As I approach my second to last year at Princeton, I find myself astonished at how quickly time passes; days blur into weeks, weeks into months, and then eventually, a whole year has gone by and I find myself looking back at where I was previously and where I am today. Two years is a lot — three is even more. Three years is the right amount of time to self-proclaim myself as an expert on all things Princeton, yet also, a decent duration that leaves me time to humbly realize there is still a lot I have (probably) yet to learn. 

For now, here are some lessons, experiences, and findings I wish a 17 year old me knew when I was applying to Princeton. 

1. Princeton has a lot of resources — a TON. For example, Lewis Library has the Makerspace, which rents out plenty of portable gadgets, devices, and tools for both personal and academic use. The Career Center has frequent drop-in hours for advising sessions alongside numerous networking opportunities. Dillon Gym has a wide breadth of unique classes that one can explore when choosing to work out. Truly — every building here has its own subsection of departmental resources that help to enrich your life at Princeton. 
2. There is plenty of free food on campus. Aside from the dining halls, eating clubs, and numerous cafes at Princeton, one can find food through the FreeFood listserv. The listserv frequently promotes uneaten (and fresh) food that can be found across campus. It redirects leftover food from clubs, halls, and departments, preventing it from going to the landfill by circulating it to anyone interested in grabbing a small bite to eat or a larger meal for the day. It is simultaneously sustainable and convenient for those who find themselves wanting a snack.
3. The Residential Colleges (ResCo) at Princeton host plenty of social activities . Aside from the weekly socials that each ResCo hosts for their members, quite often, there will be opportunities to sign up for excursions with the members of your college. Some examples include going to a baseball game or a musical in Broadway.
4. Princeton has lots of fairs — career fairs, academic fairs, ResCo fairs, etc. From professional networking opportunities to extracurricular and study abroad exploration, these fairs are rich sources of snacks, merch, and information for those on the hunt for opportunities.
5. Orange grows on you — there’s something slightly obnoxious about the color that screams pride. Whether you find yourself intentionally sporting the color on a game day or just hastily slapping on the abundance of merch you find yourself accumulating, you begin to grow a deep found appreciation for orange.

These aren’t the most innovative or extraordinary findings but they are things I assume my younger self would greatly appreciate (or at least find amusing). Perhaps as you embark on your own college journey, you’ll find yourself creating your own list of musings that one day you can look back at with profound gratitude and nostalgia. 

If you ask a handful of Princeton students what their favorite Princeton memory is, the odds that at least a few of them will say “Lawnparties” is incredibly high. Now, what is Lawnparties you ask? A party on a lawn? Well, yes, but it’s much more than that! A beloved Princeton tradition, Lawnparties is a once-a-semester event filled with food, fun, and music. Let me take you through what it looks like:

The day starts off with students lining up in McCosh Courtyard in the morning to get their wristbands, a necessity for accessing all the events of the day. People will also be getting brunch with their friends at one of the dining halls or on Nassau Street (they also have bagels at the wristbanding tent!).

From there, students usually make their way over to the SPIA fountain area, which has become the go-to site for Lawnparties photoshoots every year. Friends and clubs will take group pictures together and sometimes even jump in the fountain! We also have awesome professional photographers that make their rounds on campus throughout the day, capturing all the fun and posting them for us to access later (check them out here!). And because of all these photo ops, it’s worth mentioning that students do tend to get a little dressed up—sundresses, nice shirts, etc.—but everyone ultimately wears what they’re comfortable in!

Afterwards, everyone starts heading to 'the Street,' which is our nickname for Prospect Ave and the home to our 11 eating clubs. There, students enjoy celebrations at all the different clubs and free delicious food from various food trucks. In past years, we’ve had everything from Nomad Pizza (a local favorite!), Taco Bell, Rita’s Italian Ice, and even an empanada truck. The day can get pretty long, so students are always grabbing a bite to eat and fueling up. There’s also water stations all over the Street so that people can stay hydrated.

Then, towards mid-afternoon, students will begin walking over to the main stage at Frist North Lawn to watch the opening acts. One thing that I love about Lawnparties is that we almost always have at least one student opener each semester, so it’s a great way for student artists to promote themselves and gain experience performing in front of a bigger crowd. And, vice versa, the community also gets to check out all their talented peers and cheer them on!

Finally, after the opening acts, what we’ve all been waiting for: the headliner comes on! Every year, the headliner announcement is highly anticipated. Our USG Social Committee works hard to get us well-known, well-loved performers. Since I’ve been at Princeton, we’ve gotten to watch the following artists perform live for us on campus: A$AP Ferg, Flo Milli, Hippo Campus, Waka Flocka, and, most recently, Loud Luxury! I was especially excited about the last of these, who headlined our Lawnparties on September 10th earlier this year—“Body” by Loud Luxury is definitely one of my go-to party songs. The fact that we essentially get to have all these amazing, famous artists give us a private concert for just our community is honestly really cool and really special; I look forward to it every year!

It should be noted that the past three semesters, it has actually rained on the day of the event. Now, of course, it’s always nicer to have Lawnparties on a day with great weather. It makes for better pictures, parties, and just overall better energy. But in my experience, Princeton students have really chosen to embrace it. The parade of rain ponchos over everyone’s Lawnparties fits is always a sight to see, and a concert in the pouring rain can be legendary. All this to say, it’s a rain or shine event, and the weather has never stopped students from having a good time!

I only have three more Lawnparties left while I’m at Princeton, so I’m trying to savor every last moment of them. I can’t wait to see who our headliner will be in the Spring (when we'll hopefully have some better weather)!

Image

Winter has a funny way of feeling like fall right about now.

I think it’s just new-semester weather:

The brisk mornings give way to trees that snap in the wind.

The sun is out, and students study outdoors in brightly-colored lawn chairs.

After a winter break that rid campus of most signs of life, it is once again teeming with activity.

Returning to campus, I made the decision to look into joining an eating club. Here’s a diary snapshot of what my experience has been like:

What is Street Week?

Well, first, what is an eating club? 

Eating clubs are honestly a Princeton social construct. Think of a co-ed social group (not unlike a frat or sorority) except it also doubles as a dining hall for many upperclassmen.

Street week is a series of events tailored towards recruiting new members to join an eating club. Some clubs require you to undergo a process called bicker (the equivalent of rushing a sorority/fraternity) and some allow you to sign-in and join based on a lottery system.

Why Am I Participating?

Since returning from study abroad, I’ve felt disconnected from the other juniors on campus. Last semester, I was independent–meaning I cooked my own meals. As a result, I also ate on my own.

As my time starts to feel more limited, I want to spend less time on cooking while having more structured opportunities to reconnect with friends.

The Perils of the Street

In a way, the Street (where all the eating clubs are) is a fraught place. 

As someone who wears the hijab and does not drink, I often have to choose which activities to sit out of and how I want to show up on the dance floor. 

As a person of color, the Street is a place that confronts me with the predominantly white nature of Princeton. (Who is looking for the pretty Black girls on the Street?)

Throughout my experience of Street week, I continuously need to ask the clubs I’m visiting about their financial aid policies. The crux of my decision is reduced into a math problem: do I want to make friends or do I want to save money?

Hopes 

I have found my conversations with club members to be less draining than I thought they would be. I have been trying to be myself, whatever that means. 

I don’t know if I’ll get into an eating club, and that’s okay.

I let my identities prevent me from exploring the street for so long, so this is me trying to put myself out there. This is me being open to the experience. 
 

I thought I would share what a day in my life looks like when I have a packed schedule of extracurriculars, socializing and schoolwork! 

7:45 a.m.

I don’t normally wake up this early, but I have a lot of morning classes this semester so I take the time to get breakfast and study for my Japanese quiz!

8:30 a.m.

My first class of the day is “Introduction  to Digital Humanities,” which is the class I am taking for my Quantitative and Computational Reasoning distribution requirement, even though it’s an English class! We’re learning about the intersection of digital media and the humanities, and I love how I am able to take a wide range of non-conventional classes to fulfill my distribution requirements.

10:00 a.m.

My second class is Japanese, of which I am in my second year. Starting a new language at Princeton is undoubtedly a challenge, as classes meet every day, but each class is structured around time for grammar, speaking, and writing practice, which makes all the hours you have to put in worth it. 

11:00 a.m.

I then head over to do work in the eating club I’m a member of, where I am supposed to meet a friend for lunch and study together after. As a sophomore, we get two meals per week at our eating club, which is a great way to integrate ourselves into a community we will soon be fully immersed in next semester. Each eating club at Princeton has its own library, so I just did readings for my seminar later today there. 

1:30 p.m.

I had my final class of the day, “Everyday Life in Mao’s China.” This is my favorite class this semester, where we are taking a ground-level view of how the lives of everyday people were impacted by the various changes during the Mao era. Seminars at Princeton are usually three hours long with around fifteen people, though mine is capped at nineteen because so many people were interested in taking it. 

4:30 p.m.

I went to Coffee Club, a student run cafe located in Campus Club to grab coffee with a friend and work on my Japanese homework. Coffee Club has new seasonal drinks every month or so, so I got to try their lavender latte (last month they had raspberry matcha as a specialty). 

6:00 p.m.

Dinner time! I went to dinner at my eating club, where every Thursday night is a member’s night. I got to sit with my friends and catch up on what they did over spring break while also meeting seniors in the club I had never met before. 

9:00 p.m.

My a cappella group was performing at a show for Princeton’s East Asian dance company, Triple 8, so we met near the dressing room at the theater to rehearse beforehand. 

10:00 p.m.

After my performance, I went back to Firestone Library, my favorite library, to do work. I normally leave the library around midnight and go straight to sleep. 

I’m a bit obsessed with the holiday season...catch me on #holidaytok for sure. My family puts up our Christmas tree immediately after Halloween (November 1, to be specific). During that first week, all of the fall decor comes down and the holiday decor goes up: snowflake gels pressed onto the windows, gold lights strung across the trees, toy reindeer and “let it snow” signs stacked on the kitchen island. After we connect our holiday music to the house sound system, we’ve basically transformed into the North Pole in the middle of N.J. 

Given how whole-heartedly we celebrate the holidays at home, when I was a first-year at Princeton, I remember missing the rush to decorate and sing Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me.” It felt strange to not set up a tree after Halloween, and I started longing for spaces where I could get into the holiday spirit. Over the past few years, I’ve found many ways to satisfy my Christmas music cravings and decor instincts. If you’re also on #holidaytok, check out some of the ways that I like to celebrate at Princeton throughout November and December!

Mini Tree 

It’s a pink Christmas! This year, I bought a 4-foot pink tree to decorate in my dorm room. It was super easy to set up and a quick find on Amazon. I used a bunch of my ornaments from home so that I could feel like I was in my own house around the holidays. I plan to put all of my gifts for friends and family before break under the tree so it’ll be extra festive. 

Image

PSEC’s WinterFest

As a Program Chair of the Princeton Student Events Committee (PSEC), I’m involved in planning school-wide events that function as study breaks and fun outings with friends. One of our annual events is WinterFest, where you can make holiday stuffed animals and winter crafts, take photos with winter backdrops, and eat yummy food like pies, latkes, cheesecake bites and so much more. It’s literally a huge food buffet in the middle of Frist Campus Center.

Image

Image

Starbucks Holiday Drinks

While there are a ton of places to get coffee on campus, I can’t resist the Starbucks holiday drinks. And since we’re lucky to have a Starbucks right on Nassau Street (literally right across the street from campus), I’ll often pop in for something festive. 

Image

Palmer Square Lights & Tree

Every year, Palmer Square (a shopping & dining area walking distance from campus) decorates one of their biggest trees with beautiful rainbow lights. It’s a tradition to take photos in front of the tree! The whole surrounding area is also decorated with tons of gold lights that always remind me of the ones my family has at home. 

Image

Image

Cannon Club Tree Decorating 

My eating club Cannon also has its own holiday events and food. I especially love decorating the tree-- if you couldn’t tell by now, I’m really into Christmas trees. We drink hot chocolate, eat cookies and blast holiday music together. 

Cheer Holiday Practice 

Princeton Cheer always has its own holiday practice, where we dress up in holiday outfits and play fun games. Typically our coach will bring hot chocolate and desserts, and we’ll split up into teams to compete in a bunch of challenges. 

Secret Santas 

Secret Santas are one of my favorite parts about being on campus during December. My family never did Secret Santas growing up, so this is a bit of a new tradition I’ve started at Princeton. Each year I participate/organize multiple Secret Santas with clubs and teams that I’m a part of. It’s so fun to meet up with friends and exchange presents. 

Not only does Princeton look absolutely magical in the snow, but it has a lot to offer when it comes to all things winter and holidays. Of course, I look forward to winter break at home with my family, but I now get equally excited for the holiday season at school! 

It still doesn’t feel real that I’m a senior. I opted to stay home last spring, so this is my first time being back on campus since my sophomore year. Sure, my classes and activities went on virtually, but after being on campus for a few weeks, I’ve realized how much I’ve missed. It’s the little things that I took for granted before the pandemic: sitting next to someone in class, grabbing a croissant from the Tiger Tea Room, meeting up with friends for dinner etc. So as I head into my senior year, I thought I’d do a quick reflection on some of those little things: the things that make Princeton a special place to be. 

Eats & Treats

When I was home, I’d order food a lot or (attempt to) cook if my parents didn’t that night. But WOW did I forget how much food there is at Princeton. On the first day of classes, there were free bagels for breakfast on my walk to class, free coffee for seniors at Sakrid Coffee Roasters, and an ice cream truck near McCosh Hall that was giving away free ice cream treats! Beyond the abundance of free food on campus, my eating club Cannon also has (in my unbiased opinion) the BEST food on the street. Last night, I had a mashed potato bowl with chicken nuggets, corn, BBQ sauce and fried jalapenos. So eating at home wasn’t terrible, but I definitely took for granted all the amazing food at Princeton. 

Image

My Own Living Space

Finally, I feel like an adult again! Yes, I have my own room at home, but I don’t feel the same sense of independence that I do when I’m at school. During my first-year I had a triple, my sophomore year a double and now I have a single. I love my family, but it is refreshing to have my own living space again. Curious to see my room decor? I've been working on it since the photo below. Check out my TikTok @mia_salas333! 

Image

Study Spots 

This is a BIG one, because in one house with my parents and two younger brothers, finding a good study spot isn’t always easy. And studying in the office or kitchen every day starts to feel really repetitive. When I got back on campus, I realized that I took all the many study spots for granted: B floor of Firestone Library, Lewis Center for the Arts seminar rooms, Frist Campus Center and more. I also forgot how inspiring it is to study with friends or even just around people. Studying at home often felt lonely, so I was reminded of just how social studying can be. 

Image

Friends! All Day, Every Day 

I have a few friends who live near me at home, but I forgot how amazing it is to literally live walking distance away from so many people. I feel way more connected on campus because I can easily meet up with friends at cheer practice, for meals, to attend fun events like the Triangle Show and more. And it’s also a great feeling when I just run into people that I know on my walk to class or at my eating club. It makes me feel like I am a part of this community. 

Image

So there you have it: a round up of little things that I missed from on-campus life at Princeton! I can’t wait to see what senior year has in store. 

Whenever friends from other universities ask me if I’m part of Greek life, I muster the quizzical response, “Kinda?” This is the inevitable dilemma that every Princeton student must face as they try to describe our campus’s beloved Eating Clubs. Princeton’s 11 co-ed eating clubs are in houses that are all situated along Prospect Avenue, known as “The Street,” and each house boasts their own architectural flair and style. However, what most distinguishes each club is the quality of food offered to their members and the kinds of social events they host.

Image

These two criteria are on everyone’s mind during “Street Week,” in which sophomores interested in joining an eating club attend various events and meet current members to get a better idea of where they would fit in. While six of the eating clubs require that sophomores undergo “bicker,” a mutual selection process where prospective members meet with students already in the club, five of them are sign-in and extend membership invitations on a first-come, first-serve basis.

This year, I chose to bicker two eating clubs virtually. Here’s my experience with this process:

Pre-Bicker

Each student has the opportunity to request to bicker at only two of the six selective eating clubs, which is a hefty decision to consider for many sophomores. Most bickerees choose where to bicker based on the personality associated with each club or chance encounters that they’ve had with club members. I also took into account where my friends were bickering so that I could be accompanied by familiar faces.

Street Week

Bicker can be a tiresome undertaking, consisting of at least three days of back-to-back socializing with current eating club members. Each bickeree’s main objective is to meet as many members as possible to make connections with current club members and to learn more about the eating club.

Although the process took place online this year, I enjoyed being able to meet and talk with juniors and seniors, especially after an isolated semester away from campus. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to connect with strangers. Overall, Bicker forces bickerees to produce creative, spontaneous answers, yet also demands a healthy dose of introspection, which I say isn’t a bad way to spend quarantine.

Post-Bicker

Afterwards, members of eating clubs regroup and deliberate on which bickerees to welcome into the club. Many clubs have policies in place to ensure that discussions remain positive, and results are released at the end of the week.

Bicker is not the only option!

When you start your junior year at Princeton, a new question becomes a part of the classic small-talk lexicon — “Where do you eat?” This strange question is in reference to the abundant dining choices available to upperclass students. In addition to the dining hall, they are presented with a multitude of dining choices, from joining a co-op or an eating club to going independent. Everyone has to figure out their approach to meals. 

Many Princeton students turn to eating clubs. Eating clubs are a concept unique to Princeton and serve as social and culinary hubs on campus. During the second semester of sophomore year, students sign-up or participate in a selection process, called “bicker” to be in a club where they will eat most of their meals. The eating clubs are clustered on Prospect Avenue adjacent to the University. For generations, many Princeton students have had great experiences with eating clubs and relish this unique part of their time at Princeton. That said, eating clubs are not the only options. 

Students who don’t join eating clubs and choose not to eat in the dining halls have several options, one of which is dining co-ops. Co-ops are food-share programs where small groups of Princeton students (usually around 30) come together and cook fresh, tasty meals for one another. As a co-op member, you are expected to cook once a week and the costs are very affordable. There are various types of co-ops on campus that cook foods catering to different cuisine types and preferences. 

This year, I joined the Pink House food share. Pink House is a sustainability-minded community that cooks vegan and vegetarian meals for a community of about 25. As a part of Pink House, I have access to a real kitchen and fresh ingredients when I cook once a week. It is an excellent way to unwind, de-stress and learn some valuable cooking skills. So far this year, I have enjoyed experimenting with hearty stews, zesty salads and delicious baked goods. I have also enjoyed having fun and conversations with my fellow cooks. 

Because I am vegan, I knew it would take me a while to figure out what other options, outside of the dining halls, were available to me, but my experience at Pink House showed me that there really are options for everyone. 

Entering the second half of my Princeton career is a scary prospect. It seems like just yesterday I was jumping on the couch with my family, screaming at the top of our lungs just seconds after spotting the ‘Congratulations!’ at the top of my Princeton admission decision. 

Being an upperclassman at Princeton is different in a couple key ways from the first and second year experiences. Perhaps most obvious is the change in the dining scene. First-year and sophomores eat all of their meals in the residential college dining halls, while juniors and seniors can get their meals in a number of different ways. Students can opt to continue on a partial or full dining hall plan, join a co-op (a small group of students who rotate cooking often-themed meals), or become fully independent (cooking meals on your own).

However, the most common dining option (and the one I’ve chosen) is joining one of the 11 eating clubs. Joining the eating clubs can sometimes be a source of anxiety for students as they struggle to pick the right one and coordinate choices with their friends. However, students are welcome to eat at clubs other than their own through the Meal Exchange program, and maintain strong friendships outside of their own clubs (I know many of my best friends aren’t in my eating club!) 

Another key change in upperclass life is its residential aspect. Students live in their assigned residential college their first two years at Princeton. Before junior year, however, students have the choice to move out of their colleges and into upperclass housing, which is not affiliated with any of the residential colleges. While most of these buildings share the same Gothic architecture as the underclass dorms, it was definitely jarring for me to see people from colleges other than my home Mathey in the hallways of my new building. Moving off campus is also an option for juniors and seniors, however majority of the student remains on campus since housing is guaranteed all four years.

One final big change going into junior year is the new research focus in coursework. Most of Princeton’s 37 undergraduate concentrations (or majors) require students to begin independent research in their chosen field of study. This begins with the junior paper, a ‘mini-thesis’ which is often a 20-30 page exploration of an original topic within your major. Don’t worry if this sounds intimidating (I’d think you’re crazy if you weren’t a little bit scared) – students within many departments are automatically enrolled in research methods classes that are invaluable in guiding individual projects. 

The end of my college career is perhaps a little closer than I’d like. However, I’m excited for the challenges that lie ahead and am optimistic that the second half of college will be even more fulfilling than the first!

An iconic part of the Princeton experience is the illustrious eating club, or rather, 11 eating clubs. Usually, if someone outside of the "Orange Bubble" is asking me about Princeton, they’ll mention an eating club. However, what many people tend to forget is that there are other systems in place so students can eat: staying on the dining hall plan, joining a co-op or being independent (currently the system I am using). Choosing the independent dining option at Princeton means that you have the ability to arrange your own dining. This means that you can cook on your own, eat at other campus dining places or eat at local resaturants.

Before starting my junior year, I was nervous about being independent. I never had to cook for myself, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for such a big step. My sister teased me and said I would starve, so it wasn’t looking great on the homefront in regards to support, either. Nevertheless, I packed the car with the bare minimum of kitchen supplies I thought I would need; I knew I would be using a hall kitchen, so I couldn’t bring everything I was using at home.

My parents brought me to the grocery store on move-in day, and I stocked up for the week. Very quickly, I realized I was going to have a hard time; I had never even been to the grocery store by myself, and now I had to become celebrity chef Rachael Ray overnight! I knew I had to learn, and fast. Here are a few things I have found useful during my short time dining as an independent student thus far:

1. If you have a friend with a car on campus, bribe them with snacks and see if they will drive you to the store. If not...
2. The Weekend Shopper, a campus shuttle, that runs every Saturday and Sunday takes you to a variety of places, including Whole Foods, Wegmans, Walmart and Trader Joe’s. It’s free and easy to figure out!
3. Join the Free Food listserv. Princeton has free food everywhere, all the time. Sometimes you can even find full meals through it! Other times, you can find a nice snack. Either way, it’s definitely something to make use of!
4. Independent students get two dining hall meal swipes per week, so make use of them!
5. There are a few quick, relatively affordable options on Nassau Street if you’re looking to treat yourself (i.e., Tacoria, Jammin’ Crepes, Olives, Panera, Qdoba and more). Use this option sparingly; the costs add up!
6. If you have friends in eating clubs, they get a few guest swipes per semester!

I am sure I will learn more as the days go by!