On March 27, the majority of the Class of 2029 opened their Princeton acceptance letters. Pre-frosh are getting ready for Preview, fantasizing about and planning for their upcoming college careers, and familiarizing themselves with Princeton (and hopefully, with the ‘Prince’!).
Here, our first-year Opinion writers reflect on their own Princeton experience, considering what they would have done differently and offering advice for incoming Princetonians.
Embrace the awkward
Lily Halbert-Alexander, Assistant Opinion Editor
Freshman orientation is intense, saturated with the natural stress of immersion in an unfamiliar place. Most everyone reaches a point when recounting one’s name, hometown, and prospective major one more time feels unbearable, and hiding away in one’s room feels tempting.
It’s absolutely necessary, and healthy, to take time for yourself. At the same time, when I look back at the many times in the beginning of the school year I swore I would reach out for a meal with someone, I wish I had been more committed to following through.
Nerves were my main obstacle. I worried about running out of questions, gaping silences, and the prospect of being the first person to reach out. These matters now feel trivial; in retrospect, the glorious awkwardness seems to be the bedrock of freshman orientation. Orientation is a unique period of vulnerability, in that we are united by our collective inexperience with Princeton: the entire endeavor depends on getting up each day and figuring out how to live in a way we’ve never done before.
Moments of social uncertainty — in short, a really awkward dinner— are valuable in themselves, regardless of how they work out, because they remind us that the college experience is not about perfection. With each awkward dinner, we get one step closer to finding our people. The awkwardness was never going to be avoided, and I find myself wishing I’d spent less energy trying.
Lily Halbert-Alexander is an assistant Opinion editor and prospective English major from San Francisco. She can be reached at lh1157[at]princeton.edu
To find ‘your’ people, meet all people
By Ava Johnson, Columnist
Incoming frosh, you have likely spent your entire adolescence working super hard.
Most people I know here spent high school pushing themselves to excel academically, while stretching themselves thin across countless extracurriculars. I encourage you to check those priorities at Fitzrandolph Gate. You should try hard academically — but you should try just as hard to get to know as many people as you possibly can in your time at Princeton.
Some of the things you learn at Princeton will stick in your mind for the rest of your life, but some of the people you meet at Princeton will be in your life for the rest of your life. This place is full of incredible and interesting people. Every person I’ve encountered at Princeton has impacted my life in some way — not just my incredible friends, classmates, and peers. From the kind Facilities workers I pass on the way to the bathroom to the nationally known political commentators I’ve taken classes from, this community has meant so much to me. And I know them because I talked to them. Don’t be afraid to invite your professor to lunch, or compliment the cool shoes of the person sitting next to you in lecture. Don’t be afraid to reach out to as many people as possible and get out of your social comfort zone.
It’s still important to work hard — but don’t let that goal get in the way of meeting people. Odds are, the people around you are absolutely amazing.
Ava Johnson is a sophomore columnist and Politics major from Washington, D.C. Her column “The New Nassau” runs every three weeks on Thursdays. You can read all of her columns here. She can be reached by email at aj9432[at]princeton.edu.
Make Princeton your own
By Jorge Reyes, Columnist
After being accepted to Princeton, I used to daydream about studying in all the Gothic and picturesque buildings I had seen online, the places that made me even more excited to attend such a renowned university. I resolved to study someplace new each day in pursuit of the perfect study spot. However, after arriving on campus, I found that I had forgotten all about exploring the places I was once so excited to discover.
Over the summer, I spent much of my time near Yeh and New College West, as these residential colleges host students for the Freshman Scholars Institute — a summer program that allows FGLI students to come to campus before their first year and take classes for credit. Unfortunately, I did not do much exploring.
Once the academic year began, I studied at the same places daily. I spent countless nights studying in Frick Laboratory or Fine Hall. I did not realize that many of the beautiful buildings I pictured myself studying in would be nowhere near the classes I was taking — Firestone Library, Chancellor Green, and the study spaces in Mathey-Rockefeller are nowhere near the Frick Chemistry Laboratory. Now, as my first year comes to an end, I am trying to revive my old mission. I’m exploring buildings and places I didn’t even know existed — it has added joy and variety to my days and reinvigorated my productivity.
Incoming freshmen, I encourage you to explore all parts of this beautiful campus, including those out of your way. Doing so will cultivate a deeper appreciation of the campus you’ll grow to love and help make the most out of your time at Princeton.
Jorge Reyes is a named opinion columnist for the ‘Prince.’ You can read his column, “No Tiger Left Behind,” every three weeks on Tuesday here. He can be reached at jr7982@princeton.edu
Try something new and regret it
By Lillian Paterson, Contributing Opinion Writer
When I came to Princeton, I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted out of my college experience: to write about people, read about new things, and visit cool places. Because these are common experiences at Princeton, I initially felt satisfied with my classes, the extracurriculars I joined, and my new life as a Princeton undergraduate.
But after my first semester ended, I reflected on my time at Princeton so far and realized satisfaction isn’t necessarily happiness. Going to Princeton is more than feeling satisfied. It’s about joining and creating new worlds for yourself, venturing outside of your comfort zone, and remaining open to surprises. I sequestered myself into my pre-existing interests my first semester here. It was easy to limit myself to the pursuit of what I knew I was already interested in. But it’s always been hard for me to endure the anxiety that comes with unfamiliar waters.
At the beginning of my freshman year, I talked to a member of the Ultimate Frisbee Team at the club fair. It was great: I got excited about a sport I never thought I’d be interested in. I thought about joining for a couple days but never answered a text I’d received from an existing member. I regret that. Even if it didn’t stick, even if I had hated it, the experience of knowing and trying is worthwhile, it’s what Princeton’s all about.
Lillian Paterson is a first year prospective English major from Silver Spring, MD. She can be reached at lp3095@princeton.edu.
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