Contrary to popular belief, some good things do come out of New Jersey. Despite its faults, Princeton University is one of them.
For lack of a better cliche, the Princeton faculty is topnotch. Joyce Carol Oates and Toni Morrison are just a few of the names that come to mind (although these authors are pretty invisible), and even the less famous professors are genuinely interested in interacting with students individually. Classes are small in size and held in every conceivable topic. In fact, students have so many appealing options that it would take much longer than four years to enroll in them all.
Social life is another matter. The town of Princeton is by no means a bustling metropolis, and in-town activities are extremely limited. To remedy this, most of the student body turns to Thursday and Saturday night free-for-alls involving cheap beer and random hook-ups out at "the Street." Ah, the Street (literally a street), home to a series of "eating clubs"--mansions in which upperclassmen eat their meals and attend weekend parties--that propagate an elitist system of membership into which most students (including the author) get sucked.
Looking for political activism? Don't come here. I have two words to describe the campus: apathy central. Not even the presidential election got the average Princeton student juiced up.
Though Princeton may not be ideal socially, there's still lots to recommend it. The short one-hour train ride to either Philadelphia or New York provides a convenient escape for those students less inclined to frequent the Street. And the number of club activities, sports teams and visiting speakers makes finding something interesting to do on campus less than challenging. There are also so many great people here with such diverse interests that you'll likely find a place for yourself.
author: Hillary Reser graduated: 2002 major: History campus activities: Varsity basketball, LGBTA student alliance from: Portland, OR, USA native language: English
