Before this year, I had never had a problem set, or “pset” for short. I came to Princeton as a potential English concentrator, hoping to limit my exposure to any quantitative subject. That changed rather quickly after I changed my prospective concentration in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. I am in two prerequisite classes for my concentration that have weekly psets, worksheets filled with math and problem solving. These assignments are a lot different from my usual workload of reading and writing essays. Here are some tips I’ve learned about how to handle psets for the first time:

1. The most helpful resource for handling psets is the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning. The McGraw Center runs group review sessions and individual tutoring for many of the most popular classes on campus. I go to the group review sessions for my microeconomics class almost every week. The tutors are students who did well in the class previously, and they do a great job explaining concepts and assisting with the psets. The McGraw Center also offers learning strategy consultations, where students work with you on topics ranging from thesis planning to overcoming procrastination to study strategies. I find all of the McGraw Center offerings to be very helpful, so I highly recommend using the many programs they offer to help students.
2. It is also very important to go to office hours when you can. During office hours, you can ask your professor or preceptor specific questions about the psets or concepts that you are having trouble understanding. It might make you a little nervous to go to office hours at first, but they are there to help you learn and succeed. If the regularly scheduled office hours don’t work for you, sometimes you can find a different time to meet and go over your questions. Even for classes without psets, office hours are a great way to talk to and learn from the amazing professors we have here at Princeton.
3. A final strategy involves working on the psets with friends and classmates. I have several friends in my classes with psets, so we formed a study group. We work on homework together, check answers and just act as a support system for each other in these difficult classes. Working with friends is definitely more enjoyable than working alone.

While classes can be challenging, I’m glad that I have found some of the many ways Princeton supports students in difficult classes. Everyone has their own strategy about how to get through their work, so I’m sure you’ll find even more resources to help you along the way.

If you told me when I started at Princeton that just one year later I’d be an editorial contributor for a magazine, I’d say: That’s crazy! Given that I thought I was going to concentrate in molecular biology on the pre-med track, I definitely wouldn’t believe you. And yet, here I am, a soon-to-be English major, pursuing certificates in Creative Writing and Spanish. While it seems like I did a complete 180 degree turn, it’s actually pretty common for Princeton students to switch their concentration. We don’t have to declare a major until our sophomore spring, so we have lots of time to figure out what we truly enjoy learning. And for me, I realized that my passion was English.

Fast forward to the internship craze. Many students are either searching for or securing internships (or study abroad opportunities, which are also great!). I had no clue where to start. What do I do with an English degree? I decided to visit Princeton’s Center for Career Development, where my eyes were opened to the many career possibilities, most of which I never even considered or knew existed. Our career center works magic – Peer Career Advisors share their professional experiences, staff in various areas of expertise offer advising, the center hosts workshops and events throughout the year such as: resume building, LinkedIn support, panels, career fairs, drop-in hours, etc. There are plenty of networking tools to search for internships and connect with others in the industry as well. 

I left the center with a clear idea of a few outlets to pursue in my internship search and the tools to do so. Many cover letters later, I secured an editorial internship at New York Family Magazine, funded by Princeton's Program in Journalism! Over the summer, I wrote articles for the print and digital magazine, composed the monthly calendars for each NYC borough, attended press events and met an amazing team of people. Some of my favorite press events were seeing Bloomingdale's Pre-Screening of The Lion King (2019), checking out Dylan's Candy Bar's Holiday Candy Collection preview and learning about Nike's new Adventure Club for kids at the NYC Nike offices. I also pitched an idea that now runs as a column in every print magazine: New York Family’s Parent’s Book Club. I got to read books straight off the press (often advanced copies), interview authors and think of discussion questions that parents can use in their book club meetings. My creative writing professor at Princeton, Idra Novey, was our first book club feature with her novel “Those Who Knew.”

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Toward the end of the summer, I didn’t want to leave. Of course, I was super excited to return to Princeton for my second year, but I was going to miss writing for the magazine and seeing the team every day. Easy solution: freelance writing! I still write for New York Family as an editorial contributor, which means I basically do the same things I did during my internship, but away from the office. It’s certainly a challenge to balance my work for the magazine with my academics and extracurricular activities on campus, but it’s definitely worth it.

I am now much more confident to declare English this spring after having this experience. Princeton really encourages you to explore various areas of study, pursue your passion and consider a wide range of career opportunities. Check out my latest articles on newyorkfamily.com!

The senior thesis. What is it? Where did it come from? Why do I have to do it?

You might be asking yourself these questions. Maybe you’re waiting to hear back from the Office of Admission and you just read about the thesis online. Maybe you’ve already been admitted, and the thesis is making you question whether or not you want to matriculate. If you only remember one thing from this post, I hope it is this: don’t let the thought of a thesis scare you!

Almost every student at Princeton has to write a senior thesis in order to graduate. It’s basically just a long(er) research paper on a topic of your choice. Since most students have to write one, pretty much everyone will be familiar with the process at some point during their Princeton career. This means that you are never struggling through it alone.

When I was a prospective student, I remember being a little intimidated by the senior thesis. I had never written something so long in my life! I had no idea where to even begin. However, as the semesters started flying by, my interests began solidifying themselves, and it became apparent to me what I wanted to focus on at Princeton: a combination of policy, the criminal-legal system and race/discrimination.

Once you know what you are interested in, choosing a thesis topic becomes much easier. I knew I wanted to go to law school after Princeton and I’ve always been interested in criminal justice reform. So, I made sure to choose a topic that encompassed all of that! I applied for funding from the Woodrow Wilson School⁠—the department I’m majoring in⁠—and planned a trip to Norway. While there, I spent two days at a men’s maximum-security facility in order to learn about their prison system. I conducted interviews, took pictures and observed the individuals who have been incarcerated along with the staff (read this post to learn more about my thesis!). Honestly, it didn’t even feel like work⁠—since it’s a topic I’m genuinely interested in, I really enjoyed the research.

I think that’s the key to conquering your senior thesis: make sure you choose a topic that you are genuinely interested in, and the research won’t feel so much like work. Keeping this in mind, don’t let the senior thesis scare you. As a senior, I feel so much support from my classmates, since I know they’re going through the same process. I’m excited to see the final product of all my hard work and I’m so glad I didn’t let it scare me away from committing to Princeton!

Coming to Princeton I was scared to choose a concentration. Taking a look at the academic offerings can be overwhelming, as Princeton offers 37 different concentrations (our word for “major”) and 55 certificate programs, all under two degree programs, Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) or the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (B.S.E.). 

What makes Princeton unique is its flexibility in allowing you to take courses in a variety of academic fields. In fact, you do not have to declare your major until the spring semester of sophomore year, if you are an A.B. student, which gives students plenty of time to decide. I initially thought about becoming a math concentrator but discovered I really liked the history classes offered at Princeton so I decided to switch. I know this decision is never easy, so I compiled a guide to help you in your process of selecting a concentration:

1) Reflect on your high school experience

One great way to start discovering what you like is looking back at your four years of high school. What classes and extracurriculars did you enjoy? I have several friends who always knew they wanted to study engineering because they liked math and other quantitative subjects. At the same time, you should know what you don’t like. I didn’t enjoy taking chemistry in high school and I was not a fan of reading fiction. 

2) Consider your career goals

What do you want to do after graduation? Do you want to become a lawyer, doctor or a historian? The options are endless! Having your career goals in mind is important when selecting your classes. For instance, if you want to attend medical school, you have to fulfill the pre-med requirements. Do note that your concentration does not need to be related to your future job. For example, I have a friend who studied engineering and now works for a non-profit. 

3) Take classes in different fields 

From urban studies to molecular biology, Princeton offers classes in almost all the subjects you can think of. You have to be open to taking classes outside your comfort zone because you never know if you are going to discover a new interest. For example, I took “History of The World” to fulfill the history distribution requirement and liked it so much that I decided to join the department. 

4) Reconsider your interests

Did you know that more than half of students change their concentration at least once during their four years at Princeton? So odds are that you might not stick with your intended field of study and that is ok. You just have to be open to learning from new experiences and understand that your interests might change as you become older. Discover what you like and what you don’t like, and enjoy the process. Once you join your respective department, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that this is what you really want to study.

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!

Concentration Declaration Day is when all sophomores officially declare their majors! We all took pictures with our banners as we joined our respective departments. For me, this was a meaningful day because I finally declared History after being undecided for a while. In this post, two other bloggers and I will share why we declared our concentrations.

I chose to declare History because of my great experiences with the History department. The professors are leading experts in their field and small class sizes allow for engaging seminars. History has taught me how to construct a compelling argument based on past events and has changed my way of thinking about the world. My writing and argumentative skills have improved substantially, and I can’t wait to start my independent work on Colonial Latin America.

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“I chose to be a Politics concentrator because I am fascinated, and a little intimidated, by the current global political climate, and I wanted to give myself the educational context to someday make a difference in that realm. Reaffirming my choice of this concentration is my newfound interest in political theory- something I was only exposed to in college- which introduced me to novel and crucial ways of thinking about the underpinnings of different political systems around the world.”

 - Mallory Williamson ‘21

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“I came to Princeton thinking I wanted to concentrate in math or Operational Research in Finance and Engineering (ORFE), but I also knew I was passionate about social change and educational equality. When I discovered that I could develop my quantitative analysis skills while also exploring social issues and social phenomena in sociology, I was hooked. Some of the most thought-provoking and interesting classes have been in sociology, and I've absolutely adored the flexibility and applicability of sociology to almost any field. The blend of qualitative and quantitative analysis makes this concentration super interesting, and I'm excited to see where it takes me!”

 - Daniel Kim ‘21

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The story begins here, during...

Highschool, Senior year, Fall

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

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

Princeton University, First year, Fall

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

Princeton University, First year, Spring

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

Princeton University, Sophomore year, Fall

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

Princeton University, Sophomore year, Spring

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

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

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