Princeton University Top Questions

Most people live in the dorms (like, 95{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}), so the party and social scene revolve around the dorms and the eating clubs. Almost 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of upperclassmen are in one, so they’re kind of a big deal. They dominate the campus social scene, with Lawnparties in the fall, Winter Formals in December, Bicker/Sign-in/Initiations in February, and Houseparties in the spring. There are 11, and they’re all on the same street, right in a row. They all have their own personalities, which any current student could tell you about in great detail. The average party happens on Thursday or Saturday, with warm-up drinks or dorm parties earlier in the night and then the eating clubs for free beer and dancing until they close down. Some people go out once every few weeks, some people haven’t missed a night since second-semester-freshman-year. It varies. Pretty much everyone heads to the same places, so the crowd doesn’t vary by a lot (Except around finals). You meet people through classes and activities and whatnot freshman year, but you really solidify friendships (and hookups?) in your eating club, if that’s the route you choose. I did. Although I signed-in with my best friends, I ended up getting to meet and befriend a lot more people just by virtue of eating and drinking with them all the time. There was more hooking up than dating, although I wasn’t really a part of that. And, as an eating club officer, I actually ended up living in my club, which brought me even closer to all that. I would just have a random assortment of members, friends, and hangers-on stopping by my room at all hours of day and night. It was kind of awesome. My club in particular had live bands twice a week, cocktails once a week, and free beer on tap three nights a week. In short, the social life was very vibrant if you wanted it to be, and if you didn’t mind hanging out at a club all the time.

I met my best friends in my dorm, as well as through my friends from my dorm. One of my closest social circles included several of my roommate’s friends from her Indian dance troupe. There were a lot of opportunities to meet new people; I had a close group my freshman year, but met many of my best friends sophomore year, more my junior year when I joined my eating club, and even a few senior year. Most students I knew left their doors unlocked, and weren’t hesitant to leave their laptops unguarded on library tables for hours.

I'm a member of a co-ed a cappella group on campus, and it's been a great experience. Probably the most unique thing about a cappella at Princeton is the tradition of "archsings." Every two weeks, either on a Thursday night or a Saturday night, there are two-hour oudoor concerts where 8 of the campus a cappella groups sing for 15 minutes each in one of the arches around campus. The archsings are usually pretty well-attended, and they're really fun places to sing because they have great acoustics. The a cappella groups also have more formal shows during the year in the concert halls around campus, and these are usually pretty well attended too. Even though there isn't much to do in the town of Princeton, that's actually a good thing for campus performing groups, because it means lots of your friends will come see you perform.

Football games are probably the most highly attended athletic events on campus, and that isn't always saying much (except for the massive enthusiasm when we were working hard to beat Harvard and Yale to get our bonfire last year)...Ivy League football is a totally different environment than at a bigger state school. That said, basketball and lacrosse games can sometimes draw a crowd, but for other spirts mostly friends of players will just come and watch. Half of the students who "go" to football games often don't even go to the game, especially if it's not a big name opponent, but instead go just for the fun of tailgating. Tailgates take place in a field across the parking lot from the stadium, and frats, sports teams, and clubs will set up grills for hot dogs and burgers with kegs and mixed drinks. Students usually come early for these, and stay well into (if not through) the start of the actual game. The a cappella and the dance groups are both really popular with students. The singing groups will have "arch sings" a few times a month where they stand under one of the university's many arches and each group puts on a fifteen minute set. These are a lot of fun to go to because you can come and go whenever you feel like it, and of course they're free. The arch sings are always popular with friends, fans, and passersby who hear the music. The dance groups, especially the two bigger ones, BodyHype and Disiac, are also very well-attended student performances, and tickets often sell out. The audience is always filled with lively fans and friends yelling out for their favorite hot dancer. Dorm life for freshman and sophomores centers around the residential colleges. There are four, and students are randomly placed in one at the beginning of freshman year. Living with only other underclassman, the residential college is one easy way you meet friends and neighbors freshman year, especially when everyone is enthusiastic about meeting as many new faces as possible. Greek life at Princeton is a little different. The university no longer recognizes fraternities and sororities, however there remain about 10 fraternities and 3 sororities on campus. These groups hold rush in the fall, about a month after freshman arrive, but do not have houses and are unable to work with or through the university in any way. Nevertheless, there is still a portion of the student body who is affiliated, larger especially among students who frequent parties and eating club life. Sophomore year, the concept of "affiliation" (whether with a Greek society, sport, or prominent club) becomes important to some students seeking to join the more selective eating clubs. In a small town like Princeton, the party scene is very different and unique. There are only a few bars in the area, which are very strict about carding. So some juniors and seniors enjoy pub nights out in the town, but it doesn't compete at all with the social scene on campus and on "The Street" which is dominant even among students over 21. The biggest party nights are Thursday and Saturday. There are parties Friday night as well, but it is much more common to stay in on Friday and these parties are more low key. In addition, there is usually something going on Tuesday and Wednesday nights for those interested in going out. Parties usually start around 10. These will be frat parties (which are held in the common rooms of large suites), group gatherings at one of the BYOB restaurants in town (the most popular is a Chinese place called Ivy Garden), other room parties, or small pregames in the dorm with friends. At around 12, students will head out to "The Street," a road adjacent to campus that houses the ten eating clubs, mansions that serve as both junior and senior dining and social clubs. Some of the more selective clubs might be "on pass" that you have to get from an older member. The clubs will often have themed nights (country night and two articles of clothing are both popular every year), serve beer, and have bands or DJs. Despite the possible stereotype that Princeton students are all serious and bookish and therefore can't have wild parties, many people seem to party as hard as they work here, probably to work off all the stress that builds up during the week. Membership to the clubs begins in the winter of sophomore year, and this time can be very stressful for those trying to decide what club to join or worrying about getting into the selective club of their choice. There are alternatives for those who do not get into an eating club (called "getting hosed") including going independent, joining a co-op, or continuing to eat in the dining hall, but the traditional option of joining a club remains the most popular. For those who don't drink, there is still plenty to do on the weekend. I know non-drinkers who still enjoy going to parties and out to the clubs sober and having fun dancing there with their friends. If the Street scene isn't your thing, there are movie theaters close by, performances and concerts, and many alcohol free events on Thursday and Saturday night (parties in the residential colleges, game nights, free film screenings, live music). In addition, New York City is only an hour train ride away, which costs about 25 dollars round trip (though there are free transit weeks a few times per year). Taking the train from Princeton is incredibly easy, as there is a "dinky" on campus that shuttles students to the larger train station 10 minutes away. New York is a popular escape on the weekends, is great for meeting up with friends from other places, or just provides exciting alternatives to Princeton--great shopping, shows, and museums. The school sponsors many fun trips to the city, including reduced price shows, so it is definitely worth spending time in the city while at Princeton. Dating at Princeton seems to be one extreme or another. There is not too much casual dating. Random (or serial) hookups abound, but students sometimes complain about the inability to get past this stage (though this seems to be a complaint on almost every college campus). However, there are also many people in serious long-term relationships at Princeton, but not much in-between. I met my boyfriend through my roommate during freshman year and we've been dating over a year now, and this type of relationship is not uncommon among my friends and peers.

I've been involved with a lot of groups on campus, including: Princeton Water Watch, Engineers Without Borders, Brown Co-op, and Princeton Bhangra. The biggest challenge is just finding the time to actually make a commitment to these groups, especially as a senior writing a thesis. Because everyone is so busy, the groups on campus can sometimes be somewhat superficial, though this is certainly not true for all groups. Athletic events are fairly unpopular unless one of the teams is doing extremely well (for example, the football team in 2006). Cultural events are better attended, as everyone always seems to know someone on the cast of a show. I would say the partying here is no different than at other schools, except that the times for partying are pretty limited (Thursday and Saturday night) due to academic demands. There isn't a ton to do hear besides going to parties, though I personally don't enjoy partying, and I always seem to find something interesting to do. Dating isn't widespread but it is very possible. Just don't be shy about asking people out and you'll find plenty of opportunities.

Guest speakers at princeton are so popular. when i first came here it made me really happy to see that students here are intellectually interested beyond the limits of their classes and assigned readings. people don't treat learning as obligatory, but instead they actually crave it. i love that. i met most of my friends by virtue of where i lived freshman year, and i would say that's true of most people at princeton unless they play a varsity sport or are really active in theater or something. the residential colleges promote these relationships by cutting freshmen into smaller groups as they begin to adapt to college life. the university does not sanction frats/sororities and they even send out a letter to parents disparaging them. unfortunately i think the administration is totally deluded. even though frats/sororities don't have houses and aren't officially acknowledged by the school, they are still completely at the surface. moreover, they worsen that feeling that a "certain group" rules the school and that wealthy students continue to have more advantages.