With the holidays approaching, I've been thinking a lot about home. As a first-year student immensely new to campus, the holidays and the breaks that came with them were a refuge from the Princeton chaos and unfamiliarity — I could go home and escape campus-related stress. Now, as a sophomore, much more acclimated to campus, I approach the holidays with much gratitude for all the ways in which Princeton has become my home. And leaving it during breaks can even be a bit difficult.

Thus, in honor of the holidays, I devoted this blog to expressing my gratitude toward everything at Princeton that makes my life feel warm even as the weather becomes frosty with the holiday air.

1. Friends!

I'm grateful to finally balance academic life, extracurricular activities, and socializing this semester. When I get stressed, I tend to retreat into my own bubble. However, recently, I've found that I make better, more thoughtful contributions to my classes and activities after spending time with friends. Taking time to decompress from the chaos of campus life — laughing, going out, and even just chatting — has become as important to me as writing essays and attending meetings. This time with friends is often the thing that powers me through my busy weeks, and it's the place I come back to when academic stress gets too much. As excited as I am to leave campus and see my family this holiday season, I'm a little sad about the weeks I'll spend away from my friends here. It's a bittersweet feeling, but more than anything, I'm grateful to have something that makes saying goodbye hard. 

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   2. Art!

As a creative writer and theater maker, I'm grateful to live on a campus with many artistic opportunities. And the last few weeks on campus have exemplified this fount of creativity. I write and read gorgeous poems for my Advanced Poetry class every week. I even represented my poetry class at the Creative Writing department's Fall semester reading. I've spent the last couple of months assistant-directing a musical for the Lewis Center of the Arts (the home of Theater, Creative Writing, Dance, and Visual Arts at Princeton), which opened and closed in the previous couple of weekends. Saying goodbye to that production was hard, but the creative opportunities that came with it brought a lifetime's worth of fulfillment. I've attended friends' art exhibition openings, dance expositions, and play performances when I'm not in class. The artist in me feels so full of gratitude for all the creative engagement that the past weeks and months have fostered.

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  3. Supportive Professors

This portion of the semester can feel dizzying. In the coming weeks, before I can return home for the holidays, I'll have to navigate the chaos of writing several term papers and completing final exams. Fortunately, I have kind professors who make this process more comforting. I enjoy using Office Hours to talk to my African American history preceptor about which class readings can best inform my final paper. My French cinema professor always leaves thoughtful comments on my grammar assignments and encourages me to explore my West African heritage throughout my creative projects in class. My poetry professor always creates time to discuss and workshop my poems and recommend poems that speak to my lived experience — a nice break from my other academic work! My art history professor is always willing to help me look through dense scholarly sources so that I can craft a well-argued and engaging term paper. Even as the stress of the final weeks on campus set in, I'm grateful to know that these resources are available to me.

  4. A Warm Place to Come Back to at the End of the Day

At the end of long days, I'm grateful that my warm dorm awaits me. I've made my dorm a place where I can decompress from academics. So, when I come back to my dorm, I can rest, call home, hang out with friends, watch movies, eat, and watch the seasons change right outside my window.

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The holidays always bring bittersweet feelings, especially when you're far from home. This holiday season, however, I'm enjoying taking time to reflect and express gratitude for life and all its simple wonders.

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. 

I never viewed myself as a writer. In fact, I remember I was quite opposed to the idea growing up. At the age of 6, I gave myself a headstart by struggling to read. In elementary school, the pattern continued as English was consistently my worst subject. Grammar and spelling never quite clicked in my brain—the latter of the two still has not improved with time (thank god for spell check). Thus, in middle school, I finally waved the white flag. I remember thinking to myself, “I’m good at many things, and I acknowledge that writing will never be on that list.” I never once thought I was good at writing, or had any interest in writing for myself.

I believe part of this misconception about writing came with its elusive nature. Growing up, it frustrated me that there was never a formula to follow. Unlike the math problems I could easily solve, writing left me uneasy on how to approach it, and even worse, how do you know when a piece is done? How do you know if it's good?

I didn’t like these aspects of writing for a long time. The only writing I did throughout my life was in a journal. I’m not sure what drew me to it, but initially I journaled to process things around me and to remember my life. Either way, I’ve been doing it consistently for the past seven years.

When I got to Princeton, my conception of writing didn’t change immediately. I took the infamous freshman writing seminar and felt further convinced that writing was not for me—academic writing at least. Slowly though, my journal evolved. Here and there I would write an entry that sounded pretty enough to share out loud with my sister. Looking back, I think my journaling slowly morphed into a sort of expressive art form. I was journaling to process my emotions, but also to portray my life in a poetic way. 

Even as I grew to love journaling, I did not formalize my love for writing until I found myself here, blogging for Princeton’s Admission Office. This job has helped me formalize my journal-like rants into completed pieces that I can share. And through these blogs, I realized a new inkling for that elusive yet expressive process we call creative writing. 

All of this is to say that being fluent in an art form doesn’t come naturally for everyone. For me, I believe years of journaling evolved a weakness of mine into a strength. It has been an unexpected turn of events to say the least. I don’t know if I’ve earned myself the title of a writer, but I can admit that I now view myself as one. 

Somehow senior year is already coming upon me, so here is a list of a few things I want to do before I leave Princeton:

1. See the stars at Peyton Observatory. I actually wrote about wanting to learn how to identify constellations at the Peyton Observatory in my application to Princeton and even made it to a public observing a while back, but just as I was making my way up the steps to the telescope, it became cloudy. It looks like the next public observing is in a few weeks, so maybe I can cross this off the list this summer! Another event I hope to attend is a Stargazing Night, held every semester in the Forbes backyard by the Princeton Astronomy Club.

2. Climb up the Grad College Tower. The Grad College is across the golf course behind Forbes, about a 10-minute walk from the rest of campus. You can see the beautiful tower, which I just learned is called Cleveland Tower, from a distance and hear the bells every Sunday. The Grad College, in my opinion, is by far the best dining hall on campus, and I think most undergraduate students have never gone! I have been wanting to climb the tower since freshman year and even spontaneously joined some senior friends who wanted to climb it before they left in May, but it sounds like you need to go when the Porter’s Lodge (the main office) is open to get a key. It looks like you can even request songs to be played on the carillon and get a free carillon lesson if you go on a Sunday afternoon!

3. Swim at DeNunzio Pool. This one isn’t anything too special, but I brought a swimsuit freshman year and still haven’t gotten around to using it. We have two pools: Dillon Pool, which is in Dillon Gym and reopened this past semester, and DeNunzio, which is further from the center of campus but a really nice facility used by the Swimming & Diving and Water Polo teams. Hopefully I can make it to a recreational swim or two!

4. Try aerial silks with Princeton Aerial Arts. The theme of this list seems to be things I’ve been wanting to do since freshman year. I got really excited when I found out about the Aerial Arts Club when looking through the clubs at Princeton but I wasn’t sure how to join. Hopefully I can try it out next year but if not, I’d love to attend one of their performances!

5. Walk across the Swinging Bridge in the Institute Woods. I often run down Mercer St which leads to the Institute for Advanced Study (where much of Oppenheimer was filmed) and the Institute Woods (which even have their own Lonely Planet page!). I haven’t yet made it to the Swinging Bridge because the woods are sometimes muddy and I’ve been too lazy to figure out precisely how to get there, but this is another one I could try to cross off the list this summer.

6. Run the Princeton half marathon. If you told me freshman year that in two years, I would be running half marathons, I probably would’ve laughed in disbelief. I plan on writing a blog about starting to run recreationally (and celebrating my birthday this past May by running the Brooklyn Half Marathon in New York City!) but long story short, now I’m the one trying to convince my friends to run the Princeton half with me. I just registered for the race in November and I’m excited to run some familiar routes and celebrate with my friends afterward!

7. Visit illy Coffee At Earth’s End. I’ve seen this little cafe a couple of times but haven’t gone in yet. After hearing good reviews from my friend who met a woman from church there and reading Odette’s blog, I’m inspired to check it out when I’m looking for a warm drink or a pastry.

8. Sled down the Whitman hill. Elementary schools back home in Alberta, Canada have stores of carpet sleds that we used every recess in the winter. I was surprised when my friends here couldn’t relate, but I guess that makes sense in a place that doesn’t see much snow. Hopefully this winter we’ll get enough to sled down the hill by Whitman College, whether it be on carpet sleds or cardboard boxes.

I look forward to reporting back on how many of these I’m able to finish by the end of senior year!

Dear Reader,

When one thinks about Princeton, academics, internships, classes, and pre-professional extracurricular activities often come to mind—serious stuff. However, I have been on many side quests, aka. casual things that I enjoy doing just for the sake of them. I hope this first side quest blog will provide a glimpse into something new that I tried for fun, amigurumi, which is a Japanese art form of crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures.

I’d never crocheted before Princeton. I always saw it as a tedious, difficult chore to secure each even, endless stitches. Last fall, I joined the Crochet Club with the encouragement of a friend who already knew how to crochet, and secured two free bee crochet kits from the club’s giveaway. It was quite difficult: my fingers cramped, my stitches were loose, and I had a hard time with the “magic loop:” the first few stitches to begin the first row. Fortunately equipped with my patient friend’s help, I began to improve and gradually inched through each row, barely keeping track of the number of stitches (which is not good, since you are supposed to count the stitches in each row). I fell into the comforting pattern of single stitches, and as academic life became more stressful, I gratefully turned to my bee, even just a few stitches a day. After a few weeks, my initially lopsided stitches became more tidy, and I successfully created my first pink bee.

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The week before winter break, the Princeton Student Events Committee (PSEC) hosted a finals event and gave out free Woobles kits, which are self-guided crochet kits with yarn, stitch markers, hooks, needles, and an instruction packet. Eager to practice more, I continued my hobby and created a rainbow narwhal. With more time on my hands, I found many free crochet patterns of cute amigurumi online and embarked on larger projects, like a medium-sized tiger to keep me company on campus! The Crochet Club also has a GroupMe chat for members to share recent creations, yarn recommendations, and more general advice. It was a warm community for us to geek out about one another’s cute projects. Thanks to the club and my peers, I pushed myself to learn something new and am now able to create cute creatures, which make great gifts for my friends and family!

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This summer, I have been giving out yarn and hooks to my new friends and teaching them how to crochet, starting with the “magic circle” and single crochets. The crochet circle is only growing!

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Almost a year ago today, I flew from Dallas (DFW) to London Heathrow (LHR) for my summer study abroad. I was bound for Cambridge University to study for six weeks. I did not know anyone in Cambridge. Abroad and alone, I was ecstatic. 

Prior to learning I had the opportunity to study at Cambridge, I was new to Princeton’s culture—one where students hustle to secure summer plans—and was extremely intimidated. I felt, at times, a stressful expectation to fill my summer with internships or other opportunities. Despite these feelings, I ended up with a summer filled with wild, wet, English adventures. Trust me, it was the right choice. 

July 6th, 2023: DFW -> LHR 

I remember clearly the butterflies I felt traveling internationally by myself. Touching down in London, my curious eyes peeked down from the plane, spotting little red dots commuting to and from. I had no idea what England had in store for me, but it turned out to be everything from iconic red buses to spontaneous trips. Arriving in Cambridge, I immediately was in awe of the old, historic town. Cambridge University is situated within the beautifully bustling town of Cambridge. The university has no central campus and is instead split into 31 different colleges, each of which has its own “campus” or courtyard dispersed throughout town. Walking around town, you’ll occasionally run into one of these colleges. Each is nestled between historic buildings and is visible through the small openings of its old wooden gates. 

For an artist, Cambridge is an extremely inspiring city. I drew constantly during my trip. The image above is one of my favorite sketches I did during my time there. It’s a drawing of the Kings College Chapel, which (fun fact) inspired the architecture of Princeton’s chapel. Several of Princeton’s buildings were inspired by Cambridge, actually, and I would argue that Princeton feels like a smaller, quainter version of Cambridge. 

August 19th, 2023: LHR -> DFW 

By the end of my trip, I had made unforgettable memories at Cambridge. Situating myself in a new town and making new friends, my 6 weeks felt electric. My day-to-day schedule consisted of a few classes and lots of biking around town. The weather was, well let's just say, English. It rained quite often but this rarely dented my excitement. I would recommend all students participate in a summer study abroad. Summer at Princeton can look like whatever you want it to. I learned a lot from this study abroad, and I wouldn’t trade my experience in Cambridge for anything in the world.

Lastly, I wanted to touch on a bit of the nuts and bolts of the program in case anyone is interested. I studied at Pembroke College and I took 3 classes during the 6 weeks: Jane Austen, Sustainability, and an independent study done with a professor. Princeton also has scholarships to provide financial aid for summer activities like these. Academically, Cambridge was certainly different from Princeton. We had far less hours of class time, and the only deliverables for students were two dissertations: each class required two very long essays.

This past fall semester of my junior year, I was able to take my first ever class in the Visual Arts (VIS, for short) Department. Two of my best friends at Princeton are pursuing the VIS certificate and always raved about their classes. As someone interested in the arts, I knew I just had to take at least one VIS course before I graduated.

Now, VIS classes are infamously known for being hard to get a spot in. They tend to be capped at only 10 to 12 students each in order to ensure an intimate learning environment. Luckily, I was able to snag a spot in VIS216: Graphic Design: Visual Form!

Taught by Professor David Reinfurt, the course was absolutely everything I wanted and more. It was so refreshing to have a class that was hands-on and project-based, especially to balance out my very reading and writing-intensive curriculum for my concentration.

One of my favorite assignments was when we were tasked with coming up with two new symbols that were meant to represent “stop” and “go.” We had to think outside of the box and figure out how we could communicate these definitions, without relying on the usual colors of red and green or the octagonal shape of a stop sign. I ultimately came up with the two symbols below:

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Can you tell which is which? I hope so! I genuinely enjoyed creating these and seeing what else my peers came up with. Throughout the semester, we also got to learn the basics of using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, how to make animated GIFs, as well as how to present our ideas during class critiques.

Our final project was to reimagine the recycling symbol and system. Over the course of four weeks or so, we each brainstormed solutions to the recycling crisis, graphically or otherwise. I especially appreciated how open the project prompt was because it didn’t tie us to any one medium. I ended up designing an incentivized app similar to Fetch, where you could scan a QR code on recyclables to earn points and redeem rewards! I was really excited about my idea, and during our final critique, Professor Reinfurt brought in several of his colleagues to listen to our presentations and offer us feedback. Their insight and advice were invaluable.

Reflecting back now that the semester has ended, VIS216 was an incredible experience! Even though I wouldn’t consider myself to be the most artistically inclined person, I’m super grateful that I had the opportunity to take this class. I’d highly encourage anyone with even an inkling of interest in art to try a VIS course. The department is made up of renowned faculty, there are tons of facilities and resources available to students, and it’s ultimately fun to have a class that lets you think a little differently than classes for your concentration. Take advantage of all that VIS has to offer!

As an engineering student with a passion for artcraft, I've always found joy in creating things with my own hands, exploring various methods and techniques to bring my ideas to life. So, when I arrived at Princeton and discovered the wealth of resources available for creative exploration, I was absolutely amazed. From the moment I stepped into the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Machine Shop to the countless hours spent in the Studio Lab and makerspace, my journey with Princeton's creative spaces has been nothing short of transformative.

My first experience in the MAE Machine Shop was the MAE 321 Engineering Design course. In the course’s labs, we delved into the art of design and manufacturing, utilizing advanced machinery like milling machines and CNC machines to craft intricate designs. From engineering a flywheel cart and bottle opener, to creating an airplane wing from scratch, the MAE Machine Shop is where imagination meets precision, providing students with hands-on experience and technical expertise.

Another vibrant hub of creativity is the Studio Lab, home of the Council of Science and Technology and a playground for artistic expression and experimentation. Here, students can explore a diverse array of mediums, from traditional embroidery to cutting-edge video game design. Equipped with incredible tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters, the Studio Lab empowers students to turn their ideas into reality. Workshops ranging from cryo painting tote bags to origami engineering foster a culture of collaboration and innovation, inspiring students to push the boundaries of their creativity.

Finally, Princeton's makerspace offers students the chance to delve into a multitude of crafts and technologies. From designing custom stickers to crafting intricate bead jewelry, the makerspace provides a hands-on learning environment where creativity knows no bounds. Students can also rent a variety of tech gadgets, from projectors to VR sets, allowing us to bring their visions to life with professional-grade equipment.

If you're someone who loves getting their hands dirty and bringing ideas to life from scratch, Princeton is the place for you. And for those who've yet to dip their toes into the waters of creation, who knows? Maybe Princeton will be the place where you uncover a newfound hobby.

“I wish Princeton felt like this.”

A comment from my fellow classmate after my short film (shown above) was screened for my digital animation class.

I think it’s fair to say my animation has quite a calming undertone. I wanted to capture the monotonous yet beautiful moments of my days here at Princeton - the simplicity of studying in Firestone Library during the early mornings, my bike rides across campus, and the much needed coffee breaks at Coffee Club. 

While I love to honor these small moments, I think many students, like my classmate, often experience a very different day in the life of Princeton. What I see at Princeton, which is often a love for these small moments, is not what everyone sees. But what I’ve learned during my time here is that Princeton can be so many things - too much to sum up in a day. 

Incoming freshmen often want a description of what a “day in the life” looks like at Princeton. Of course I could generalize my experience as stressful and overwhelming while simultaneously everything I could ask for in a college experience. It’s hard to describe the beautiful stressors, challenging moments, and new experiences that go on here. Ultimately, Princeton is a very unique college experience inside the “orange bubble” - an almost alternative universe on campus where you're swept up and time passes in odd ways.

But there are so many nuances in an experience. The description above, and further my own animation, fall short of describing so many aspects of Princeton: days where you’re in Firestone from sun up till sun down studying, memory making late night chats with roommates, or even how campus comes alive in spring as students flock to Cannon Green for picnics and frisbee games.

Princeton is too large to sum up in one day or one animation. Further, I think it’s important for incoming students to realize that Princeton is not a “day in the life”. No experience is. Despite being in the same academic and physical environment, everyone experiences college differently - hence the disparity between how I view Princeton through my animation and my classmate’s reaction.
But with this comes an important lesson; the reason we experience things differently is partly due to how we choose to perceive life around us. Our own experiences are ultimately what we make of them. At the end of the day, Princeton is what you make of it. So how do I answer the question: “what is a day in the life like at Princeton University?” It’s up to you to tell that story - my only advice, remember the sky's the limit.

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.