The Politics Junior Paper (JP) is a 20-30 page project that juniors in the Politics Department must submit near the end of April. It is largely open-ended, giving students the opportunity to pursue research on topics that fascinate them. Students work closely with an advisor and can run experiments, analyze data, or do something entirely novel.

I’m currently working alongside the (truly) wonderful Professor Stephens-Dougan in the Politics Department to look into what role race plays in shaping voter perception of electoral candidates. My junior paper will be a springboard for my senior thesis, which will dive into the realm of identity politics more comprehensively. 

I imagine several students, both current and prospective, are wondering what starting the process of writing your own paper looks like and what type of support systems are in place. 

Below, I’ve written a few reflections on what starting this process has looked like for me, where I am now, and what I have learned along the way:

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Like most research projects, mine began as a simple idea.

After completing several readings for a related class, I became deeply curious about how identity and politics intersect in different ways. I knew I wanted to take what I had learned in the classroom and turn it into something tangible.

The rest of the experience has been a blur — during sophomore and junior fall, I took a mix of required lectures and preceptorials that taught me how to conduct research and data analysis. By the end of my junior fall, I was expected to formally articulate my research question, methodology, independent variable, dependent variable, and hypothesis in a “prospectus,” which helped me solicit feedback and accordingly adjust my research design. 

Then, shortly after receiving feedback, I worked with my advisor, former preceptors, and some PhD students — all of whom have been of the utmost help for my project — to go over my research design. 

Concurrently, I was also applying for funding from different sources at Princeton, which required submitting an itemized breakdown of how I planned to utilize such funds; And, since I was working with human subjects, I was also going through training with the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) and requesting approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) so I could launch my study. 

Since then, I’ve been able to conduct my experiment. And now, I am in the final stages of refining my draft before I submit the final copy.

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In undertaking this experience, I have truly witnessed how research can be deeply rewarding — especially when the topic at hand is something you are deeply passionately about. 

But admittedly, there are days where I fear I have fallen short of what I had hoped to achieve. Sometimes I wonder if what I am doing is interesting enough, if it's different. 

However, if there is anything I have learned, it is how to take a step back and remember the bigger picture: research at Princeton is a once in a lifetime opportunity, where I am able to work with some of the greatest minds on this campus to make a contribution, no matter how small, to the wealth of human knowledge.

Coming into Princeton, I didn’t foresee a leave of absence on the schedule. I had already extended my schooling by a year by opting to finish high school at a United World College (UWC), an international boarding school, and truth be told, I liked the sound of “Class of 2025”. There is a myth that students who walk through the center of FitzRandolph Gate will not graduate in four years, and I never did that, so I should be immune to needing extra time, right?

After spending last summer at Princeton working on my senior thesis in the Nelson lab, I was eager to return home in August for the first time since studying abroad the previous fall. Unfortunately, I received an unexpected diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, and by the time I received treatment several weeks into the semester, it would be too late to catch up on what I had missed. So began the process of taking a leave of absence. 

Students taking a leave of absence work closely with their residential college staff. In my case, Dean Wagner and Dean Meggs from New College West were very helpful in ensuring I received the information I needed and University Health Services in securing continuity of care upon my return. With the support of my thesis advisor, Professor Nelson, and the Molecular Biology department, I successfully applied to return after one semester instead of one year. I am extremely grateful this was possible, as I was back in good health by the end of September and eager to return to Princeton, especially for the Class of 2025’s last semester.

Although my leave of absence was unplanned, there were many unexpected benefits. Having only returned home three times since starting college, I appreciated being able to spend several months with my family and catch up with old friends. Suddenly finding myself with a lot of free time, I baked for the weekly English as a Second Language cafe at our church, took a few ballroom dance classes co-taught by my sister, and read over 30 books. My favorite was Between Two Kingdoms, which happens to be written by a Princeton alum. I sat in on a History class on famine in the 20th century, in which I learned about events I had never heard about before, including the Holodomor and Bengal famine. I was also able to return to a job I had the summer before my first year, portering patients and restocking supplies in the Emergency Department. Looking for ways to stay connected with Princeton, I completed the online training to become a helpline counselor with CONTACT of Mercer County and began volunteering upon my return.

One highlight from my semester off was attending my first conference, the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, with the support of Professor Nelson and my research mentors in the lab. I was deeply impressed by the creativity and diversity of research I saw, including the recovery of damaged lungs for transplantation via cross-circulation and “cell dancing” in sliding hydrogels. It was also exciting to have an opportunity to share our own work on the effect of diet on breast cancer cell growth and receive feedback from other researchers.

Despite trying to find ways to keep busy, my semester off was largely marked by boredom. I was used to taking five classes, being involved in extracurriculars, and being on-campus with my friends, and I felt a bit lost without something tangible to work toward. One of my UWC teachers reminded me, however, that there is value in boredom. I appreciated being able to spend the day reading a book, the weekends grocery shopping with my mom and going for walks by the river, and I was glad to have a break from the intensity of the Princeton semester. 

Upon returning to campus in January, I appreciated being able to start the spring semester refreshed instead of burned out. Now, halfway through my penultimate semester, I am grateful I had a chance to hit pause for a few months but also return in time to spend one last semester with all my friends in the Class of 2025. As graduation draws near, it is hard to believe four years have passed by so quickly, and I am eager to make the most of our remaining time together. Whether you are considering taking a gap year before, during, or after college, I hope this encourages you that time off can be helpful and restorative. After all, school will always be there when you are ready to return.

The first few weeks of the semester are a whirlwind of classes, clubs, and socializing. Most importantly, it's about creating the perfect schedule to balance all these commitments. Now that I’m entering my senior year, my schedule feels busier than ever. After spending a semester abroad in Copenhagen, it feels like I’m trying to catch up on everything I missed, including signing up for courses. Due to the time difference, I had forgotten about course registration and ended up picking a few classes for the fall without much thought. I figured I’d have time to finalize things once I was back on campus.

Seniors on the A.B. track are only required to take six courses in their final year since we’re also working on our senior theses. Some seniors choose to take four courses in the fall and two in the spring, while others split them evenly with three each semester. The decision largely depends on how much time you think your thesis will require in the spring. With good intentions, I thought I could handle four courses this semester and was set on shopping around for options.

A friend of mine, who is studying sociology, sent me the course description for ECO102: Personal Finance. The course had no prerequisites and looked like a solid financial literacy course. Neither of us had ever taken an economics course before, but she convinced me to enroll so we could both expand our limited knowledge of finance. While the professor seemed great and the course themes were interesting, I couldn’t see myself spending one of my final semesters on a class I wasn’t fully passionate about. I’ve had the privilege of taking many deeply engaging courses at Princeton and while my friend ended up loving the class, it just wasn’t for me.

I quickly searched for another course and found an Asian American Studies class, Asian American Women and Everyday Violence. I’ve always been interested in gender-based violence and during my sophomore summer, I interned at a non-profit in Colombia focused on ending both gender-based and armed violence. That’s what initially drew me to the course—understanding the various ways Asian American women experience gendered racialization.

I would have loved to stay in the course, but I soon realized I needed to balance my workload evenly, which meant only taking three classes in the fall. Even though I didn’t settle on a course right away, I’m glad I had the chance to explore my options. Some courses even allow you to preview the syllabus, giving you a better sense of the material. While this time shopping around for courses didn’t work out for me, I still have one final semester to make it work! 

Returning to Princeton after a semester abroad, I was looking forward to conducting my senior thesis research over the summer. Princeton, where everything feels familiar. But I quickly realized that, like people, places frequently change over time. In honor of one of my favorite romantic comedies of all time, I decided to write my own version of 10 Things I Hate About You: Princeton Edition. 

I hate the hill. (There is steady incline from Yeh College to Nassau Hall) It's simple: going up this hill every time I want a cup of coffee or have a work shift on campus is an absolute pain.

I hate the weather. As a New Jersey native, you'd think I'd be used to it by now but I live farther north where we don't have this kind of humidity. The heat wave hitting Princeton this summer, with temperatures in the high 90s, is something I'm not particularly happy about.

I hate leaving Rocky, my residential college. For my summer research, I'm staying in the newer residential colleges, NCW and Yeh. I miss the charm of Rocky, the greenery and the peacefulness. Seeing people walk around or taking photoshoots, it's a distinct environment I've grown accustomed to. NCW and Yeh feel like I'm in a small isolated world.

I hate that my friends aren't here. Most of them are off in different parts of the world or the country working on amazing projects. I miss having people I'm close to nearby, especially after being apart for so long.

I hate all the new construction sites; every day, there's literally a new roadblock. But with each detour, I'm led to a new path I've never taken. I see a new side of Princeton that I wouldn't have seen before because I stick to the same routine. So, while it can be frustrating each day, I'm learning to be grateful for each new place I discover. 

I hate how much I love my lab. We have so many new people over the summer but that comes with the quick reminder that their presence is only temporary. So with each moment I grow closer to them, I know how much harder it's going to be to say goodbye.

I hate how much I love crocheting. I've picked up a hobby I've wanted to pursue for years but never had the time for. Crocheting is such a great, mindless activity and I know that soon I won't have countless hours to spend on my different projects.

I hate how much I love working on my thesis. These two months simultaneously feel like I've gotten so much and nothing done. Running a longitudinal study across different institutions takes a lot of preparation and organization. While I'm close to being where I want to be, I know I still have a lot to do. But I enjoy it because it's work I'm passionate about—work I feel is important.

I hate how time flies so fast here. I only have a few weeks left before the summer session ends and I'll be going home. I'm trying to soak in every moment, every time my lab comes up with a new topic to debate, like grapes vs. cherries or what constitutes a cake. These are the moments I won't forget.

So, in the wise words of Kat Stratford, “But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you. Not even close. Not even a little bit. Not even at all.” Just like with growing pains, I come to see everything from a new perspective. I see how change can be good and bad, but most of all, how I'm changing with it.

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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Six weeks after the start of each semester is the break week without classes. Most semesters, I've used the break week to catch up on my coursework and get ahead on upcoming assignments, as well as take some time to decompress and be with my family. For my senior spring break, though, there was less coursework than usual. I'm only taking three courses this semester, since my thesis counts as my fourth course, which is a wonderful perk that gave me more time over break for both research and traveling.

I used the first few days of break to work on my thesis, which is due in about one month (April 15th) for my department. I had a meeting over Zoom with my advisor, and I made progress on the figures and manuscript. I feel mostly comfortable with the state of the project and meeting the deadline, and the break from classes gave me the opportunity to focus on it. Some students stayed on campus over spring break and attended thesis boot camp workshops, where they hunkered down with provided snacks to make headway. Deadlines are approaching, and most seniors used at least part of their break to make significant thesis progress.

After several days of thesis work, I still had remaining time in my break, which allowed me to travel to Boston! Graduate school programs typically host a visit day for accepted students sometime in March or April, and I was lucky that my future school's visit day was during spring break this year. On Thursday I flew to Boston to visit MIT, where I had the chance to explore the campus, hear from current students, and meet the lab group of my future advisor. MIT was my top choice program when I applied, therefore I'd already accepted when I visited, which allowed the lab group to organize a dinner to welcome me. It was a lovely experience, and it made me incredibly excited to begin my doctoral program in the fall. Many students use visit days to evaluate their options, though, and choose to fly to several different schools during the spring semester. Having fewer classes to attend with the lighter course load of senior spring helps students manage this travel during the semester.

When I came home from Boston, I still had a few nights at home to spend time with my family. I was able to speak about the visit and my impressions, and I could fit in a last few loads of laundry before heading back to campus. I'm really grateful for this slightly different break week of senior spring, and stay tuned for the official printing of my thesis next month!

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. 

As an AB senior, you are required to enroll in at least six classes and a minimum of two classes per semester. This means you can either take four classes in the fall and two in the spring, or three classes each. I took three classes my senior fall, so I now have to take three classes in the spring on top of my thesis. 

The general expectation is that your spring semester classes are an opportunity to take fun classes you never had time to fit into your schedule, or to finish up last minute distribution or major requirements. I have friends enrolled in breakdancing classes who have never danced before and others who are using the last semester to fulfill all of the remaining requirements for a minor they decided they wanted to pursue their junior year. 

For me, I have found that it is a mixture of both. As a result of studying abroad in the spring of my junior year, I still had to fulfill a language requirement for my major, East Asian Studies, which is why one of the classes I am taking is KOR 407: Readings in Modern Korea II. I also wanted to make sure that I took the opportunity to take classes I wouldn’t be able to take once I left Princeton, which led to my songwriting class ATL 496: How to Write a Song. In that class, the professor assigned us random songwriting groups every week, and we all have to come up with a 2-3 minute song. I, along with half of the class, have no songwriting experience, but the class is becoming a safe space for me to experiment and try new things.  

Finally, I wanted to finish my last semester at Princeton by taking a final class within my department. I had not taken an East Asian Studies class since my junior fall, and had never had the opportunity to take a class on Korea specifically. Therefore, I settled on my final class: HUM 234: East Asian Humanities II. The class splits readings each week between Korean and Chinese authors, with guest lecturers covering readings on Japan. 

Thus far, I feel that I have found a perfect blend of a fun and academically fulfilling semester, where I can spend a couple of hours a week writing a song with my peers and then immediately pivot to reading novels from my home country. 

Though there may be pressure at Princeton—whether the pressure is to be having fun senior year or to be constantly doing academic work—I feel like I have found the perfect balance, and am excited to finish my Princeton career strong. 

In the thick of my thesis and deep in finals preparation, graduation feels like a very distant prospect at the moment. But come May, I will be donning my cap and gown to process through Fitzrandolph Gate as a new alumna. Seniors are preparing now for life outside the Orange Bubble, and there are many different options to consider. What do Tigers do after graduation?

Some students enter the workforce directly after graduating. My friend Ben, for instance, was offered a position at the company where he interned over the summer. Other students meet potential employers through events like the HireTigers career fair or through the website Handshake. The Center for Career Development is always available to help search for jobs, refine your resume, and conduct mock interviews.

Other students, around 20% in recent years according to the Daily Princetonian, continue their studies in graduate school. This could be a master's program, doctoral program, medical school, or law school. A master's program is generally one to two years and consists mainly of specialized courses. My friend James, for instance, intends to do a one-year master's before becoming a practicing structural engineer. A doctoral program is a longer commitment, typically 5-6 years, that consists of courses and then several years of research.

Some students apply for special one to two year fellowships, like the Rhodes, Marshall, or Gates Cambridge, that provide funding for research experiences. These are often country or university-specific. The Gates Cambridge, for instance, is for several years of graduate study at the University of Cambridge in England. The Office of International Programs hosts information sessions on campus for each of these throughout the year for interested students.

Through my research experiences at Princeton, I've discovered that I really enjoy the problem-solving process of academic research, and I know I'd like to pursue a Ph.D. after graduation. Throughout the summer and fall, I researched different potential programs and advisors in order to prepare my applications for doctoral programs. Most are due mid-December, and I'll hear back in March (stay tuned).

While my preparations for life post-graduation are well underway, I fully intend to cherish my last semester and all its traditions. I'm truly looking forward to all that this coming semester will bring.

My junior year has come to a close, meaning that, amazingly, I will begin my last year of college in September (time really does fly!). At Princeton, a defining feature of your final year is the senior thesis, a year-long independent research project in your department. There is an unofficial vocabulary of terms for referring to thesis-related phenomena (thesis-ing, thesis fairy, PTL (post-thesis life)), and underclassmen are generally advised to avoid asking seniors about the thesis at all during the month of April, for fear of unleashing a panicked thesis ramble. Given all this, the thesis can definitely seem pretty daunting, and while I'm certainly nervous, I've also realized how my first three years have really set the stage for the thesis to be much more doable than it seemed when I first started at Princeton. As an incoming first-year, the thesis looked very unapproachable, because I really didn't have the skills then for an independent project. But now, after the experiences in my first, sophomore, and junior years, I feel that I know how to approach original research and believe I can produce meaningful work for my thesis. I know that the road will be bumpy, but I at least feel that I'm in a well-equipped vehicle for the ride.

One of the most important experiences preparing me for the thesis was my writing seminar. All first-years take a writing seminar ("writing sem"), where you learn how to structure a research paper and to situate your original work within the existing literature. On every draft, your professor writes you a detailed feedback letter describing where and how to improve, and you then submit a final, polished piece several weeks later. Your professor also holds individual meetings with you to discuss ideas and approaches to your topic. It's a challenging but incredibly rewarding course, and it allows you to conduct a half-semester long mini-thesis where you practice the process arc you'll use for your senior thesis (Also, the different topics available are endless—the theme of my seminar was "Systems of Play," and my second major paper was about LEGO advertising).

In my sophomore and junior years, I started conducting research in my concentration, environmental engineering (moving forward from LEGOs to organic contaminants and solar energy!), through Independent Study courses with professors in the CEE and ECE departments. I became familiar with the literature and methodologies specific to my field, all while using the same skills and process arc I'd learned in writing seminar. Now, in the summer before my senior year, I'm working for Dr. Bourg to begin the research for my thesis. I'm not entirely sure yet where the project will lead, but I feel prepared and excited for the journey.

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