While I don’t think I’ll feel truly settled again until we are all back on the campus I’ve come to call home, I’ve been finding a little happiness in this semester again. Despite being scattered across time zones and oceans, my friends and I have managed to persevere and have fun. In maintaining connections even through these challenging months, our bonds have grown even stronger. And Zoom, despite its imperfections, has made it easier to meet and become closer with more casual friends from when we were on campus.

I’ve also become more deeply aware of the limited time I have left on campus. More than ever, I’m striving to make the most of the opportunities I have around me. I joined a theater group, because what is college without at least one theater memory? I take time to practice basketball in my driveway every day, something I couldn’t always do on campus, so that the next time I play intramurals in Dillon Gym, we’ll win. And I’m trying to get my required classes done this semester, so I have time for that painting class when we’re back. 

This is a semester we all have to work through, but I’m hopeful that we’ll come out the better for it.  

This is now my fourth semester tutoring "MAT 104: Calculus II" at Princeton's McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning. Hearing this often comes as a shock to my friends given that I'm an English concetrator, but that's part of the reason I love Princeton: we are encouraged to pursue interests outside of our concentration. I took MAT 104 during my first semester, and I visited McGraw every other week or so for support on problem sets and exam studying. That's why, when I finished the class, I knew right away that I wanted to tutor for the course the following semester. 

McGraw is one of Princeton's many resources for support on campus, offering peer tutoring in math, chemistry, biology, physics and much more. Students can sign up for individual tutoring or just drop in for group sessions. Last semester, I worked individual tutoring shifts, where I had recurring appointments with several students. I always had a passion for math, specifically calculus, as well as teaching, so I looked forward to these sessions each week.

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The fall 2020 semester at Princeton is certainly different, to say the least, but I was incredibly impressed by how McGraw worked to shift their tutoring services to a virtual platform. This switch happened at the end of the spring last semester when we moved to virtual classes. Now having learned from their trial run in the late spring, McGraw made many changes so that virtual tutoring could feel as close to in-person tutoring as possible, utilizing Zoom breakout rooms, virtual white boards, virtual trainings for tutors and so much more. McGraw also recognized that schedules are constantly shifting during these unprecedented times, and students may need more support than they did in the past given that we are not on campus, so they now offer a lot more tutoring slots for students.

I am excited to tutor again this semester and work with students to support them through the course. It is the best feeling when a student comes back to me and tells me that they did well on an exam or that they feel more confident in class. I look forward to seeing how tutoring continues to help students virtually thrive at Princeton. 

One unique aspect of Princeton’s undergraduate curriculum is the certificate program. It is an opportunity for students to venture out of their primary field of study and take courses in a myriad of interdisciplinary subjects. Although the certificate program might sound confusing at first, you can think about it as similar to minors offered at other universities. 

Most certificates entail taking around four to five classes in the subject in addition to completing some type of independent work. From African American Studies to Sustainable Energy, there will be at least one certificate that will fit your interests and supplement your undergraduate education. While I recommend looking into certificate programs, do know that they are not compulsory. Nonetheless, many students benefit from them, myself included.

As a history concentrator, I discovered an interest in Latin America so the first certificate I enrolled in was Latin American Studies. To fulfill the certificate requirements, I have to take four classes on Latin America, demonstrate language proficiency in either Spanish or Portuguese, and write a senior thesis with a focus on the region. My second certificate is in Entrepreneurship, for which I am taking five classes and completing a practicum during my senior year. The entrepreneurship classes are incredibly enriching because of the guest lectures from famous alumni and leaders in the industry, in addition to the hands-on assignments. 

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The certificate program is flexible and allows you to tailor your undergraduate education at Princeton. I know of friends that have supplemented their STEM concentration with humanities-oriented certificates and vice-versa. In my case, the two certificates I am pursuing have immensely expanded my critical thinking skills and have also influenced my career aspirations. When choosing your primary field of study, be assured that you can still acquire knowledge in other fields through the certificate program! 

There are four places where you can consistently find me studying when we’re on campus. While it’s hard to do these amazing study spots justice, I’ll try my best!

#4: Café Night in Wucox

Wucox is the abbreviated name for Wu and Wilcox, the Butler and First dining halls. Every night, Wucox is open for studying and chatting with friends beginning at 9 p.m.. I think other dining halls do this as well, but Wucox has something special on Wednesday night: Café Night. In addition to the usual cereal, bread and fruit available during study hours, the dining hall also features coffee and pastries from Small World Coffee on Café Night. It’s a nice way to fuel up with yummy treats before finishing my assignments for the night.

#3: Murray-Dodge Cafe

Murray-Dodge Hall houses the Office of Religious Life, but hidden in the basement is another of my favorite study spots, the café. Murray-Dodge Café is a great place to study because you can get cookies for free! Students get paid to bake cookies — it’s one of the most highly coveted jobs on campus. One of my friends works there, so she tells me what cookies she’s making and I come when my favorites are served. You can also get milk or tea to accompany the cookies. The café has several tables where I often set up my laptop or notebooks to work while I eat. Sometimes, there are poetry readings or musical performances in the café as well.

#2: Firestone Library

While I love the previous two locations, sometimes I need some place quieter in order to really focus. Firestone Library is the main library on campus and definitely one of Princeton’s most beautiful buildings. The library has such a variety of study environments that everyone can find the right place for them. I often go to my favorite wooden carrel on the second floor because it’s secluded enough to remove distractions, but also has enough natural light and an outlet for when my laptop inevitably runs out of battery. Another great spot is the newly renovated Trustee Room, which you encounter right when you enter the building.

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#1: Chancellor Green Library

My absolute favorite place on campus is Chancellor Green Library, which is inside East Pyne Hall. This library isn’t a traditional library where you go to check books out; instead, it’s a beautiful, quiet study spot. The library has amazing leather chairs where you can often find me curled up with a book. The chairs are so comfortable that students often take naps in them! The library features stunning stained glass on the ceiling and windows. The upstairs portion has desks if you need more space.

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These are my recommendations of where to study, but over time, you'll figure out your own favorite study spots! There’s truly a place for everyone.