As hard as it is for me to believe, I’m somehow almost halfway through my last semester at Princeton. Time has flown by! The past 3 ½ years have been full of great friends and even better memories. Yet, there’s still so much on campus that I haven’t been able to do. With the countdown to Commencement starting, I’ve been ruminating a lot on what things I want to see, do, and experience before I graduate. I present to you: my Princeton Senior Spring Bucket List…

1) Eat at the Graduate College (and maybe climb to the top of the tower!)

Although it’s only a short walk across Alexander Street, I’ve never visited our esteemed Graduate College. As undergraduates, we actually do have access to eat meals in their dining hall, which I heard has some pretty awesome architecture (think Hogwarts Great Hall) and delicious food, too. Students have also been able to climb the stairs all the way up to the top of the Graduate College’s Cleveland Tower, where you can get a gorgeous view of the whole campus.

2) See the Danny DeVito Shrine

I’m not kidding. This is 100% legit. There’s apparently a shrine to legendary actor Danny DeVito hidden in the basement of ***** Hall, and I intend to see it before I leave this campus.

3) Walk the towpath

I’ll blame the fact that I’m not much of an outdoors runner for why I haven’t made it to this one yet. It’s true a lot of people usually like to do their morning jogs on the towpath, which runs alongside our beautiful Lake Carnegie. Once the weather gets a bit warmer, I’ll definitely be making my way out there soon with my friends—maybe not for a run, but a leisurely stroll!

4) Use the waffle maker in Choi Dining Hall

I know this one seems silly, but I’ve always wanted to use the waffle maker in Choi Dining Hall. Every time I’m at Saturday or Sunday brunch, I haven’t seemed to make my way over there. But I’m determined to before I graduate and hopefully finally understand all the waffle hype.

5) Take a class at the NCW ceramic studio

This is one that my friends and I have talked about since our first year here. The ceramic studio at our residential college home of New College West has free workshops, open studios, and study breaks that all students can attend. There are both professional and student instructors there, who provide a comfortable environment and are always happy to teach artists of all levels. Though I’ve never made pottery before, I can’t wait to try my hand at it!

6) Go to an Arch Sing

Given how many talented acapella groups we have at Princeton and how many Arch Sings they host over the course of a school year, I can’t believe this one is still on my list! For those who are not familiar, Arch Sings are when the various acapella groups gather in one of our campus arches—usually our famous Blair Arch—and perform a few songs. Besides it being just a cool visual to be surrounded by all the gothic architecture as you listen, the acoustics in the arches also make the experience that much more magical.

This list is still a work in progress, and I’m sure many things will be added between now and Commencement. But to all the prospective students reading this, take my advice once you’re on campus: savor it! Take advantage of every place, tradition, and activity here—even the silly stuff. Because before you know it, you’ll be a nostalgic senior like me, trying to soak in all that Princeton has to offer before I walk back through those FitzRandolph Gates!
 

Commencement is not a single ceremony at Princeton. Instead, it is a multi-day series of events, ceremonies, and traditions to send off the graduating class with no shortage of pomp and circumstance. Here is an overview of what the last month as a Princeton student looks like.

First two weeks: Final exams and presentations

The first two weeks of May involve finishing final papers, presenting your thesis, and taking exams. Once these are complete, not only have you fulfilled all the requirements for the semester, but for your diploma! 

Third week: Dead Week

Between exams and Reunions is Dead Week. Most students have left campus, and there are few events going on, making the campus seem relatively "dead." A number of seniors take a trip to the beach, which is why the week is sometimes called Beach Week. I didn't go to the beach, but I did go home to visit my family in Philadelphia.

Fourth week: Reunions

The campus comes back alive, in full strength, with Reunions. Alumni in all shades of orange and black descend on campus in their class jackets to reconnect with their friends. The highlight of Reunions is the P-rade, where alumni, led by the Old Guard of classes past their 65th reunion, march through campus. The graduating class members are invited as special guests to the P-rade to experience their first alumni event.

Last Sunday: Baccalaureate and Prom

The next day, the official commencement events begin with the Baccalaureate ceremony on Sunday afternoon. Seniors wear their cap and gown and file into the chapel for an interfaith ceremony. That evening, senior prom takes place in Jadwin Gym. The class of 2024 also had a prom in sophomore year, so this will be our second class prom together.

Last Monday: Class Day and Step Sing

On Memorial Day, seniors gather on Cannon Green in the morning wearing their class jackets to listen to the Class Day speaker and for the distribution of several prizes. In the afternoon, each department has their own individual ceremony. My thesis advisor, Dr. Bourg, is the acting Director of Undergraduate Studies this year and will lead my Civil and Environmental Engineering Class Day ceremony. In the evening is Step Sing, when the class gathers on the steps of Blair Arch to sing several pop songs specific to their class year and the traditional "Old Nassau."

Last Tuesday: Graduation

Tuesday morning is the official graduation ceremony, where the valedictorian and salutatorian deliver their speeches, the university president makes his remarks, and students finally get to walk through FitzRandolph Gate. And with that, you are officially a Princeton graduate!

I graduated high school in 2020, the year when most ceremonies were cancelled due to Covid-19, so I'm especially grateful to have all these festivities for my college graduation. I'm looking forward to treasuring these last few moments as an undergraduate at the Best Old Place of All.

As a follow-up to my sophomore blog post about 7 traditions in my first on-campus semester, I now present to you 7 traditions from my final semester. 

1. Taking 3 courses + thesis

In the final semester, seniors generally take a lighter course load to have additional time to focus on the thesis. This spring I only took 3 courses plus the thesis (which counts as a course), giving me more time to focus on my project than when I have a typical 4-5 course load. This also gave me time for graduate school interviews, student visit days, and other tasks associated with planning for life post-Princeton.

2. Choosing a grad school program

Come March, I was notified of my acceptances to the different graduate school programs I'd applied to. In the fall, I'll be starting a doctoral program in Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT working with Dr. Desirée Plata! Being able to share this news with my professors and letter of recommendation writers was exciting and rewarding.

3. Printing and binding my thesis

In mid-April, my thesis was wrapping up, and it was time for official printing and binding. Printing your thesis is optional, but it's traditional to present a leather-bound copy to your advisor. I chose to print my thesis and was incredibly proud to present the culmination of my project to Dr. Bourg.

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4. Stepping into the Fountain of Freedom post-thesis submission

Following submission of the thesis, seniors will step into the Fountain of Freedom to officially mark the beginning of the mythical "PTL" (post-thesis life). The water wasn't very warm on the day after my department's thesis submission date (April 15), but I still honored the tradition by stepping into the water.

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5. Wearing my class jacket

Formerly known as a "beer jacket," to be worn by seniors at the Nassau Inn to protect their day clothes, the class jacket is now the de facto uniform for Reunions. The jacket prominently displays your class year, making it easy to spot your classmates among the masses of orange and black that flock to campus for Reunions each May. Our class voted on the design in the fall, and I'm really pleased with the final design.

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6. Taking photos by the bronze tigers

Our class government offered free sessions with a pro photographer by the bronze tigers, and I also took photos of my friends myself. We brought numerous graduation props (thesis, class jacket, cap) to the session.

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7. Walking through FitzRandolph Gate

At Commencement, I'll walk through FitzRandolph Gate for the first time since the class of 2024 Pre-Rade in my first on-campus semester. Legend has it that students who walk through the gates between the Pre-Rade and Commencement won't graduate in four years. All appears to be on track for me to officially receive my diploma on May 28, but I certainly won't be taking any chances between now and then.

And with that, my undergraduate experience at Princeton has come to a close! I've truly loved my time here, and I'll forever be grateful to Old Nassau.

As I reached the conclusion of writing my thesis, it was time to begin the exciting process of printing and binding it! In my department, it's traditional to present a bound copy to your advisor and an unbound copy to your second reader. I also wanted a copy for myself, so I ordered two printed theses and printed an unbound copy at Frist Campus Center.

There were more printing decisions to make than I initially anticipated. To begin, I headed to the Princeton Pequod website to place my order for the goldstamping (cover) and interior pages. Among the covers, I could select Traditional Hard Binding (most expensive but classic option), Laserfoil Suede Hard Binding (similar and slightly less expensive), or one of three soft cover options. At the Pequod printing center on campus, I was able to view examples of each of the cover types. I liked the Laserfoil Suede option best.

Then I could choose the paper type, which ranged from the budget "Regular White" to the pricey "100% Cotton Bright White," as well as which pages, if any, I wanted printed in color. I decided to go with the intermediate "25% Cotton Bright White," and I opted for the $10 upgrade to have four rather than three title lines so that my complete title would print. Printing a thesis is a bit like buying a car, in that the list price can really rise once you start selecting the add-ons...

The thesis printing service is surprisingly fast. Goldstamping must be ordered 24 hours ahead of time, but the interior pages can be ordered up until 9:00 a.m. on the thesis due date. To account for any printing mishaps or other potential delays, I printed my thesis on the Thursday before the Monday due date. I placed my order for both goldstamping and the pages at around 10 a.m., and it was ready for pickup by 2:00 p.m. On Monday morning I'll deliver a copy to my advisor, Professor Bourg, and I'll deliver the unbound copy for my second reader to my department's main office.

This marks the official end of my undergraduate thesis, but not yet of the research project—I'm working with my advisor to submit it to an academic journal, so I'll continue refining the manuscript in the coming weeks. The printing was an important milestone nonetheless, and I'm pleased with the final product!

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A chilly morning in late January, with gray but otherwise clear skies, marked the first day of classes of the spring semester. For the class of 2024, this first day was particularly special, as it was our LFDOC (last first day of classes). There is always a photographer on McCosh walk at the beginning of each semester to take FDOC photos, but our class government organized a special session with a unique poster to celebrate the particularly significant LFDOC.

This is indeed my last first day of undergraduate classes, but it's not quite the end, since I will continue to have first days of classes as a graduate student. Even when I'm no longer a student, though, there will continue to be first days: a first day at a new job, followed by a first day in a new position, and then a first day at a new institution or company. There are first days outside of career as well, like your first day in a new apartment or first day in a new city. While the LFDOC marks the end of the student era of your life, there will continue to be first days, in one form or another, throughout life.

To me, it is reassuring to know that there will continually be opportunities for fresh starts throughout my professional and personal lives. A new beginning signals a chance to break out of a particular rhythm, shake up your routine, and learn new habits. It's a chance to meet new people, learn new strategies and information, and expand your horizons of what you're capable of. Some aspects of a new role will be improvements from before, maybe a better schedule or more independence, while others will be less welcome, like a longer commute or a difficult boss. The novelty of the new challenges, though, is exciting in and of itself, and you may surprise yourself in your ability to handle the elements that are more difficult than those in your previous position. There is always hope for the future when you know that things can change over time, and that there can always be another first day.

Huzzah for the LFDOC, and here's to an auspicious start to the last semester!

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A hallmark of the Princeton experience is the senior thesis, a culmination of the past four years of your academic work and interests. All students, with the exception of BSE Computer Science majors, have to write a thesis before they graduate, though many BSE Computer Science students also choose to write one. As the weather begins to warm and more and more students make their way outside to bask in the sun, more and more seniors will make their way into the depths of Firestone Library, eagerly anticipating the day that they enter PTL (Post Thesis Life).

All departments also have their individual deadlines for the thesis, and at the time of writing, there are some students who have a month left till they have to submit, and others, such as me, who have nearly two months left. My thesis is due on April 24th, both a blessing and a curse because it means I have enough time to finish it, but also that I will be working on my thesis up to the last day of classes. 

Though everyone has a different process, I have found that the best way to approach my thesis is to work on a little bit of it every day. Initially I told myself that I would write a bulk of it in one day (say 5 pages), which became daunting, but not so much if I just spaced out those pages over the course of a week. I am also helped by the fact that my thesis is not that long, at least in comparison to some of my friends. As an East Asian Studies major, my thesis has the minimum length of 60 pages, and my adviser specifically requested that mine not exceed 80 pages. I have found this length to be quite manageable, while at the same time I have become a lot more intentional about all of the words I am writing, as I know I will not be able to keep all of them. 

Currently, I have a thesis draft due on the Friday of midterms week, March 8th, and am mostly done with all of my writing for that draft. Afterwards, there are no more ‘checkpoints’ offered by the department I have to work towards, which means that I will be largely left on my own and will be responsible for keeping myself on track. The good thing is that I will not be alone, as my friends will also all be working towards their final thesis submission. I expect many days in the basement of Firestone Library together, but all working towards the sweet day where we will exit the library, having passed one of the most important milestones of the Princeton experience. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

It’s crazy to me that I graduate this year - and there’s still so much I want to do at Princeton. Here’s a bucket list of everything I have to do before I leave (sob).

Go to the top of Cleveland Tower. The grad school tower is a Princeton landmark, and it’s right across the golf course from Forbes College, where I live. In fact, in sophomore year I’d see it every morning from my window when I woke up. But most people don’t seem to realize that you can actually visit the top of the tower and take in crazy views of campus

Explore Firestone’s extensive collection. I recently discovered rows of graphic novels and comics from my childhood deep in its lower levels, and spent an afternoon flipping through pages rather than studying for my exams. Firestone Library may be a great place for studying and research, but there’s so much more - odds are, they’ve got stuff on anything you’d be interested in reading. And the library itself is so sprawling that there are so many out-of-the-way nooks and crannies. 

Explore all the buildings on campus. Firestone is just the start of it - there are so many buildings on Princeton’s campus that I’ve definitely not fully explored. There are dinosaur skulls and hidden cafes and sixth-floor rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows where you can watch the sun set over campus. Apparently, there are tunnels connecting some of the science buildings…

See a Triangle Show one more time. Every year, I’ve made sure to watch the student-led theater production put on by The Princeton Triangle Club. My sophomore fall, I was actually off campus during opening weekend, and Ubered specifically back to campus just to catch the show. It’s a tradition. Last time I heard “Old Folks Home,” I practically cried. 

Eat at all the dining halls again. Each residential college has a dining hall, and during our first and second years, everyone pretty much eats in one or the other - whether it’s which is closest after class, or which has the best looking menu, or which is closest to the lazy friend you’re meeting for dinner. As an upperclassmen, however, most people begin to eat in their eating clubs, co-ops, or independent plans. But everyone still gets two meal swipes per week at the dining halls of old - I’ll make sure to give each of them a go around for old times’ sake.

There's a lot I'll be doing for old times' sake this one last spring - but I think as always, Princeton will throw new and unexpected experiences my way. The bucket list will probably be a lot bigger - and more checked off - in just a few months. As they say in "Old Folks Home," Princeton is truly first rate.

I have recently taken to walking all over campus, even off-campus get out of the orange bubble, and I have noticed just how many walking paths there are. I have gone on hour-long walks down by Carnegie Lake and walked all the way until I have reached miles and miles of farmland. Some paths lead to cozy neighborhoods and others lead to peaceful and quiet scenery. I have walked in so many directions and for entire mornings. There is an abundance of greenery just outside the campus, and I have come to depend on these excursions to clear my mind when things get inevitably stressful. My most recent and pressing source of stress is settling on my plans for after graduation.

As a senior, I have been consumed by the thoughts of life after graduation. I know I definitely want to go to graduate school and get a doctorate degree in Latinx/Chicanx studies, but I am on the fence as to whether I should take a year off from school or not. I keep getting advice from so many people about all the different paths I could take as soon as May comes around. The Scholars Institute for Fellows Program has been the community on campus that I know I can depend on to support me in considering my options to make an informed decision on my future. I just want to be sure that I’m making the right decision. 

On one hand, I am excited to do more research and travel again in graduate school, especially after not being able to because of the pandemic. I feel that I still want to improve my research skills because I learned so many valuable things about time management and research techniques from my junior paper on the way that Latinx immigrants were represented in the media following the immigration act of 1990. I am working on applying my newfound knowledge on my senior thesis on the way that Hispanic women on college campuses develop their identities and decide their romantic and sexual partners, but I want more opportunities to truly put into practice and execute on what I have learned. 

On the other hand, pursuing a doctoral degree will take a number of years, and I might turn thirty before I get to my goal of getting my PhD in Chicanx studies. I’m worried that if I’m too focused on my research, I’ll be missing out on some fun adventures and outings with friends. If 2020 taught me anything, it is that in the blink of an eye, everything you took for granted can be swiped right from underneath you. I want my twenties to be filled with adventure, risk, and excitement, so I’m considering taking a gap year (or maybe a few) before I jump back into school. 

Another option to consider is getting a job abroad, where I learn more about the world before I put my head down to work. Perhaps I will go back to my mom’s hometown in Degollado, Jalisco to reconnect with my Mexican roots. There is still so much I want to experience, and I do not want to wait until later in life to do so because of school or work. My greatest fear is to have regrets about what I could have done or should have done differently. That is why I want to take some time to myself and grow as a person first.