Since the start of high school, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in engineering and nobody could persuade me otherwise. I applied to Princeton with the sole notion that I would take mathematics and science courses and follow this linear path that would allow me to graduate with a degree in engineering. Many of my friends questioned why I chose Princeton instead of a STEM-oriented university. Yet as I sit here and look back at my first year of college, I realize that it is precisely Princeton’s emphasis on a liberal arts education that has enriched my learning experience through interdisciplinary lectures.

The liberal arts curriculum starts with the First-year Writing Seminar, which all first-year undergraduates are required to take. This intensive writing course embodies the ideals of the philosophy behind academia and scholarship: it teaches students how to think critically and analyze complex issues, skills that are a must for any discipline. As such, Princeton recognizes that our decision to concentrate in engineering or the humanities is just as important as preparing us to become society’s future leaders and researchers. This notion became apparent only after I reached out to a few alumni, a majority of which seemed to have ended up working in a discipline that had little association with their undergraduate concentration. I myself initially grappled with this conundrum as I wondered whether I would dedicate four years of my life toward Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE), my prospective concentration, only to completely abandon all my work after college.

Interestingly enough, while I was working on a problem set for a CBE course, I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t exactly the mass balances and thermodynamics that attracted me to this concentration, but rather the problem solving aspects that it demanded and how it tied my love of mathematics to biomolecular science. Sure, the courses that I take will prepare me for a smooth transition into the workforce. Of greater significance is that Princeton’s liberal arts education will teach me to challenge preconceived hypotheses and theories and think creatively to develop my own. Thus, I now view engineering not simply as applications of science to the real world, but more so an interdisciplinary field characterized by an intersecting network of natural and social sciences, where clear writing and multilingualism foster scholarly communication, artforms in nature inspire innovation and history guides scientific morality and ethics. To be an engineer, we must understand the world around us, and only through a liberal arts education can we achieve such a well-rounded perspective.

I’m a tour guide with Orange Key, Princeton’s student tour guide service. Other than “What is your most commonly asked question?” the question I am most frequently asked is about the different kinds of classes required for Princeton students. It makes sense: coming from high school, where courses for students are mostly pre-determined, many students are itching for the opportunity to take courses in subjects they’re passionate about. Oftentimes, students aren’t excited about a potential new slate of mandatory classes. 

My answer is always the same: there’s only one required class at Princeton, but even that is largely up to you. Every student has to take a Writing Seminar, a semester-long course that teaches students to formulate researchable questions in preparation for junior and senior independent work. Not every writing seminar is the same, however. After being assigned to either the fall or spring semester, students are sent a list of the different seminar options to choose from. Usually, these fall into clear interest areas: seminars offered this semester include “The Future of Food” and “Justice Beyond Borders.” The customizable nature of the writing seminar tailors even this required class to student interests.

Princeton’s set of distribution requirements also affects students’ course choices. These are different for students in the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) and Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.) programs. Students enrolled in A.B. programs — which I describe to my tour groups as “(A)nything (B)ut” Engineering — must take ten courses of their choosing across seven different broad ‘distributions,’ in addition to achieving proficiency in a foreign language. These distributions include categories like “Social Analysis,” which covers everything from psychology to politics to journalism. For B.S.E. students — our engineers — the situation is a bit different. In addition to general math and science courses relevant to their chosen disciplines, engineering students must take four classes among the non-quantitative distribution areas.

I tell my tour groups that I think Princeton’s distribution requirement system captures the best of both worlds. On one hand, it clearly frees you from the monotony of high school classes: with the exception of the customizable Writing Seminar, there’s nothing you have to take. I didn’t want to see math in college, and aside from a Politics-y statistics course, I haven’t! But the distribution requirements also push you out of your comfort zone: I’ve taken classes on everything from bridges to audio journalism (complete with an expenses-paid trip to Alabama and Mississippi) in fulfillment of my distribution requirements, and they’ve allowed me to enjoy disciplines I never dreamed I would.

The story begins here, during...

Highschool, Senior year, Fall

I’m busy applying to colleges and I want to express my potential academic interest and potential major for the first time. What do I say? “Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering” (MAE). How did I decide that? These are some of the things I thought about:

• I’ve done well in STEM classes throughout school.
• I’ve been involved with engineering activities at school (i.e., robotics club).
• Mechanical (and aerospace) engineering seems cool.
• Plus, both my parents studied engineering.

Princeton University, First year, Fall

I’ve just selected courses for my first semester at Princeton. As an engineer, I take math, computer science and chemistry classes to satisfy prerequisites for the B.S.E. (Bachelor of Science in Engineering) degree, and a Chinese class for fun. I enjoy what I am learning.

Princeton University, First year, Spring

Now, I’m taking computer science, math, the Writing Seminar, Chinese and painting classes. I like my Writing Seminar (the topic is political theory) much more than I expected to, and it makes me wonder if I’d rather study something other than engineering. This isn’t a new thought. While I enjoy my STEM classes, I’m not sure that I really want to be an engineer. I certainly don’t seem to have the same passion for it that others (like my roommate, who’s been buying parts for the drone he’s designed) have. As an engineer, I declare my major at the end of this semester. I choose computer science (not MAE), which I’ve developed interest in. I almost switch from B.S.E. to the A.B.(Bachelor of Arts) degree to try the humanities, but back out at the last minute.

Princeton University, Sophomore year, Fall

Over the summer, I’ve decided to switch to A.B., put a hold on computer science and explore other disciplines (and potential majors). Back on campus, I make the switch and enroll in politics, religion, psychology and Chinese courses. It turns out that I like all of these courses (enjoying politics and religion immensely), but I’m still not sure about my major.

Princeton University, Sophomore year, Spring

I’ve settled on concentrating in politics, focusing on political theory. This semester, I am taking journalism, computer science (aiming to get the certificate, similar to a minor) and two political theory courses.

This is where I am at now. To keep the story short, I’ve left out some details, but this is essentially how I completely changed my major over the course of three semesters at Princeton. Who knows - maybe your journey will be even more exciting than mine!

One of my favorite statistics about Princeton is one which states that 70 percent of students change their major ...

One of the most common reactions I get when I introduce myself and say that I am studying Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is: "Wow, that sounds complicated! What is it like to study engineering?" I often don’t have enough time or energy to explain in depth what my experience studying engineering has been like or how my classes have shaped my thinking and way of approaching things; so I just say lazily shrug my shoulders and say, "It’s interesting but tough!" And while that is true, it does not really say much. My three years at Princeton have taught me a lot, and breaking down what the engineering experience is like is perhaps helpful for those trying to decide their majors or what they might want to study now!

Like all children, I grew up changing dream jobs every week and wanted to be everything from an author, dancer and scientist to a teacher. Yet, the one thing that stuck to me for the longest was an "arregladora," which is really a made-up profession that could be loosely translated to "a person who fixes things" -I came up with this career when I fixed a door lock in my childhood and found immense pleasure in it. As I got older I somehow became aware that such a profession already kind of existed under the mysterious name of an "engineer," so by the time I was applying to University I had already decided what my major would be. During my time at Princeton, making the connection between what we learn in class about eigenvalues or compressible flows and fixing things is often tough. But comparing my engineering classes to my other courses has allowed me to understand them much better, and studying a language at Princeton while pursuing an engineering degree has made me aware of many similarities!

An engineering degree starts just like a language class: you first have to learn the very basics. You can never construct phrases if you don’t know what verbs or nouns are. So my first two years were packed with classes on fluids, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, dynamics and differential equations. And just like one gets bored of conjugating verbs but doesn't get bored of being able to understand native speakers use the language, I was growing tired of solving problem sets but not really being able to design a system to meet a real need. As I have taken more classes, I have moved from the "elementary" level classes to the "intermediate," and I will hopefully eventually reach the "advanced" ones. I am now taking classes with fancier names such as “MAE 342: Space System Design” or “MAE 427: Energy Conversion and the Environment: Transportation Applications’, and it is the concepts that I first had to learn that have become more apparent in the overall idea of engineering and its creative application.

Just like the more I studied a language the more I realized native-like fluency is an admirable goal but probably impossible, the more I advance in the completion of my degree requirements, the better I see how engineering is not aiming for perfection but constant improvement. It is an interesting field in which nothing is ever how we want it to be, just like I understand my Mandarin textbook but get lost when I hear the same phrase from a native speaker in rural China. I memorize the most important physical laws, but then they suddenly are not quite right when I am in the laboratory. I have come to really appreciate that uncertainty and the resourcefulness that it creates. Studying engineering has forced me to become less of a perfectionist but more perseverant, which I have found really helpful outside of classes, too.

If you also think being an "arregladora" or "inventora" is really cool, you should check out the engineering school!

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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!