Casey
Princeton's academics are first rate. I found nearly all my professors to be great teachers and very accessible. Precepts and office hours make getting individual attention easy. I took some pretty tough engineering classes, but never found any of them to be competitive. Everyone in my department was happy to help each other out. Generally, the amount of studying varies a lot, but I think the majority of people undertake a reasonable courseload and lead pretty balanced life.
I do have some criticisms of Princeton's academics. There aren't enough formal research programs for undergrads, so if you want to do research you just have to talk to a professor and hope he or she has a project you can work on. This can be particularly difficult for underclassmen who may not know faculty in their department of interest. I also think Princeton's teaching schedule is way too compressed. As it stands, the academic calendar consists of 12 weeks of classes with a three week combined reading and exam period. The result is not much absorption during the semester and much cramming and self-teaching during the long reading period. I know Princeton is in the process of changing this (or at least considering changing it) and this will be a great improvement if it goes through.
Royce
I have made some incredible relationships with Professors here. You'd be incredibly surprised as to how approachable even the most famous professors are. I am very fortunate to have established a very strong relationship with Professor Robert George (Professor in Politics). My favorite classes have been Constitutional Interpretation, Civil Liberties (both in the Politics Department), International Protection of Human Rights (in the Woodrow Wilson School), and The South in American Literature (English). Class participation is absolutely essential. Intellectual conversations occur everywhere on campus - on the fields, in coffee shops, on walks, in ice cream shops, in the library, and in class. Competition has increased recently because of the administration's Grade Deflation policy. Overall, the education at Princeton both in the classroom and out of the classroom is absolutely incredible.
Brandon
Where else can a freshman learn creative writing with Joyce Carol Oates in a 15 person seminar? Where else can you talk to Cornel West about what's on your mind as a 19 year old? Where else can you have one on one non-fiction writing conferences with John McPhee?
The professors will know your name unless you're in a large lecture course, which isn't uncommon. However, as a student, you have many opportunities to take small seminars and classes.
Faculty are extremely accessible. I keep in regular contact with my journalism professor from last semester. We have already had dinners and meetings to catch up and gossip about the latest political news. He even offered me a job at a national magazine when I graduate!
On another note, Princeton is a competitive place. Obviously, the infamous grade deflation policy is a main culprit. However, students are competitive with themselves, not with other students.
A final note is that Princeton is a hardcore liberal arts school. There are almost no professional programs or departments. This allows students, no matter their major, to be a well-rounded and well-educated citizen.
Rachel
My favorite classes at Princeton would be PHI 384: Philosophy of Law, POL 315: Constitutional Interpretation, History 211: History of Europe from Antiquity to 1700, SLA 312: Russian Drama, COS 109: Computers in Our World, ENG 331: The 19th Century Novel, POL 388: Causes of War. In all of these classes the professors were absolutely outstanding--engaging, fascinating, insightful lectures, and the feeling that they really cared about and were interested in students.
As much as the science distribution requirement annoyed me, I think the distribution system is great--and though people find ways of wriggling out of really exploring a variety of disciplines, in general it is great for introducing you to areas of study you wouldn't necessarily have been interested in on your own.
Jake
Not all professors know your name but definitely all preceptors. Students study alot. Everyday. But I think a good number of people follow the motto Work Hard, Play Hard. Or Work Harder, Play Harder in some cases. Class participation is very common. Most people are very active in class discussions. And students do continue class conversations out of the classroom often. I feel like students are more competitive just with themselves and not with each other. People are always forming study groups and willing to help each other out before exams.
John
As an electrical engineer, I can honestly say that Princeton is one of the most challenging schools in the Ivy League. Harvard and Yale's academic programs pale in comparison from what Princeton offers. I find that most students are fairly competitive; they are, however, not the type to sabotage your final project to ensure their A.
Jesse
Academics is incredibly different than in high school. You have no academic reputation going into a class, especially not freshman or sophomore year. Seminars and precepts would be great if everyone is engaged in the class, which occasionally they are, but mostly precepts consist of awkward silences and forced questions by grad students. It is nice to be able to sit down and mention something even mildly academic and not have people yell at you for "getting all smart on them". People here are typically generally interested in the classes they take and their personal research, which can lead to some very interesting conversations. Sometimes I wish that Princeton students would apply this interest to a field when looking for a job, rather than the hordes of people that interview for I-Banking jobs.
Kai
As expected, the size of the class often determines how much you actually get to interact with professors. However, I did find that if you made the effort to seek professors out for help or even to just chat about the readings, most professors were pretty responsive. Also, I think this varies from department to department. I majored in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and found that the faculty and students could have a very close relationship; I often met with professors outside of both the class and Princeton setting. For example, I attended one of my Professor's surprise birthday parties and I also went to dinner with Professors and their families.
My favorite classes at Princeton were offered through the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) department and the Philosophy department. I felt like both of these departments were devoted to learning for its own sake, which I personally really enjoyed.
I'd say that the amount of studying really varied from student to student depending on the student's level of course work and extracurricular activities. In my experience, it is really easy to overwhelm yourself at Princeton because there are so many great classes and there are a lot of different extracurricular activities. Even though I was really busy with classes and activities, it was always easy to hang out with friends since most of the students live on campus and, therefore, are within a 10 minute walk no matter where I was on campus.
Liz
Professors are students are generally disconnected. The only way to develop a relationship with them is if you find yourself in a small class or seminar.
Full of Type-A personalities, Princeton students are mostly competitive with themselves. Talking about grades is generally taboo. What's much more intense is the social competition on campus. Get ready for fake smiles and sucking up as you go through rushes, applications, interviews, and bicker, all in the Princeton tradition of selectivity.
The distribution requirements are easy to complete and are flexible in applying to classes among various departments so that you're bound to find at least one you find interesting.
Ash
Professors in your major know your name. Also, professors for other classes will know your name if you make a point to join the discussion or reach out to them.
My favorite class was Probability and Stochastic Systems because the subject matter was challenging but very interesting to me. It's definitely a class for numbers-oriented, analytical people.
In my experience, class participation was not that common, and it only happened when force was used.
There are intellectual conversations--some of the best I had--outside of class.
Everyone is type A, so yes students are competitive.
The most unique class I took was Knowing Innocence, a study of the meaning of innocence through the lens of literature and art, led by the amazing Professor Larry Danson.
Operations Research and Financial Engineering is not for the faint of heart. There are lots of long nights and long computer programs and problem sets out the wazoo. But you learn more than you ever thought you could and have a free ticket to do whatever quantitative job you want after graduation.
I spent many hours with professors outside of class, mostly in office hours or review sessions, but sometimes on the golf course too!
Princeton academic requirements are fine, but I think AB students should have to take more rigorous science/math electives. Also, the pdf option is baloney--it only promotes slacking.
The Princeton education is about the formation of an adult mind. Students don't have a problem getting jobs, but it's because they have learned for its own sake and employers recognize that.