myau

What are most people there like? Which mentality is more pravailng - preppy or nerdy one? Is there such a thing as "prevaling mentality", anyway? What are the chances for shy, nerdy, liberal, Californian-public-school-raised kid to find the suitable social niche in Princeton?

Do eating clubs noticeably affect social life? Is it common for fiends to be separated by them (like one friend got into some club and another didn't)?

ec1234

there really isn't a prevailing mentality, and one can be preppy and nerdy at the same time. One of my favorite things about princeton is how people can surprise you--- the jock in your class can actually be really smart and interested in random philosophy, or art, or something you wouldn't expect. Everyone at princeton is a little bit nerdy, or they wouldn't be there. The dress is probably relatively preppy, although not to the southern school level. Many people around the campus are wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. I think almost everyone finds their niche at princeton, especially if they are interested in ecs of any kind.

Eating clubs definitely affect social life-- it's where you eat and hang out if you join one. It depends on the person as to whether you feel separated from youre friends who arent in yours. I don't, I live with 3 other girls and none of us are in the same eating club, we all lived in the same building freshman year. Most of my friends are in 3 eating clubs, and we see each other a lot. It's easy to meal exchange, and there are now 2 meals a week in the dining halls for upperclass students. So all of my friends get together for sunday brunch. Some people feel a bit more isolated- if you are the only one of your friends who did not get into an eating club. There are many opportunities to join eating clubs, though, and once your friends are in one you have a better shot the next time.

myau

>you have a better shot the next time

How often "the next times" happen? Once a year?

Weasel8488

Of the bicker clubs, all conduct bicker in the spring, and some do so in the fall as well.

randombetch

And if you don't get into a bicker club you can just sign up for one of the non-bicker clubs.

amnesia

i dont think cottage does fall bicker

but ivy and cap do... not sure about tower or ti

drbigboyjoe9505

How prevalent is random hookups? Jw

quirkily

jt (this means you, amnesia),
i feel like this probably is not the place to be discussing the specifics of the bicker processes of clubs.

to the op,
as a (somewhat) shy, nerdy, (very) liberal, california public-school raised kid, i'm starting to find my place here at princeton. to be completely honest, princeton isn't dominated by people like you (or me). there's a solid theater/arts community (theater, musical theater, a cappella, dance, music) on campus, which a lot of people are a part of. if you're not involved prominently in that part of campus life, it can be a bit difficult. however--and i think this is something that everyone should realize--princeton is a diverse enough place that there ARE people that you will like, and there ARE people that you will become awfully close to. as a social minority, it may be a bit harder, but it will happen if you want it to.

re: the eating clubs. you'll hear from some people that the clubs affect your life only as much as you want them to, and from others that they dominate the social scene. in my opinion, neither of these things are true...you can control how much they affect your social scene to an extent, but they'll be a presence on campus no matter what. since sunday-wednesday aren't party days/nights to begin with, you won't be involved with the clubs at all during that time. a sizable portion of students do go out on thursday/saturday, however, so it would be a little misleading to say that they have no effect on the social scene. if you have friends that don't go out, then you won't be affected, but by and large, you'll know a few people no matter what that do.

that said, i would urge you to give the clubs a fair chance if you don't like the sound of them now. i personally came in to princeton heavily biased against the eating clubs, and only decided to join a sign-in a couple of weeks before we had to decide.

and of course, feel free to pm me if you have any other questions!

Alumother

myau, this is the thread that I believe covers this topic best.

Eating Clubs

myau

>there's a solid theater/arts community
>(theater, musical theater, a cappella, dance, music) on campus,
>which a lot of people are a part of.
>if you're not involved prominently in that part of campus life,
>it can be a bit difficult

That's great, my D most probably WILL be involved in that. But are there any nerdy type of people within those artistic circles?

keeper545

The Pton student newspaper carried two stories in the last week that concern me: first, three "Bloods" gangmembers got into a party on pre-frosh weekend and started a fight -- all were arrested; second, a Pton student has been arrested for kidnapping and assault on a fellow student, and has been expelled from school. This follows an episode last spring where a varsity lacrosse player and a friend from JHI, I believe, assaulted a Pton student walking with his girlfriend on campus. They were prosecuted, but I don't know the outcome. It may be that these things are a commentary on the state of affairs at even the best universities (indeed, think about UNC!), but has anyone else picked up on this series of events at Pton?

Alumother

Yes there are nerdy people in the artistic circles. I remember them well. The thing to understand is that in the circles, Theater Intime, dance groups, the program in Theater and Dance, Visual Arts, at the Daily Princetonian, etc., the work and belonging to the group really overrides any social categories. Nobody is thinking about the girl dancing next to them, or the guy doing the lighting for the Triangle Club, is she/he a nerd? They are just all working together.

The ECs at Princeton, unlike some other top universities, are extremely non-competitive. Meaning it's easy to get and stay involved.

Myau, your daughter will love Princeton if she is happy making her group of friends and finding her set of activities IF she doesn't feel distressed by not going to the Street or she and her friends decide to join a club together.

Your daughter will love Cal if she can find her way through a larger, more anonymous, urban school.

I will say that my daughter says she doesn't know anyone who is unhappy at Princeton. I knew one person. But she actually joined a club. She loved her club. She just hated being in the suburbs.

In terms of Cal, because it's bigger, more anonymous, and less socially organized, I know more kids who have been lonely and unhappy there. But this is just anecdotal evidence.

Whichever way your daughter goes will have its good parts and its bad parts.