This past semester, the last day of class was Friday, April 22nd, but my last final exam was on Sunday, May 8th. What happens in the nearly three weeks between the end of classes and the last final exam?

The answer is reading period and finals period, a time for students to write their final papers and prepare for exams. Compared to other universities, which often have reading periods of only several days, Princeton has a lengthy stretch of time between the last class and final exam. I've found, though, that I really like having this extended reading and finals period. It allows me to carefully review all the material, and I can master concepts that I didn't fully grasp on the first pass during the hectic semester.

Reading period spans the week from the day after the last class through "Dean's Date," when all final papers and final projects are due at 5 p.m. Most students spend the reading period completing these assignments, and there are a number of amusing Princeton traditions that occur just before the deadline. One tradition, for instance, is the late-night "breakfast" in the residential colleges occuring at around 10 to 11 p.m. on the night before Dean's Date, in which all the dining halls open and offer a full breakfast buffet to hungry students struggling to debug their code or flesh out their concluding arguments. This is followed by a rather unusual event: at midnight, students will gather outside their dorms and collectively scream for a full minute, from 12:00 to 12:01, to let off steam and pent-up frustration. The scream has different titles at the different dormitories; Whitmanites gather in the courtyard for the "Whitman Wail," while outside of Holder Hall you'll hear the "Holder Howl." While somewhat dramatic, the scream shows you that you're not alone in feeling a little strained at the end of the semester. Everyone is feeling the stress of putting their best effort into their final assignments, but everyone also takes comfort in knowing that soon their work will be complete and submitted.

At 5 p.m. on Dean's Date, the Princeton Band plays celebratory music and food trucks arrive to feed hungry, exhausted students outside McCosh Hall. Your assignments are complete!

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Then it's time for final exams. The day following Dean's Date is the beginning of finals period, which lasts about two weeks. Each class is assigned a specific exam window during the finals period so that no two classes will have conflicting exams. The lengthy finals period means that you'll likely have several days between exams, which is useful in allowing you to fully prepare and feel ready for each one. Many classes continue to offer office hours and review sessions during reading period and finals period, which allows you to get help studying topics that you don't remember or never quite fully understood. Then, after taking your last exam, the semester is officially over! You then have a generously long winter or summer break to rest and rejuvenate before starting your next set of courses.

Princeton is known for having a strong alumni network, but prior to matriculating, I wasn’t quite sure what that would mean — I had vague impressions of reunions held on Princeton’s campus every year, and met some alumni from the Richmond, Virginia area when I was accepted, but it wasn’t until this semester that I began to experience first hand the sorts of ways that alumni connect with students.

As a member of the University Press Club, a group of freelance journalists on Princeton’s campus, I met some of the alumni for the first time last spring, when we had our biannual board meeting. This meeting provides board members (all of them former Press Club members themselves) a summary of club activities and updates from the past semester. I was incredibly nervous prior to loading into the Zoom room as our board includes editors for the Washington Post and New York Times, CEOs, authors and more. I felt a little out of place, having only written for a handful of publications before my first semester with the club.

And I wasn’t sure what to expect, but what became clear as the board meeting began was that each board member cared deeply about the present and future of the Press Club. Although they had all left the club in member capacity when they graduated Princeton, it still obviously occupied space in their hearts and minds, and they listened intently to what club members had to say and gave insightful and varied feedback and suggestions. During a normal semester, I’m told that the Press Club gathers with board members in a physical conference room in New York City, but even without this formality, there was a gravity and intensity in the Zoom room that was welcome and comforting — we, the current club members, weren’t alone in our pursuit of journalism.

This semester, in addition to the regular board meeting, we have been joined by a board member or other alumni every other week to discuss their careers and bounce story ideas off of them. It’s injected new energy into our weekly meetings — it’s always good to have a fresh mind to generate ideas for what to write about — and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know some of the Press Club alumni and hearing about the different paths they took after graduating.

The Press Club is small, with usually under fifteen active members, so feeling like we have a whole alumni network behind us means a lot. While my future is still uncertain, journalism or some career in writing looms intimidatingly large on the horizon. It’s nice to meet some of the people who have similar interests as I do, chat with them about their career paths, get advice about the changing landscape of the field, but above all, it’s nice to have their support and interest as the Press Club continues to grow and change. It’s comforting to know that the people who were in my place in years past haven’t just left the club and Princeton behind; rather, they keep on cultivating the group that meant so much to them.

Every graduating class at Princeton has its own grandparent class, the class that graduated 50 years prior. I’m in the Class of 2022, so my grandparent class is the Class of 1972. My class government initiated a new partnership with our grandparent class that matched me with my very own mentor from the Class of ‘72. I am so grateful for my friendship with my Princeton grandparent, George.

I was first paired with George in the spring semester of my first year. We were matched because of geographical proximity, since I’m from Maryland and he lives in Washington, D.C., and because of shared academic and career interests. At the time, I was planning on majoring in English, which was what George studied before becoming a journalist. Journalism is a career path that interests me, so George was a perfect match for me.

Ever since then, George and I have been regular email pen pals. We have lengthy email chains in which we give each other updates about what’s going on in our lives. George has told me many amusing stories from his time at Princeton, such as his adventures as an upper-level student living off-campus on a run-down farm and playing for a band. He has also given me valuable advice about writing academic papers, insights into the job search process, tips about journalism and so much more. These emails have been a constant source of joy and learning for two years now. It’s amazing to get to hear about the similarities and differences between the Princeton of the 1970s and the Princeton of the 2020s.

I lucked out even more with my grandparent matching because I have also gotten to know George’s wife, Monica. She is not a Princeton alumna herself and has no obligation to mentor me, but she chose to get to know me along with George. She has had a long career in politics and policy, which is another of my career interests, so she has also been a great resource. I’ve met up with George and Monica twice, once in summer 2019 in DC, and once on campus in fall 2019. It was so much fun to give them my own campus tour and show George how much has changed since he was a student. I also FaceTime George and Monica regularly.

I did not expect that I would end up with a good friend from Princeton 50 years my senior, but George has been an amazing source of support and kindness and I feel truly fortunate to have him in my life. This friendship exemplifies the strength of the Princeton community and the power of the Princeton alumni network.

In my freshman seminar, Ethics in Finance, there were several guest speakers that came to class to discuss their experiences in the finance world. One of those guests was John Bogle, the founder of Vanguard and 1951 graduate of Princeton. His innovative career and commitment to philanthropy truly inspired me and he remains one of my biggest role models. I was fortunate to meet him before he, unfortunately, passed away in 2019, leaving behind a legacy of service.

During his guest lecture, he recalled how his senior thesis at Princeton served as a launchpad for Vanguard. While Bogle didn't invent the index fund, which bought and held all of the stocks in the S&P 500 index, his index fund was the first available to the masses and it changed the ways Americans saved and planned for retirement. He talked about the negative side of finance, in which banks are mostly interested in garnering profits. He disrupted this industry by providing the average American the tools to grow their investments in a reliable fund. 

Bogle's career is also one of philanthropy and intellectual curiosity. He has written more than ten books, one of which I received with his signature. He has also given back a great deal to Princeton, having donated what is now Bogle Hall in Butler College and providing funding for undergraduates to pursue their own summer internships in service.

His life story really resonated with me as I have always aspired to create good and leave my mark in this world. He was a pioneer of his time and his success is inspiring as he attended Princeton, meaning that I can aspire to do impactful things just like he did. Having the opportunity to meet alumni like Bogle has been one of the highlights of my Princeton experience. 

When I was applying to Princeton, I was curious to learn more about post-graduation outcomes and the types of careers Princeton students pursue. I hope this blog post sheds some light on what life after Princeton looks like.

Following graduation this upcoming May, I will be pursuing a Master’s in Management at The London School of Economics. I discovered an interest in entrepreneurship during my time at Princeton, so I decided to further my education and strengthen my quantitative skills before launching my career. I am very excited to move to London!

While attending a graduate program in management might be ‘unconventional’ for a history concentrator, there are many skills that I have acquired through my liberal arts education that are essential in the business world: the ability to write a compelling and effective argument, strong reading comprehension skills and a systemic understanding of human institutions.

My friends are pursuing a myriad of careers, all the way from software engineering at Amazon to independent journalism. I have also met many students that changed career interests or are undecided about what they want to do after Princeton and that is totally fine! The advantage of a Princeton education is that the world-renowned academics and extracurricular opportunities provide you with transferable skills that prepare you for the real world.

Princeton is known for its strong alumni network and I have met many alumni that have offered me mentorship and provided invaluable advice. One thing that stood out from my conversations with alumni is that being a Princetonian doesn’t end at graduation. With more than 95,000 Princeton alumni living all around the world, there are various opportunities and events to meet other Princetonians and nurture meaningful connections post-graduation. 

My message to prospective students is that no matter what you want to do in the future, a Princeton education will place you in a good position to fulfill your aspirations. Make sure to tap into the alumni network throughout your undergraduate career and learn from their experiences!

An April month not so long ago (okay it was 27 years ago), I was trying to decide what college I would attend.  I was blessed with several options. Ultimately, Princeton felt like home. I found the thought of writing a thesis invigorating and was excited that I would be able to engage with professors from a variety of academic backgrounds. The director of the African-American Studies at the time, Cornel West, even took time out of his busy day to have a conversation with me. Even then, when Princeton still included loans as a part of its financial aid package, my offer was the strongest I received, and I knew my family would not have to worry about affording college.  While many things have changed about Princeton (like no loans) since my decision to attend, I chose to return to the University to work in the Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity to advance Princeton’s broad commitment to expand access and success for first-generation, low-to-moderate income (FLI) students at highly-selective colleges.

When I was a student at Princeton, I participated in a two-week summer program, Freshman Summer Orientation Program (FSOP) directed to students who may have been the first in their family to attend college.  Since returning to campus, I have the opportunity to collaborate with the Programs for Access and Inclusion (PAI). PAI offers several programs connecting FLI students with each other and with resources on campus to thrive.  As I reflect on my own challenges transitioning to college, it is a source of pride knowing that first-year and transfer students are able to benefit from the ongoing community they find through PAI programming. Some students may find community through their participation in the revamped and extended version of my beloved FSOP – Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI) or the four year leadership program, Scholars Institute Fellows Program (SIFP). 

I was drawn back to Princeton because of its commitment to service and providing students opportunities to be engaged in the vital work of demystifying selective college admission. In my role at Princeton, I have the opportunity to partner with a number of amazing programs such as Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) and Matriculate. As a Matriculate Advising Fellow, Princeton undergraduates provide online mentoring and coaching to high achieving FLI high school students to support their consideration of highly selective colleges and universities.  This partnership aligns with Princeton’s informal motto, "Princeton in the nation’s service and the service of humanity."

During this “temporary abnormal,” as Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber '83 refers to this current state of affairs, try to enjoy exploring your college options. You will meet new people and learn about programs, activities and pathways that you may have never considered before. I encourage students to evaluate how a school fits your academic, extracurricular and other interests. I also encourage you to evaluate graduation rates, out-of-pocket expenses; and outcome data for colleges you are considering. Twenty-seven years ago, I chose Princeton as my home. I hope to see you on campus as a fellow Princetonian.

It’s a tradition for Orange Key tour guides at Princeton to end their campus tours highlighting their “Why Princeton” story: a description of what brought them to choose the University for their undergraduate experience. Everyone's story is different, and as my years on campus progress I get more emotional each time I deliver it. Without further ado, here it is:

What drew me first to Princeton was the beauty of the campus. I didn’t go on a lot of college visits, but when my dad and I saw Princeton we both knew nothing was going to top it. But other, perhaps more pragmatic, elements of campus were just as attractive: I felt safe and loved that the campus residential community would mean I’d never need to venture off or live off campus to see my friends. The libraries scattered evenly among campus meant I’d have a different place to study for each day of the month. Having Nassau Street so close meant I’d have access to a bevy of global cuisines within a stone’s throw of campus.

But more than a physical space, I knew Princeton was a community. I was drawn to the residential college system and the idea that I’d have a smaller, built-in support network the moment I stepped on campus. Additionally, the Princeton experience lasts a lifetime: our reunions are a raucous, orange-and-black celebration of everything Princeton that draws nearly 25,000 alumni annually. (Check out this old New York Times article for a description of some of the antics). Local alumni networks like Princeton in Washington (of which I’ve taken advantage through Princeton Internships in Civic Service) host events for current students and alumni. In my experiences through the alumni networks I've had the opportunity to attend events with senators and world leaders. This means that the Princeton learning experience isn’t ever really over after you graduate.

I knew the students I would go through school with would be exceptional. I was, and still am, truly excited by the idea that I’m going to school with future leaders with whom I will share a crazy, one-of-a-kind four-year experience. I knew the University’s laser focus on undergraduate students, unique among its peer institutions, would exceptionally qualify me to become one of those leaders myself. In that regard, the University has exceeded even my own lofty expectations, funding weeks of in-class travel and summers’ worth of internships to enhance what I’ll take away from my studies.

There are thousands of undergraduate institutions in the United States. It's probably true that I would've been happy at many of them. But, I’m confident that there’s no place I'd be as happy as I am at Princeton.

Dear Great Class of 2024,

This is an open letter from me, a jealous senior, to all the incoming first-years. Congratulations! You’re about to embark on the journey of a lifetime in a beautiful place I’ve been lucky to call home for the past 3.75 years. On behalf of all the bloggers, I’d like to welcome you to Princeton. There will be ups and downs, but you’ll soon learn that this truly is the best damn place of all.

Princeton is full of new opportunities, experiences and memories that you will cherish forever. My advice to you is this: take advantage of every single opportunity, experience and memory that comes your way. This is a once-in-a-lifetime journey, and as I know many of you can relate as high school seniors, it can all change in a matter of seconds. Cherish your time here. It really does fly by, I swear. It feels like just yesterday I was moving into Butler 1967 Hall, meeting my roommates, getting my bearings on campus and looking forward to the four years to come. Instead, a few days ago, I moved out of my cute little Patton Hall dorm room and said goodbye to everyone who made Princeton feel like home.

But enough with the sadness! This should be a happy time for you all. Be open to new experiences! Meet new friends; it may take a while to establish your core group, but you’ll get there! Get to know your professors; they can be great mentors and they’re there for you. Thank your dining hall workers! Explore the campus; Princeton is gorgeous, and it’s yours to take in. Try out every coffee shop in town. Call your parents ⁠— they’re anxious to hear from you! Stay in touch with your high school friends. Cope with stress in healthy ways; watch the sunrise, go to the gym, try out a new restaurant, take a walk. Take your time. Get to know some upperclassmen; I know they can look scary sometimes, but I promise they aren’t!

Last, but certainly not least: believe in yourself and trust in the process. You’re meant to be here! You’re meant to be a part of this amazing community. Good luck, and have fun!

Once again: welcome to Princeton.

Sincerely,

A jealous senior who wishes she could do it all over again.

I signed up to write for The Daily Princetonian as soon as I could my first year. Through this experience, not only have I improved as a writer, but I have also found a community to call my own.

The Daily Princetonian, or The Prince for short, is one of the longest-running college newspapers in the country. It prints daily, as the name suggests. I often see people reading The Prince at breakfast, learning about the latest news as they start their day.

I’ve written a lot of interesting articles since joining the paper. You can pitch any story you want; the opportunities are endless! The second article I wrote covered Ellie Kemper’s '02 keynote speech at the She Roars conference for female alumni in October 2018. I talked to her for several minutes and took a picture with her! I commented on her Instagram post from the event, and she followed me back on Instagram. She even likes and comments on some of my posts! When she came back for Class Day 2019, I emailed her through our alumni network about setting up an interview. I talked to her on the phone for almost a half hour to learn about how her time at Princeton prepared her for her acting career.

Ellie Kemper is not the only famous alumni I’ve talked to because of The Prince. This fall, I interviewed seven members of Congress who all graduated from Princeton, including Senator Ted Cruz '92, Congressman John Sarbanes '84 and Congresswoman Terri Sewell '86. These members of Congress came from all over the country and were members of both political parties, but they all had in common a desire to serve their country. It was an eye-opening experience and taught me about talking to people whose opinions differ from my own.

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While it’s fun to interview politicians and celebrities, I’ve also enjoyed covering student life and campus affairs. I interviewed a student who started Letters to Strangers, an international nonprofit dedicated to combating the stigma of mental health. I wrote about Tiger Treks, student-led trips to New York City and Tel Aviv that explore the burgeoning start-up industries in those cities. I talked to the founder of J-Lats, the first-ever club for students of Jewish and Latinx heritage, about the group’s first Latinx Shabbat

Over the past three semesters, I’ve learned how to develop my own pitches for stories, how to interview sources, how to structure a news article, and much, much more.  I recently became an Associate News Editor, and I'm excited to expand my role in the Prince. While the writing skills are important, so is making new friends that will stay with me long beyond my tenure on the Prince. I always look forward to my time in the newsroom. 

One of the more exciting aspects of life at Princeton is when public figures or experts in fields visit to participate in a conversation on a relevant, interesting topic. Recently, I had the opportunity of seeing two notable public figures come to campus and add to my Princeton memories. The President of Microsoft and Princeton University Trustee, Brad Smith ‘81, came to have a conversation with the host of “The Daily Show”, Trevor Noah. The event focused on Smith’s latest book (co-written with Carol Ann Browne), “Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age.”

For big events like this, the University tries to make ticket distribution as fair as possible. For these University-wide engagements, the announcement of the speaker and ticket information is sent to the undergraduate community via e-mail (among other reasons, this is why staying organized and on top of your emails is so important!). It is common for ticket distribution to take place in the ticket office at Frist Campus Center. For some of the more popular events, students line up for over an hour before the ticket office opens, ready to buy a ticket for themselves or a friend.

During this recent talk, Smith and Noah described how their shared fascination for technology and passion for ethics in the field allowed them to develop a friendship and business partnership. Noah included a stop at Microsoft when touring for his recent book, “Born a Crime: Stories of a South African Childhood”. There, the two met and subsequently began having conversations around innovation and the future of technology. Noah related his experiences of wonder to stories he told in his book about building computers as a child.

The conversation then shifted in a cool way as the two discussed some of the issues regarding technology in the modern age. Noah talked about the partnership he developed with Microsoft to deliver computers to the Johannesburg communities he was supporting through the Trevor Noah Foundation. What was particularly interesting to me was hearing Smith talk about Microsoft’s project to extend broadband—highspeed internet access—to rural areas across the globe. The two then began talking passionately about the importance of access to technology and education in underresourced communities. They noted that increasing such access addresses representation in the technology field but also helps to address ethical issues encountered by building artificial intelligence in a non-inclusive environment.

Overall, it was amazing to hear about Brad Smith’s experiences as a student on campus and the years since then, while also learning about Trevor Noah’s passion for technology and access for the Johannesburg youth, in addition to laughing at his jokes and quips. This talk exemplified one of the more fun and surprising aspects of Princeton: the ways in which we are able to learn outside the classroom, especially from the experts, themselves!