<p>Are there any freshman at Princeton (or actually, even the older kids), who regret choosing Princeton over any other school? Now, we all know that graduating from Princeton is a great honor and it will open many many doors for you in the future, but.......are you having fun?</p>
<p>In other words, are you finding people that you are compatible with? Is your social life busy? Are you HAVING FUN??? Or are you secretly wishing you were someplace else?</p>
<p>Well, if you're asking about people's secret reservations, I'm not sure how many answers you'll get ....</p>
<p>Seriously, though, I love it here. Although this is going to sound insanely selfish to anyone who didn't get into his first choice school, I did have some qualms after the ED acceptance came in, which I think is natural when something you've been dreaming of becomes a definite reality. However, all that changed once I got here. I won't say that there were no difficult days of adjustment, but that is common to freshman everywhere. After that, I've been incredibly satisfied, both academically and socially. Even as someone who doesn't necessarily fit the Princeton "type," I've found a lot of people with whom I am compatable - including people who fit some of the sterotypes I was initially afraid of.</p>
<p>no regrets, at all</p>
<p>how hard is the work load?</p>
<p>1) No regrets for my D
2) Classmates include a lot of great people.
3) Math and Science are incredibly hard. Be ready for long hours on 'problem sets.' Even if you have 5s on all of your APs and top 1% ACT or SATs, expect a challenge like you have never faced in your life.
4) The administration and faculty are focused on undergraduate education.
5) Lots of little things to make you welcome (trips to NYC or Broadway at super cheap prices or the RA hosting a sushi, pizza or ice cream study break).
6) They wouldn't graduate as a high a % of starting freshmen if there were a lot of regretful students.
7) How hard is the work load? Every freshmen must take a freshmen writing seminar. The course requires 4 papers, the longest is a 15 page research paper. Answer the question with a question. Are you excited about that or intimidated?</p>
<p>My daughter absolutely loves it. She has a best friend who is great, she has been to her share of parties, she writes for the newspaper. She has stopped dancing much, but takes yoga and pilates and has taken kickboxing and capoeira (!). As far as the workload she also found multivariate calc to be hard despite her 5 on the AP CalcBC exam. She is taking her writing seminar now - has done the first of the papers, so far only peep about heavy workload is that it's a lot more reading than high school. Loves psych, which looks like it will be her major, finds statistics really fun, is taking a religion course from a woman famous for her take on Christianity.</p>
<p>Only complaint is the food. She wishes she could cook for herself. But seriously, she is so happy at the moment (cross my fingers) that I actually thought about posting about all the great things she is doing but decided that since it's Princeton it might be perceived as bragging, so I didn't:).</p>
<p>Oh, and D chose Princeton over Stanford and Berkeley with a Regents and has had not even one whit of regret.</p>
<p>how about the professors? do they sub TAs in?</p>
<p>TAs don't teach any courses, except for, occasionally, an intro language class. They do frequently lead precepts and lab sessions, although almost all professors teach at least one of the precepts.</p>
<p>S is happy and we are happy too (except for one day in August and one day in January - those are the dollar days).</p>
<p>Alumother... I would be so interested to hear how your daughter is doing and how she finds Princeton. I say, make a thread. Plenty of people will appreciate the insight, and if someone doesn't like it... they're just jealous. ;)</p>
<p>Film, well, let's just consider this the thread that's appropriate to discuss it on then.</p>
<p>First all, writing for the Prince. I can't describe exactly what she has gotten to write about, because then it would be clear who she is. But let's just say her articles have spanned celebrities, Nobel prize winners, political sympathies on campus, and interviews with the top university administrators. The current editor of the Prince is apparently an extremely charismatic person who makes the environment fun and spontaneous.</p>
<p>Second, she works out all the time. She loves to sign up for cheap classes, yoga etc as I point out above. She loves to go and use the eliptical and even is starting to lift weights. And walking everywhere, which is possible at Princeton, has been great.</p>
<p>Third. The eating clubs. She says it's really easy to get in, and the parties are fun. Yes, there's a lot of drinking. Never have been a drinker, she is learning to navigate that culture. But she has been having a lot of fun.</p>
<p>Fourth. The campus. It is beautiful. And they have had a lot of snow this winter which makes it even more beautiful.</p>
<p>Fifth. The kids. They come from everywhere. Luxembourg, Detroit, Washington D.C., India. Some are wildly rich, some are on full scholarships due to need. Some are preppy, some are nerdy, some are just regular kids who happen to be extremely intelligent and interesting.</p>
<p>Sixth. The classes. Well, her freshman seminar was 6 kids discussing literature. The professor had them all over to his house where he and his partner cooked them dinner. Her psych class had 2 lecturers, both fabulous, and a lab assistant she loved. Her spanish has improved remarkably in her advanced level conversation class. This semester's classes she likes even more than last semester, including mol bio. She's looking forward to using the MRI machine in the psych basement to do brain research. And although the work is hard, even though she spent semester #1 focusing on the social she still managed to get above average grades.</p>
<p>Seventh. Trips to NYC. She has already been up there 3-4 times, to see plays, ballet, with the school, and on her own with a friend to go to the Met.</p>
<p>Eighth. She even likes the town of Princeton, and has changed her meal plan so that if she budgets she can eat out (given that she doesn't like the dining hall food much).</p>
<p>I guess most of all it's the people - the kids, the professors, the guest lecturers. There are so many kids who are so interesting, you can find your right spot. And so many adults who are brilliant and available that if you look you will be able to expand your scope of ability - that you began to develop as a top student in high school - out into the world.</p>
<p>I'm not a member of the Class of '09 but I'd like to add a testimonial. </p>
<p>I turned down offers of admission to Harvard, Yale, Stanford and a number of other fine schools to attend Princeton. I have never regretted that decision. The quality of intellectual discussion, the access to professors, the quiet beauty of the campus and the intelligence and accomplishments of my fellow students were more than I could have expected. I know that, had I made a different decision, I would still have received a good education but I can't recommend Princeton highly enough. Sharing notes with friends at some of the schools I turned down I found many who were not as happy with their choices. The evidence of this can easily be found in the statistics comparing the percentage of graduates who contribute financially to their undergraduate alma maters. These statistics are reported by U.S. News and other organizations. A far higher percentage of Princeton graduates contribute (most in small amounts) on an annual basis than is true at any of Princeton's competitors. Either these graduates suffer from mass delusion or they are genuinely appreciative of all that Princeton provided to them.</p>
<p>Princeton may not lead you to nirvana and there is much room for improvement but there is a genuinely caring attitude among administrators and faculty that keeps driving the institution forward. It is a place that thinks deeply and continuously about its history and its future. While respecting tradition it is constantly changing and improving. </p>
<p>Finally, know that the F. Scott Fitzgerald stereotypes are dead. Today, Princeton is an incredibly diverse place with students of all types and from all parts of the world. If offers an undergraduate experience that is both intensely intellectual and intensely fun. Matriculating there is like joining a family with quirky relatives and dinner table political arguments but one that you know will always act with a big heart. You'll get a great education at many schools but you're unlikely to be unhappy at having made the decision to attend Princeton.</p>
<p>Thanks for the description, Alumother. Sounds like shes having a great time.</p>
<p>Film - you're welcome bud. (I call all males under 21 bud). Aren't you EA at Harvard or something:)?</p>
<p>Ew no way ... Yale. (I need to brush up on this whole angry rivalry thing ;))
PS - I'm a girl... I suppose I must have a manly online persona because this isn't the first time on CC I've been mistaken for a guy!</p>
<p>Well the ew no way was girlie enough:). Anyway, enjoy your college days. You don't really have to go the angry rivalry route BTW, just wear blue clothes frequently and you should be good to go.</p>
<p>My son is working very hard and could certainly use a bit more sleep.
They all could:)
That being said, while home during the winter break he got together with his HS friend who attends Harvard. My son remarked that "these schools are a lot of work". His friend (a sophomore) replied "no kidding".</p>
<p>Thanks to all the 'rents out there ('rent is short for parent) for your wonderfully reassuring comments. D is part of the class of 2010 and she can't wait to go!! Princeton is her dream school and we can hardly contain our excitement for her!
BTW, Alumother, where in Nor Cal are you? (We're in Nor Cal too). You can PM me if you'd like, and if you'd rather not say at all, that's ok too.</p>
<p>You guys are getting me so excited about Princeton!!! Thanks for all your insight--this thread is amazing :).</p>
<p>Any recommendations/warnings about frosh year for '10ers? As in, anything you (or your S or D) wish you had done differently with regards to workload, particular courses, ECs, etc?</p>
<p>And yeah, tchaikovsky, this thread made me even happier. :)</p>