<p>I'm an incoming graduate student at Princeton this fall (chemical engineering), and I just wanted to get a feel what the general sentiment undergrads there hold for our kind. I've read several things (including James Axtell's wonderful book) that seem to indicate that it's a little isolated from the rest of the school socially.</p>
<p>graduate students scare me</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>I'm not very scary...just pretty nerdy.</p>
<p>I'm not a Pton student, but from my understanding... don't the graduate students live somewhat far from the undergrads? don't they eat in separate places and whatnot?</p>
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I'm not a Pton student, but from my understanding... don't the graduate students live somewhat far from the undergrads? don't they eat in separate places and whatnot?
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<p>Graduate students (unless they're married) usually start out in either the old or new Graduate College. It's a neat Gothic building and somewhat resembles what one would find at Oxford. It's somewhat set back from the campus; I think the closest building to it is Forbes and even that's a walk. You also go by PTS on the way there. </p>
<p>The dining room is gorgeous. I live in a triple, and am moving there in about three weeks.</p>
<p>I've talked to plenty of graduate students there, but I've yet to hear what an undergrad thinks about them generally or how well they fit in socially. Maybe I'm just an attention whore...</p>
<p>My impression is that there's usually a modest amount of overlap. The university is trying to take steps to encourage further interactions. Last spring, for example, they tried to implement a pub night for everyone on campus over the age of 21. Response was very positive, especially from grad students and postdocs, but they ran afoul of the Township and Borough alcohol licensing board, and things are now up in the air. My guess is that this initiative will make a comeback.</p>
<p>Also, rumor has it that as plans are being made for the use of Campus Club, an eating club that went under last year, a major goal is for the building to be used by both grad students and undergrads. That ought to go a long way towards encouraging interaction.</p>
<p>Thanks for the post Hburns, it's nice to know I won't be completely isolated.</p>