Course Selection: Choice and Exploration

While the end of the semester means the onset of final projects, papers and exams, the end of the term also means course selection! Course selection is one of the most exciting seasons of the year because it is an opportunity to choose to explore the unfamiliar, to embark on new challenges and to indulge in curiosity.

Princeton is unique in its ability to offer the resources and quality of a research institution, while maintaining intimate class sizes, strong faculty-student-relationships and the values of expansive intellectual exploration embedded in the liberal arts model. This valued approach means that students are encouraged and required to take courses across disciplines. Each discipline offers a unique mode of thinking, each providing unique analytical tools that shape the way that you approach and seek to answer questions.

At Princeton, there is only one obligatory course: the first year Writing Seminar. Additionally, students are required to fulfill distribution requirements and departmental requirements. Although there are “required courses” beyond the writing seminar, for every other requirement, students are given complete latitude in course selection. While the Bachelor of Arts (AB) and the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) programs have slightly different requirements, both share the structure and philosophy of the liberal arts model. Through the system of distribution requirements, all students are required to take a certain number of courses that fit into each distributional area, ranging from Epistemology and Cognition to Historical Analysis to Science and Technology. However, since Princeton offers thousands of courses each semester and most courses fit into different distributional areas, the system is flexible and most students are able to fulfill their requirements naturally over the course of their eight semesters at Princeton.

Each semester, course selection is an opportunity to take Princeton up on the offer to explore questions that I want to understand, to seek out challenges in disciplines that intimidate me and to question the approaches as well as the questions that I have been taught before.

As a Politics major, this past semester, I looked to diversify my knowledge and answer new questions about the intersections between politics and art, history and culture. As I look forward to next semester, I am interested in delving into questions and challenges that I saw come up again and again in my courses this semester.

A First-Generation College Student at Princeton

I am a first-generation American and a first-generation college student. Coming to college was not an easy process; while my parents offered me unconditional support, they could not advise me based on previous experience. All of my friends’ parents had gone to college and were therefore able to give their children detailed accounts of what it was like, providing them with an easier transition to their new lives. I started noticing my friends pulling away as they adjusted faster to the college atmosphere; meanwhile, I found myself unable to be as independent as everyone else. I hadn’t realized that growing up with only my sister and parents in America had made me incredibly dependent on them.

I am sure each first-gen student has a unique experience; I can tell you a little bit about my own. Going off to college is a huge shock for most people, and it’s even more of a shock if you’re unprepared and alone. One of the most interesting parts of being a first-generation college student is that my parents are along for the ride, but from a different perspective. They are fascinated with anything and everything to do with the American collegiate system, because they’ve never been through it themselves; thus they are completely invested in my experience.

Since my parents aren’t able to give me experience-based advice, I was a little worried coming into my first year that I would be at a complete disadvantage. To my delight, I found that Princeton has so many resources for students like me! I joined a group on campus called Scholars Institute Fellows Program (SIFP), which provides me with a weekly mentorship group to talk about my life as a Princeton student. Through this, I’ve gained access to wonderful students and faculty that have been able to open many doors for me that I wouldn’t have even known existed.

My first year with SIFP was so valuable that I decided to pay it forward by joining the Princeton University Mentoring Program (PUMP). Only this time, I am the mentor, not the mentee. This has been such an incredible program so far, and it has enabled me to meet other first-generation and/or low-income students and provide a helping hand.

Peer Academic Advising

When you first get to Princeton you are inundated with acronyms. Don’t forget to listen to your RCA and PAA’s advice. Did you go to the SHARE panel? What about the ODUS discussion? Did you ask OIT for help with wireless connection? Do you have a JRC?

There are so many names and positions that it’s hard to keep them straight. That’s why I wanted to focus on one of these acronyms so that hopefully you as a reader can gain a better appreciate for what it is other than a few letters smashed together in a phonetically appeasing way.

PAA – Peer Academic Adviser.

A PAA works closely with an RCA (residential college adviser) to mentor a group of first-year or sophomore students. PAAs are typically juniors and seniors who have volunteered their time to offer advice and guidance to younger students. While PAAs often focus mostly on the academic side of things (hence the name), that doesn’t mean they are limited to the academic realm.

I serve as a PAA for a group of first year students in Mathey College, one of our six residential colleges. Since my primary role is to provide academic guidance for my "zees" (what we call our group of students, since they are our advisees), I often find myself at meals with them discussing classes for the following semester or what major to consider. As a first-year, I took advantage of this resource and constantly went to my PAA for advice, so now it is my chance to give back to the community that helped me so much. In addition to academic advising, I also work closely with my RCA to host fun study breaks for my zees. This year, we’ve held a Halloween makeup design workshop, a summer application and resume workshop and many fun weekly study breaks featuring some kind of exciting food (Qudoba and sushi are always a hit). We also have a family dinner every Sunday evening in the Mathey dining hall where all of our zees are invited to get a meal together and catch up with one another.

My role as a PAA also extends outside of my zee group. Any time there is a first or second year student interested in ecology and evolutionary biology, my director of studies forwards their information to me. Over coffee or meals, I get to meet other students who are interested in my major and offer them advice regarding curriculum and opportunities within the department.

The PAA system is spectacular and is one of the special aspects of the Princeton experience many visitors do not always learn about. Therefore, I hope this provides an idea of what PAAs do and how great of a resource they are for first- and second-year students.

A Beginner's Guide to Study Spaces During Midterms

Midterm season is perhaps the most stressful time of the year. Unlike finals, midterms are not accompanied by a gracious reading period, which is the final week before exams when classes are not in session.

As a result, students fight the universal battle of effectively managing regular coursework, extracurricular activities and test preparation. On top of everything, there’s the need to practice self-care, including eating regularly and getting enough sleep, for peak performance on the day of the test.

It’s a lot to ask from anyone. But there’s something unexpected about studying that comes from all the chaos.

I like to study in public places. There is a sense of camaraderie in a crowded study room, knowing that everyone is going through the same experience and working towards similar goals. However, with more than 5,000 undergraduates scrambling to find study spaces, popular locations fill up quickly. In the early days, this left me stranded with no place to go.

So, I started exploring, stepping into uncharted territory, visiting buildings that I would normally never have a reason to enter. Over time, I’ve collected quite a list of nontraditional study spaces. But for now, I’ll just give you a couple of examples of what I believe to be the most underrated study spaces on campus.

Woolworth Music Building

If you’re not a music major or an arts student, chances are you didn’t even know this building existed. Nestled under the shadow of the Frist Campus Center and among the trees near Prospect House, Woolworth is a perfect space if you’re looking for a smaller crowd. Inside the Mendel Music Library are cubicles and, though not many, spacious tables. This is my favorite study spot when I need room to lay out all my work.

Lewis Center for the Arts Complex

This brand-new building on campus channels a contemporary look. Although the place wasn’t designed to be a study space, Lewis Arts Complex has artsy and comfortable seating areas, perfect for the kind of work that only requires a laptop. Make sure to check out the small library on the 6^th floor of the Arts Tower. This space, which looks like it came straight out of the Disney movie "Beauty and the Beast," boasts a legendary view with an intimate feel of being surrounded by books.

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.”

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?

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.

One for the Books

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.

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.

Academic Playground

I like to refer to Princeton as “an academic playground.” Within the confines of the “Orange Bubble,” my responsibilities and obligations are largely limited to my academics and extracurricular interests. I am blessed to be at a point in my life where even if I am rushed, frantic and busy every moment of the day, this sense of ordered chaos only exists because I am doing so many things that I am immensely passionate about.

Princeton is my academic playground because I am unbound by the things that I can learn, the places I can go and the professors that I can meet. My favorite days in the academic year are the days that course offerings are released. On those days, regardless of my coursework or responsibilities, I am immediately caught up in the wild fervor of reading and examining every class that sparks my interest. Princeton offers hundreds of courses each semester and I am often paralyzed in my decision-making.

I have yet to finalize my course selection for next fall, but I suspect that by the end of the year and certainly by the end of summer, my interests will have shifted. For now, here are some of the courses that have made my short list:

POL 388: "Causes of War" with Professor Gary J. Bass

One of my certificate programs, the History and Practice of Diplomacy, focuses on the links between diplomacy and war-making. I am currently taking a course, "Grand Strategy," and am interested in studying the history of war through a different lens.

POL 345/SOC 305: "Introduction to Quantitative Social Science" with Professors Marc Ratkovic and Matthew J. Salganik

A course required for my major and one of my distribution requirements.

HIS 425: "The History of Political Propaganda from the French Revolution to Vladimir Putin" with Professor Igor Khristoforov

After several weeks working on a project involving political posters from the first revolution in Russia, I am interested in exploring the theme of propaganda more thoroughly.

HIS 383: "The United States, 1920-1974" with Professor Kevin M. Kruse

This course consistently receives great reviews, several of my friends have recommended it and I love U.S. history.

JRN 441:"The McGraw Seminar in Writing - The Art of the Profile" with Visiting Lecturer Rebecca Mead

Several of my close friends have raved about their experiences with journalism courses here. Rebecca Mead is a staff writer at The New Yorker.

ART 272: "Rage against the Machine: Art and Politics in America" with Professor Rachael Z. DeLue

I took a class with Professor DeLue in my first-year spring, but haven't had the chance to take another course in the Department of Art History since.

ITA 303: "Dante's 'Inferno'" with Professor Simone Marchesi

I may or may not have specifically started taking Italian last fall specifically so that I could take this course.

Engineering + Art = Transformations

This semester, I’m enrolled in "Science and Technology Council (STC) 209: Transformations in Engineering and the Arts," and it might be my favorite class I’ve taken at Princeton.

The goal of the couse is to merge the creative processes of engineering and the arts to explore designing and making from both perspectives. The course is organized around four modules: visuals, sound, structure and movement. In each class, we learn how to use relevant tools, such as software, hardware and other materials, to solve mini-challenges in small groups.

I love the class because we get to collaborate and MAKE something every week, whether we’re stress-testing inverted hanging plaster arches or building dynamic light-sensitive sculptures.

Our beautiful butterfly we made for a mini-challenge.

My favorite day was during the Movement module, when Rebecca Lazier, a professor from the dance department, taught us excerpts from her piece “There Might Be Others.” We then had fun making our own collaborative movement piece.

We’ve also taken field trips to New York City to visit two of the coolest organizations in existence: Hypersonic and the Elizabeth Streb Extreme Action Company.

Hypersonic is a small collection of mechanical engineers who make beautiful kinetic sculptures.

Elizabeth Streb Extreme Action Company is a troupe of “action heroes” that challenges themselves in experimental dance and physical feats, such as attempting to fly!

Aside from field trips and access to all kinds of technology, including motion capture, 3D printing and all the wires and Arduinos you could ever want, the most valuable resources of the class have been both the students and the faculty. Everyone comes from such different backgrounds in engineering and the arts building all types of work, such as bridges, choreography, robots, musical software and light design. It makes the experimental, interdisciplinary nature of the course a rich, educational experience.

To conclude the class, our final project is to make something in small groups along the theme of “Transformations” by visualizing sound or translating color to touch. We’re still in the planning stages, but I can’t wait to tell you about it when we’re done!

Subscribe to Academics