Lake Carnegie is located at the south end of campus and allows students to experience nature in a unique way. I remember when I first went to the lake during my first year, I was amazed at the picturesque scenery and the variety of activities in which one can partake such as rowing, fishing and running. The best part of the lake is that it is open to local community and the public, so if you ever happen to be on campus, this is a must-visit destination! 

In my free time, I enjoy running around campus, and my favorite trails are the ones next to the lake. Coming to the lake allows me to disconnect from the academic pressure of classes and nurture my relationship with the outdoors. If you are looking for a fun activity, you can rent a kayak with your friends or have a picnic! As someone who grew up in a city, I never had access to such an open space like Lake Carnegie, so I have been taking full advantage of the lake's proximity. 

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I enjoy taking 5-10 minute breaks during my runs to hear the sounds of nature and appreciate my surroundings. You would be surprised at the different number of bird chirps and animal noises! Coming to the lake has improved my mental health and serves as an escape to nature. Recently, I took “ENV327: Investigating an Ethos of Sustainability at Princeton” and learned about the notion of nature deficit disorder, which sustains that as humans spend more time indoors and are further disconnected from nature because of technology, we become more vulnerable to negative moods and reduced attention spans. In order to combat nature deficit disorder, we should take advantage of the outdoors, and Princeton is an ideal place for that! Beyond the lake, the campus is rife with green spaces, ginormous trees, and let's not forget the idyllic Prospect Garden. Whenever I feel stressed out about an exam, or struggle to balance my extracurricular activities, spending time in these green spaces, especially Lake Carnegie, has allowed me to maintain a sense of wellness. 

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I encourage prospective students to ponder on the relationship between campus and nature when researching colleges. When I committed to Princeton, I overlooked the campus location in terms of the outdoors, but the lake has become an integral component of my undergraduate experience. 

When you arrive at Princeton, one of the first bits of information you will receive is a crazy statistic about the percentage of students who will change their concentration from what they had initially planned to study. I remember feeling relieved to know it was okay if I didn’t have a detailed academic plan all settled the first month of my first semester.

I came into Princeton with a diverse array of academic interests. I liked journalism, entrepreneurship, history, religion, politics and public policy. The only thing I had decided on for certain was that I was not interested in science or engineering. Still, as a first-year student, I felt the pressure to know what I was doing, to take classes in “productive” fields and to fill as many requirements as I could my first semester.

One of the most valuable pieces of advice I received that first semester was to take risks -- to take upper level courses with small class sizes and to sign up for classes in subjects I knew little about in departments I had never considered. I was initially dubious. Why would I want to put myself at a disadvantage versus more experienced juniors and seniors? Wouldn’t it make more sense just to take Econ 101?

Yet, as my first semester began to take shape, I saw that taking risks was the right choice. I loved my small seminars – one with six students, another with three. I loved the chance to connect with professors and engage with new topics. I gained new confidence in my ability to approach difficult material in creative ways. 

If I had not been pushed in this way academically, I would never have discovered my ultimate academic passion or been able to take the diversity of classes I have experienced at Princeton. It is for that reason that I chose to become a “Peer Academic Adviser” (PAA) for my residential college — First College. PAAs are upperclass students who are trained to provide academic advice to their peers. We work with specific “Zee” groups (short for “advisee”) within our assigned residential colleges and also serve as important sounding boards for the residential college community as a whole. 

As a PAA, I have the chance to advise first years and sophomores still in the early stages of their Princeton academic journeys. While their academic backgrounds and ultimate goals may differ from mine, and they almost always have different academic interests (I’m a Near Eastern Studies concentrator.), I still feel as if I can help them make informed choices. My experiences, positive and negative, can be leveraged to help students find their passion and take their own risks when setting out on their path.

I look forward to advising sessions during informal study breaks or in more focused settings. Whether it is advising first-years registering for courses for the first time or working with sophomores making final choices about a concentration, there is something very satisfying about acting as a sounding board and giving the kind of advice that has made my Princeton experience so meaningful.

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Even before I arrived at Princeton, I knew that I wanted to study abroad. I have always been curious about travel and experiencing new languages and cultures. My initial plan was to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. I had studied Spanish throughout high school and was keenly interested in the culture and history of Spanish-speaking countries around the world. That said, my academic interests shifted and I decided to concentrate in Near Eastern Studies (NES). 

An essential part of the NES concentration involves studying the languages of the Middle East. As a result, after my first year, I used Princeton funding to travel to Israel to study Hebrew. I had an incredible experience and went back during winter break of sophomore year to continue my studies and then secured a summer job in Tel Aviv. After two language study abroad experiences and a summer spent working abroad, I thought that I would not want to go abroad for another semester. Studying abroad for a semester can seem intimidating. Not only do you have to manage the cultural differences that come with living and studying in another country, but you also must be prepared to leave behind your friends, activities, classes and everything else that feels familiar and safe about Princeton. 

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However, as I entered my junior year, I was offered an incredible chance to study abroad again — this time not in the Middle East but at SOAS University of London, a specialty school for Middle East studies. While it was tough leaving Princeton, I decided to put myself outside my comfort zone and had an amazing experience. Ultimately, while my semester abroad was cut short due to COVID-19, I am still grateful for the opportunity to have the experience.

While being abroad meant that I missed out on certain aspects of Princeton, it also meant that I got to have experiences that I never would have had inside the "Orange Bubble." I was able to pick from a wide variety of classes related to the study of the Middle East and be surrounded by a large cohort of like-minded peers. I had the chance to hone my language skills, live in a city and experience all of the vibrancy of city life London has to offer. I was joined by exchange students from all over Europe and the world. Some of my favorite memories are of late nights spent singing songs with my new friends, switching between English, German, Norwegian, Italian and more.

Finally, one of the most meaningful elements of my study abroad was the learning I got to do outside of the classroom. I did some of my research for my junior independent work in Oxford and Cambridge, and enjoyed seeing the incredible architecture of Scotland on a weekend trip to Edinburgh. I took the train around Europe — visiting the Swiss Alps, walking the streets of Paris and hanging out on the beach in Barcelona. I even managed to make it to Australia on one of our longer breaks from school. For someone who loves traveling, these experiences were truly priceless. 

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All in all, I am beyond grateful for the study abroad experiences that I have had during my time at Princeton. Each one has helped to show me the extent to which Princeton offers every student the opportunity to engage in learning in a variety of meaningful ways.

Like all Princeton students, I was devastated by the announcement that we would have to leave campus to finish the spring semester. So much of the magic of Princeton involves the engaging conversations in class, the accidental encounters with friends, and the beauty of the campus. Although the transition from an in-person class to Zoom has not been the easiest adjustment, it has made me even more grateful for my Princeton experience.

"Zoom University", as some people jokingly call it, hasn't been without its challenges, but I have been impressed by the ingenuity of some of my professors. In one lecture, we were regularly split into breakout rooms to discuss a proposed question, like we would in person, then representatives from each group would present to the class at large. Zoom made it easy for students in my history class to share their screen for their presentation during precept. The McGraw Center continues to help with my problem sets, and I can meet with professors and preceptors in virtual office hours. Last week I wanted to find a resource online through Firestone Library's collections, so I chatted virtually with a librarian. At the end of the day, I am still learning about the principles of microeconomics, the rise of the Civil Rights movement, and the dangers of climate change, just in a different format than I expected.

Various student groups have done a great job keeping the student community intact. The Office of Wintersession and Campus Engagement has offered regular virtual activities, such as discussion groups and virtual movie screenings. The Princeton Student Events Committee even hosted a fun trivia night. As an editor for The Daily Princetonian, I have continued to write and edit important news articles to keep the campus informed. 

Although I can’t be with my friends in person, I still talk to them pretty much every day. Over the course of the past few months we've planned a virtual meet up to officially declare our concentrations all at the same time. We even had a virtual formal, which was just an excuse for us to dress up and be together. Whether through a casual text or a scheduled FaceTime, I know my friends are always there for me.

In the end, the COVID-19 pandemic has made me even more thankful for the 1.75 years I’ve had on campus. When we do return to an in-person semester, I want to truly take advantage of all that Princeton offers us. This pandemic has reminded me to make sure that I don’t take my opportunity to learn and grow as a student and person for granted. 

It can take some time to learn the Princeton lingo and there is a lot! One of the phrases you will hear with some frequency is the CJL or Center for Jewish Life. The CJL is a hub for student life on campus for Jewish and non-Jewish students alike. Here are some important information to know about the CJL and its role on campus before starting your Princeton experience.

1. The CJL is open to everyone! One of the most common misconceptions about the CJL is that it is only open to Jewish students. While the CJL is an important home for Princeton’s vibrant Jewish community, it is a space open to students of all faiths and backgrounds. Lunch at the CJL is always packed with students there to enjoy the food.
2. The CJL has an amazing, fully kosher dining hall….and the food is delicious! The dining hall is slightly smaller than other dining halls on campus. As a result, it has more opportunities for meals prepared especially for you. Moreover, eating at the CJL feels more intimate and familial, making it a great way to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life at Princeton.
3. The CJL is easy to find! Located right next to the Frist Campus Center, it is centrally located and is especially convenient for students in science and engineering classes. This means, that no matter where you are on campus the CJL isn’t far way.
4. The CJL hosts weekly, highly popular Shabbat dinners on Friday nights and they are incredible and open to everyone. Shabbat is the Jewish Sabbath, and dinners on Friday night are an important part of the Shabbat festivities. The dining hall is decorated, the food is very festive and it is an excellent change to enjoy a nice meal with friends while also getting a taste of an important part of Jewish culture.
5. The CJL is a nice space to study. It’s cozy and full of great, often underrated study spots.
6. The CJL hosts weekly study breaks! These are a great chance to enjoy delicious Kosher foods and snacks (think acai bowls) while chatting with friends.
7. The CJL is an important resource for Jewish life on campus. The center works hard to provide Jewish students from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives a meaningful connection to their Jewish identity. From daily religious services, holiday programing, leadership opportunities, travel, and various clubs and groups the CJL serves as an important resource for Princeton’s diverse Jewish community.

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This is just a quick overview of the CJL and some of the ways that you can interact with the center. On a more personal note, the CJL has been an incredibly valuable resource for me and my Jewish identity. I am beyond grateful for the amazing community that I have been able to build through it. If you have questions about the CJL and its role on campus, please feel free to reach out to me.

Sophomore year has been one of personal and intellectual growth. With the help of the Office of Disability Services, I learned that I have generalized anxiety and it became a goal of mine, this year, to truly get to know myself.

Looking back to high school, my only goal was getting good grades, regardless of what mental strife I went through to get there. Through my time at Princeton, I learned that if you come to campus expecting perfection, you will be humbled very quickly. You’ll learn that grades are important but they aren’t the only thing of value here. At a school like Princeton, learning more about yourself and allowing yourself the space to do so is important, not only for your academic growth, but for  your mental health. 

Princeton is a rigorous academic institution, that’s a given, but something that is unique to the college experience is that by getting to know yourself on a personal level it can also contribute to greater academic success. In learning about yourself, you’ll discover your most effective study habits, what ways you best learn, are you a morning or night person, do you prefer to study in silence or with music, can you study in groups or do you need isolation, are you easily tired when reading large texts, etc.? You get to know which professors and students you work best with, which values you hold that are non-negotiable when working with others, how to approach large volumes of work, how to best study for different types of exams, when to rest and take a break, and whether you prefer to work in sections or work to completion.

At Princeton, you’ll also learn the importance of connecting with others and maintaining your own mental health. . It is necessary to go beyond just memorizing information in college; you will learn how to understand, analyze, and apply knowledge to contribute to a scholarly conversation or to progress thought as it relates to you and your unique perspective.  In your junior and senior year, the department you choose to concentrate in, the professors you work with, and the topics you want to research, relate heavily upon what YOU are interested in!

Ultimately, this year, I learned that in seeking academic success, it is important to get to know myself and put myself first. 

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Coming from a small school in Hightstown, NJ, I was worried that I wouldn't bond with my professors at Princeton in the same way I did with my teachers in high school. Having close relationships with my teachers outside of the classroom was such an important part of my high school experience. I was unsure if I'd be able to form the same kind of relationships with professors in an undergraduate population of nearly 5,300 students. But what I realized was that no matter how busy professors are with their own research or how many students they teach, at Princeton, professors truly care about the well-being of their students.

Princeton has 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio, so even though the number of undergraduates seemed like a lot to me at first, there are also so many professors to balance out the students. As an English major, I take a lot of seminar courses, which typically have 10 to 15 students and are focused on a highly specific topic. Some of my best memories at Princeton are from those three-hour seminars, where we discussed topics like the continuities that create the female literary tradition, the authenticity of a ballad or even the use of photographs in graphic memoirs.

In my “Historical Fiction/Fictional History” course, co-taught by two professors, each week, they spend the first 15 minutes of class asking us about how we're feeling and any updates that we want to share. Since moving to Zoom, my professors wanted to do something extra special to cheer us up about leaving campus. They designed super soft fleece sweatshirts with our course name and our team name (we were split up into "teams" to discuss the readings before class: I'm part of Team Platypus!). They even mailed the sweatshirts to us, and I was so excited to receive that package.

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Professors also do little things to show that they really know their students. I often receive emails from my professors about cool events on campus that they think I'd like or new books that are coming out that they want to share with me. And if I ever want to discuss potential career interests or graduate school, my English and creative writing professors love to talk about options over coffee at Small World, eager to offer insights and share their experiences. Professors really want to get to know their students, so go to office hours and invite your professors to lunch in the dining halls. Professors are also more than willing to work with you if you're having a tough week and need an extension or just want to talk.

Professors at Princeton are passionate: they love what they teach and they'll convince you to love the topic just as much. But what I've come to learn is that at Princeton, professors go above and beyond the academics to show how much they care about their students. If you're considering Princeton, know that our professors contribute so much to the experience. They are always more than ready to support you in every way.

Before and upon arrival at Princeton there is much discussion of the residential college system into which every first-year student is randomly placed. With this discussion come the rumors about which colleges are “better” or more desirable. For me, this was definitely a cause of stress before arriving at Princeton. I was placed into First College, and when I went to research it online, many of the things I saw were mixed opinions. As someone generally unfamiliar with the residential college system at Princeton, this stuck with me. It was only upon my arrival at Princeton in the fall that my perspective began to change. 

It is true that not all residential colleges (or “res colleges” as Princeton students call them) are the same. Given their different locations on campus, sizes, amenities and ages, res colleges and the experiences you have in them do differ. Some colleges are older, some are farther away, some are prettier on the outside and some don’t have air conditioning. Still, in the end, they all have positive attributes, regardless of online chatter or overall reputation. 

When I first moved into First College, I quickly fell in love. I found that it was a short walk away from all of my classes and Frist Campus Center given its central location on campus. More important than the aesthetics, the layout of the college and its large number of multi-person suites proved ideal for bonding. I soon became friends with the majority of the people on my floor, and I met my oldest, closest friends at Princeton through my ‘zee’ (advisory) group. The layout of First College helped make that possible.  

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After two years at Princeton, I moved from First (it only has housing for first-years and sophomores), but I still feel connected and loyal to the community I built there. I am a First Peer Academic Advisor (PAA) and take pride in hosting study breaks and helping the next generation of students in First College navigate their Princeton experience. So, when you think about or are assigned a res college, there is no need for concern about its reputation and benefits. Each college has something unique and beneficial to offer, and I am personally happy to know that I will be graduating as a member of First College this spring.

Firestone Library underwent a transformation the summer before my sophomore year. As a first-year, I remember seeing entire swathes of the first floor under construction. When I came back last September, I was stunned. Immediately upon entering, on my left there was an entire new wing of the library: the Trustees Reading Room, a wide open space lit up by floor-to-ceiling windows and staircases along one wall of the room with bookshelves on the other wall.

Past the circulation desk, was another huge open space that I had known only as a taped-off construction area a few months before. Much like the Trustees Reading Room, this space is vast and seems to always have the perfect lighting, rain or shine. And beyond this lies the Tiger Team Room, a vibrant, clattery café encased in marble, with smooth stone tables in the sun where you can study with friends or just enjoy a cup of coffee. The tea room is probably the loudest and happiest place in Firestone, and it has become my new place to study.

Firestone’s new additions were a major improvement, but there was plenty to this library already. Although it’s a popular place to study, it’s also worthy of exploration in its own right. Whether you’re looking for small, comfy spaces or large sunlit rooms, there are dozens of cozy places that beg you to lounge and relax. Rumors of hundred-dollar bills discovered in random books. Hidden quirks and surprises waiting to be found. A mazelike lower level with a central atrium.

During one break when I was on campus, I wandered around Firestone for hours, looking for a way into its tower and finding other really wonderful places. These places aren’t quite as secret as I’d hoped, but they won’t reveal themselves to you on their own, you have to go looking for them.   

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I often joke that I am completing my “senior year” at Princeton as I come upon my four-year anniversary in my role, at this institution, and within the local community. As I reflect on these past nearly four years, I think about how incredibly grateful I am to have partnered with countless students and committed colleagues in advancing diversity efforts at the University. I am equally appreciative of the community that I have built, as well as the community that has embraced me, during my time here.

I relocated to Princeton from my native home of St. Louis, a community where I have spent most of my life. A place that has reared me up, stretched me wide, and brought me both comfort and challenge. Princeton, as a community, continues to do these for me. It is my belief that we are to spread out and sprout up while navigating the winds along life’s journey. I chose Princeton University because I knew that I would be stretched in my perspective and understanding, and in my assignment. I would have the opportunity to connect with an array of individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, identities, narratives, etc. who would help expand my knowledge.  I chose Princeton because of its commitment to access, inclusion, equity and service. Because WE, as a community, work diligently to create an environment for students that is welcoming and challenging, intentional and engaging, supportive and empowering.

It is because of these reasons that I call Princeton home. Home transcends space and locale. It is a feeling. A sense. An experience. A being. It is my hope that Princeton is home for you over the next several years. In Campus Life and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion-Campus Life, we work to foster the feeling and experience of home for all students. Some ways that we collectively do this is through mentorship programs, such as the Princeton University Mentoring Program and Q’nnections, peer education initiatives, conversation and dialogue circles, community support groups and supporting individuals’ paths to meaning-making. Our team is available to you and here to help make connections throughout the community along your journey.

Why Princeton? Why not?

Welcome home!