Princeton University Top Questions

No one dates. That is a problem. If people are "dating," it's usually because they met out at a party and hooked up multiple times. And now all of a sudden they are "dating." Rarely do people go out to dinner or to a movie as a twosome. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday I'm probably at Ivy Club, one of the eating clubs, getting ready to come home pretty soon. People party pretty often if you do party. I'd say the kids who don't party never do. And the people who do probaby go out around 2 nights a week. Frats and sororities are lame - they don't have houses and they try to act like they are a bigger deal than they are. If you are not in one, it does not inhibit your social life. A lot of freshmen think this when they come to campus. Last weekend I went to the movies with friends on Friday and then took an introductory swing dancing class at night. That was fun. Then on Saturday I went to the mens lacrosse game, studied most of the afternoon, then went out to The Street to party. Sunday I went to church then had brunch with friends and went to the library to study. I worked my campus job in the afternoon and went to a student council meeting at night. If you don't want to drink on a Saturday night, there are always "Alcohol Initiative" events like free movies or theme parties or something. A lot of people just hang out in rooms relaxing or go into NYC for the night. You can also still go out to the parties at The Street without drinking. I have friends who do that.

Social life is a strange beast. However much the university, or some students, deny it, Social life revolves around the street. Room parties are pretty heavily cracked down on and the campus wide activities are few and far between, and when they do occur, they are usually awful ideas (Joan Jett concert). Houseparties and Lawnparties are nice. Whether you drink or don't the street is usually a good time if you go out with friends with the sole intention of having fun.

Many of the dance groups are really popular among the students, both in terms of a desire to join as well as a high show attendance. Some of the more popular dance groups are xpressions, body hype, disiac, and naacho. I was involved with a variety of groups in college, however, my favorite two activities were Princeton South Asian Theatrics (PSAT) and Best Buddies. PSAT is a small theater group, which writes, directs, and acts in its own productions that deal with south asian immigrant issues. It was very laid back and a lot of fun. Best Buddies is a volunteer group that matches up college students with community members who have intellectual disabilities. Everyone in the group met about once per month for a group activity, such as baking cookies, going to see a movie, or bowling. In addition, each pair contacted each other at least once a week through phone calls, emails, and personal meetings. It was really fun and a great way to meet members of the community who were not affiliated with the university. Princeton also has an amazing assortment of lectures and speakers throughout the school year. However, they are not always well advertised so it is hard to learn about all of the events well in advance. In addition, people who were a part of sports teams often ran into conflicts since most lectures take place at around 4:30, which is also when most teams practice. However, if you keep you eye out for posters and join email lists advertising various events, it is not hard to take advantage of these opportunities. I met most of my closest friends through extracurricular activities. During my freshman year, I did meet a lot of people through my residential college, however, I did not end up staying close with many of the people in my dorm throughout college. The friends I made in college are definitely some of the best friends I've made throughout my entire life and I foresee us staying very close in the future.

The dating scene isn't dominant in any sense. Princeton very much promotes a hook-up culture, where students engage in chance encounters with the opposite sex while drinking out at the Street one night and then awkwardly acknowledge one another for the rest of their time here as students. Your closest friends will undoubtedly come from your dorm and residential college. They'll be the ones who are regularly in your dining hall and who you'll go to meals with. If you're awake at 2 AM on a Tuesday, there's an 90{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} chance you're studying or writing a paper. If it's a light-work week and you know the right people to get to passes, then you'll find yourself drinking at the Street at Ivy Tuesday. Don't expect to have a life off-campus unless you're over 21. Then your options extend to Triumph Bar, but even that's only across the street.

All the student groups have their own fans. I was on the golf team. It was an incredible experience with wonderful teammates, cool trips to tournaments, and something to refresh my mind after a long day of class and studying. Public Safety does not allow you to leave your door open, but students tend to have an open-door policy in terms of visits. Athletic events are fairly popular when teams are doing well. Guest speakers are the best in the world. There's a broad range of highly-acclaimed theater performances. What dating scene?? I met my closest friends on my hallway freshman year, through a sports team, and through groups that I was passionate about getting involved with. Tuesday 2am, making a Wa run! Then back to work on that problem set. Every year- houseparties, lawnparties, pre-rade, p-rade, This Is Princeton. The average student parties 2x a week. Frats/sororities are only a small part of campus life (although the frat guys would probably say differently). Saturday, no drinking- there are always student groups putting on amazing comedy/dance/theatrical performances. And then there's T Sweets, Halo Pub, Bent Spoon. Off campus?? Okay, maybe CVS, Wegman's, Quakerbridge Mall, and trips to NYC.

I did intramural fantasy football with a bunch of my friends and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only did we get an opportunity to regularly play football, but every single member of the team is truly a good person in all aspects. A good number of people leave their doors open in the dorms. Athletic events are not as popular as they are at large state schools probably. Guest speakers and theater events are pretty enthusiastically attended. The dating scene holds a lot of promise but has the usual drawbacks of being a smaller school. I met my closest friends through random assignment to my dorm freshman year. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm probably studying. Certain formal events the eating clubs throw are the usual traditions and events that happen annually. People usually party on Thursday and Saturday nights. Frats and sororities certainly exist on campus but do not play any major role in student life if you're not involved in them. You can watch steeply discounted movies on Saturday if you don't want to drink, or you can throw a casual hang-out in your room. I like to go to Dunkin Donuts and the movies and various restaurants off campus.

Eating clubs are a big part of social life, especially on the weekends--even if you don't drink, they can still be fun. Other things go on on campus on the weekends, but are not usually as popular. Student performances can get a good turnout. Cheap movies ($2 for movies that have just stopped showing in theatres, or interesting independent movies) are screened every weekend.

Social life revolves around the "eating club" system, a group of 10 private dining establishments for juniors and seniors located on one road simply called "The Street." Half are bicker (selective, through a process a little like rush but co-ed, and more low-key in many places); half are sign-in/non-selective. Regardless of club membership junior and senior year, students generally go to the Street for parties. There's generally something for everyone, as each club has its own personality, from alternative Terrace to Animal House Tiger Inn. And, for when this system gets boring (as it can), New York is only an hour away. There are a few frats and sororities, but they aren't recognized by the University and thus don't have houses. They play a role, particularly in funneling students into some of the selective clubs, but not being part of Greek life doesn't marginalize anyone. Plenty of people don't feel the need to drink all night on a Saturday, so there's no problem finding friends to watch a movie or hang out in someone's room. Some hold room parties, too, although because the Eating Clubs are accessible for parties this is a less important part of social life. Dorm life, particularly freshman and sophomore year, tends to be tight-knit, but friends can crop up anywhere, from classes to sports teams to extracurriculars. Freshmen and sophomores take their meals in the dining halls, which are a low-key setting for getting to know people and offer fairly good food. Three dining halls were recently renovated and offer good grills and salad bars, and one eats well the cafeteria-style Frist Campus Center too. During the week, people's schedules revolve around their classes and extracurriculars, but there are many opportunities to attend excellent lectures, student performances, etc.

Princeton is all about community and bringing the student body together, their residential college system, eating clubs, and other organizations really create tight bonds between students. I am in an eight girl suite on campus and my roommates are my best friends. Four of us are in the same sorority, one is in a different one, and three are unaffiliated and we still get along great. We all go out together, go to meals together, and hang out with the other suites in our building.

Go to bed early, get up early, and if you're Catholic, become friends with all the members of Aquinas Catholic. Its the best thing around.

I'm sure the most talked-about aspect of Princeton's social life is the eating clubs. The eating clubs each have their own personalities and styles and attract corresponding types of people. There's a club for water sport teams, a club for actors and performers, a club for artists, a club for engineers and a club for snobs (just kidding...sort of). If you want to be in an eating club, it becomes apparent fairly early on which ones you most connect with. Going out freshman year will help orient you to all the clubs and will give you a sense of what types of people hang out where. If you choose to be independent, there's a big support net of people who have made the same choice, and certain dorms are conducive to communally-cooked meals. I joined an eating club with a group of friends, although other friends chose different clubs. This allowed us to meal exchange and take turns eating at each others' clubs, thereby meeting new people. Regarding parties, the eating clubs are definitely the center of weekend social life. It can be difficult sometimes to get into the more exclusive clubs unless you have friends and can get passes. If you don't drink, you can still go to the eating clubs for dancing or seeing people, or there are likely to be dance shows or plays or friends' room parties to check out.

People around Princeton are really open and friendly. It's not odd to walk down the hall and introduce yourself to your neighbors, especially when it sounds like there's a bunch of people hanging out in one room. A good thing about Princeton is the proximity to New York City. There's a train station on campus, and it's really really convenient to just hop on the train and head into the city for a night of non-Princeton activities. After all, the city nightlife has a much greater variety of activities than Princeton, though there are always interesting shows that various campus groups put on.

My door has remained open every day for the past three years I have been here. Nothing has ever been stolen (knock on wood), but I've opened my door to find flowers, candy, and presents from people left anonymously. People party every Thursday, and Saturday. Wednesday, Friday, and Tuesday are also days that some people go out. It is nice that people don't go out that often during midterms and finals- less pressure to go out.

A capella and dance groups are really popular on campus - it's pretty common to go to an "arch sing" or dance performance on the weekends before going to parties. People in these groups are generally respected and considered cool by the student body. Pretty much any sports team receives a lot of respect and recognition as well. I'm involved in a sorority, which is pretty low key compared to other universities (we don't have a house, aren't recognized by the university, and mostly just function as a social group). Students in dorms leave their doors open all the time - campus feels very safe and secure. Athletic events are fairly popular, although the tailgates (for football and lacrosse) probably draw bigger crowds than the actual games do. Princeton hosts several guest speakers; on any given afternoon, one can probably find an interesting talk to attend. There are also occasional famous speakers (like Kofi Annan). Theater is also pretty prevalent. The dating scene is scarce: there are a few select guys who have the guts to ask girls out, the rest just rely on getting drunk and having random hook ups. The majority of students are single. My closest friends are my roommates and girls in my sorority. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I am probably reading or writing a paper. Big traditions include Lawnparties each fall and spring, and "bicker" where sophomores compete to get into eating clubs. People party mostly Thursday and Saturday evenings, but it's easy to find something to do on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday as well. Fraternities and sororities are somewhat important, but probably not as much as at other schools (people affiliated in these groups tend to be affiliated with a lot of other groups too). Last weekend I went to my eating club and partied for a few hours. Saturday nights, one could go out to the clubs without drinking, or attend a number of shows, concerts, or other activities funded by Princeton's "Alcohol Initiative." Off campus, I tutor elementary school students once per week.

Everyone who is anyone parties thursday and saturday, Friday is the time to chill out with friends, hang out with that special someone you've been hookig up with, whatever. there is a tuesday and wednesday party scene, but its much more low key and epeneds on everyone's work load that week whether you do out or not. Monday and sunday stay pretty quiet.

Doors always open- super, super safe campus. Football games are popular, I haven't really gone to others, but people definitely do. Guest speakers and performances are huge here. No dating scene- people really hook up casually. Apparently you're chronically single, or attached and practically married. Closest friends are from random places around campus, really easy to meet people in dining halls and everyone's surprisingly friendly and eager to talk. So many fun traditions and perennial events each year. Sororities and frats play a nominal role here... it's really all about the eating clubs. Saturday nights you can still go to the eating clubs and not drink- there are awesome bands that play live, or you can catch performances, or an arch-sing, go to the little- artsy movie theater right next to campus, or major mega-plex like 5-10 minutes away. LOTS to do, always. Not as much off-campus, but, we are 1 hour away from Philadelphia and New York, so ENDLESS possibilities. We have a train station on campus so getting anywhere is no problem and its so convenient.

Princeton has a lot of opportunities to go out on weekends and party, but I don't do that much, and it's perfectly fine. You can go to the cafe open every night that has free baked goods, go see one of a zillion shows any given weekend, go to New York City for the night and see a show, or even stay in and study for the night. Princeton has activities for basically any interest. The a cappella groups always draw huge crowds, and there are at least a dozen dance groups on campus that regularly have shows. The juggling club recently had a performance even. There are fraternities and sororities here, but since we don't have houses it just becomes a social network and more friendly faces around campus. They don't take over the social scene at all.

Princeton is the party school of the upper Ivy League; we're tough competition for Dartmouth, but we're still a better school. Though some claim our eating clubs to be elitist, they're really exactly the opposite. It's a system in which everyone can be a part of something, where there's always a party you can go to and fit in. As a member and officer emeritus at Tower, the eating club experience has undoubtedly been the best part of my time at Princeton. As far as other groups on campus, most are social supplements to the clubs, not replacements. Sports teams party together, but they always head out to the street afterwards. Fraternities and sororities are great ways to meet people as an underclassman, but are by no means necessary. People at Princeton party as often as they want to. The "traditional" party nights are Thursday and Saturday, but there are reliable parties at the clubs Tuesday-Saturday. As the university has banned or bastardized most great Princeton traditions, it is mainly the ad hoc drinking-related ones that survive, such as Newman's Day and the Prospect 10. Reunions, Houseparties, Lawnparties, Princeton Halloween, Dean's Date, and even the Triangle Freshman Week Showe are also not to be missed. The arts performances at McCarter Theater are superb and many of the student performances are excellent as well. Food off-campus is excellent, and there are a variety of great date spots. However, while dating is by no means uncommon, Princeton also has a very active hook-up culture. Off-campus opportunities in Princeton are limited, but New York is but a train ride away. Why you would want to leave campus, though, I wouldn't know.

There isn't that much to do here that doesn't involve drinking

Most popular orgs...Tower. Kappa and Theta. Club soccer. Triangle. Disiac. A capella. Roaring 20 is AWESOME. We always get the most auditionees and we're pretty cool. As in really cool. We perform on campus and off, do really fun tours, and basically hang out a lot. Definitely the group to be in. Students in dorms leave their doors open sometimes. The university doesn't like it though. Those that can leave their doors unlocked. But the university is trying to change that ability as they renovate. Boo. Athletic events are not overwhelmingly popular, but there are followings. Jadwin Jungle! Guest speakers can be popular. The community attends a lot of them. Theatre is really popular. Most shows sell out many nights. Dating. People are either in relationships or not. Little casual dating. Hookups are frequent though. My closest friends I met through friends that I met on OA and early freshman year. I'm still close with them, but they introduced me to others. And some I just found randomly, for which I am so grateful. Tuesday at 2 am...at Terrace drinking and hanging out. Dean's date runs. Comedy show. I dunno. Not big into tradition. I party 3-4 nights a week. Awesome! Average is about 2. Frats aren't that important, but they have parties. Still, very open to randos. Soroties are bigger, but not exclusive. I have some close friends in them. Last weekend I went to the street, had an arch sing, worked, did some hw, and hung out. You can see shows, go to Murray Dodge, go into the city, and other stuff. I usually stay on campus, occasionally go into the city.