Hello from Princeton!
Hi there! My name is Jasmine Hao, and I am a first-year undergraduate student at Princeton University! I am from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and as of now, I am interested in majoring in Molecular Biology or Neuroscience on the pre-med track. I am looking very much forward to sharing my adventures here with you.
I arrived at Princeton on August 18th for international orientation, which lasted until August 20th and gave international freshmen a chance to get over jetlag, ask questions about living in the US, and settle in a little before the rest of the freshmen arrived. We were put into groups of about 10 students with 2 international orientation leaders (older students) per group, and some of the things we did included fun icebreakers, going shopping for dorm essentials, and participating in a scavenger hunt. We also learned about health resources, academic integrity, and the incredible McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton – I am looking forward to the Life & Learning Consultation I booked through McGraw to get advice from an upperclass student in my prospective major on study habits and how to balance schoolwork, extracurriculars, and fun!
these ginormous grey squirrels (one on the bike wheel) are everywhere! the common room of my 7-person suite the stately School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) building the famous Blair Arch, where many wedding photos are taken and a cappella groups often sing
On August 21st, the rest of the freshmen moved in! It was a very exciting (and very exhausting) day. It was wonderful to meet the rest of my suitemates and their parents, and we met our “zee group” (short for “advisee group” since we all have the same Residential College Advisor (RCA), an upperclass student who lives on our floor).
The next evening, we checked into our orientation groups. All students who are not athletes in Fall sports participate in Outdoor Action (OA), Community Action (CA), or Difference and Dialogue in Action (DDA, which is a very small orientation group) for four days after arriving at Princeton. A common question when meeting someone new was, “Are you in OA or CA?”.
My CA group was under the topic public health, with a focus on health inequities. At first, it was a little bit awkward – we were tired from move-in and didn’t know each other or our leaders, but over the next four days, we did a variety of “Bravespace” activities, where we shared about ourselves and our fears and hopes for our Princeton experience, and I certainly got to know my group on a deeper level. We also participated in team-building activities such as rope courses at the Pocono Environmental Education Center, and we did some canvassing for the Princeton Health Department, where we went to neighbourhoods in the town of Princeton to share about drop-in COVID-19 and flu vaccine clinics and free blood testing for lead poisoning in young children. By the end of CA, I really felt like we were one big family. The next few days took a bit of adjustment to not be meeting everyone early in the morning and eating all our meals together. Indeed, many of my friends and I made connections during OA/CA that we will likely maintain for the rest of our time at Princeton!
After our exciting orientation programming, we had a few days to get ready for choosing classes and to learn about some of the other resources (ex. Public Safety) and opportunities on campus. On August 27th, we registered for classes, and today marks our second day of college! For many, it is the first time taking an in-person class in over a year, so in addition to starting our first days of post-secondary education, it is an especially surreal experience.
So far, I am taking Intensive Chinese, Multivariable Calculus, and Integrated Science, an exciting program which seeks to bridge the gap between the biological and physical sciences. I have heard stellar reviews from former students, so I am excited to see how the course (which actually counts as two courses in the fall and spring semesters) unfolds.
Carnegie Lake, a man-made lake where the crew teams practice the view from the steps of Blair Arch the SPIA fountain, my CA group’s favoured meeting spot the Effron music building with *suspended practice rooms with Steinway pianos*! the beautiful Solarium in Firestone Library a welcome from my residential college Opening Exercises in the stunning University Chapel Tiger’s Roar, an a cappella showcase in the Richardson Auditorium Blair Arch at night The Triangle Frosh Week Show in McCarter Theatre
Thank you for reading! If you have questions or would like to chat at any time, please feel free to contact me at (jasmine dot hao at princeton dot edu). Until next time!
~ Jasmine