When you wrote “more comfortable in an old cramped book store with a cup of tea” I immediately thought of the afternoon teas held by the math department. From a history of the Princeton math department “The faculty of the mathematics department and many theoretical physicists would meet in the common area of Fine Hall on Fridays for tea, and the opportunity to discuss progress in their work. The “hot” topics of the day were analytical number theory, set theory, abstract algebra, and the theory of rings. Faculty in both Fine Hall and the Institute were eager to work in three areas especially, operator theory, topology and analytical number theory.” http://sites.math.rutgers.edu/~cherlin/History/Papers1999/seip.html
It is OK to be bookish or a nerd at Princeton. Students will respect you for the knowledge that you have. The eating clubs have libraries and areas where students discuss their classes and clubs. Don’t dismiss the clubs until you have more information. I enjoyed many meals with invited faculty at an eating club. About one-third of the students do not join an eating club; if you choose not to join a club you will have plenty of company with other students that made the same choice. The Hogwarts appearance of Princeton gives the impression of wealth. The university has made a significant effort to attract First Generation Low Income (FLI) students. See: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/college-tuition-why-bill-and-melinda-gates-put-20000-students-through-college/
An old saying is Don’t judge a book by its cover. Well, Don’t judge Princeton negatively because of the beautiful buildings. Most of the students are on scholarship. There are more FLI students than alumni children.
If you are interested in theater they are at least 11 student theater groups. Princeton University’s Triangle Club is the oldest collegiate musical-comedy troupe in the nation, and the only college group that creates an original, student-written musical each year. The Princeton Shakespeare Company (PSC) dedicated to producing four or five Shakespearean works each year. Theatre Intime founded in 1921 has provided theatrical support and facilities for generations of Princeton students. The Black Arts Company is a student-managed theater experience dedicated to celebrating and exploring the cultural experiences of people from the African Diaspora through performance. Princeton University Players (PUP) is a student-run musical theater company that produces Broadway plays for the Princeton stage. Quipfire is one of Princeton’s improvisational comedy troupes, and it’s made up of witty students not afraid to get on stage without having a clue as to what they’re about to do. Fuzzy Dice is another improv theater group that features a skit with four faces, four keywords and four plot lines. The Princeton Stand-Up Comedy is a group dedicated to the fine art of stand up comedy. The Princeton South Asian Theatrics (PSAT) perform two comedy plays each year. The Princeton Chinese Theatre is a group dedicated to performing Chinese theater plays in Chinese. The French Theater Workshop, L’Avant-Scene offers students an original combination of linguistic, cultural and dramatic training. The McCarter Theater is a professional theater group next to the campus. https://www.mccarter.org/
Princeton currently has six jazz groups; the Concert Jazz Ensemble, a “Swingtet”, a Jazz Vespers Ensemble, an Ornette Coleman Ensemble, an African-Latin Ensemble, and the Jazz Composers Collective. Over the last several years two ensembles have won Down Beat student competitions.
Students that want a coffee shop atmosphere hang out at the Murray Dodge Cafe. http://religiouslife.princeton.edu/people-places/murray-dodge-caf%C3%A9 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxczRaag7gU The Princeton Garden Theater is a non profit theater across the street from the university. The Garden, owned by the university shows independent, foreign, and classic films. http://princetongardentheatre.org/
The residential colleges give Princeton a small college feel. You will soon recognize everyone in your college. The residential colleges sponsor subsidized trips to NYC to see Broadway shows, the ballet, and the opera. The student body is very diverse; I believe that you will find like minded friends quickly.
