<p>The clubs, while a major part of nightlife at Princeton, don't comprise the whole of the social life, or even most of it. Student groups take up a lot of time, but I personally enjoy just hanging out with friends most nights talking or watching a movie. Campus life doesn't spring from the clubs, the clubs are a convenient place for social life to take place. As an example, Triangle Club, the university's original musical comedy ensemble, flocks overwhelmingly to Tower when it comes time to bicker. Why? Because most of the upperclassmen in Triangle, the upperclassmen most likely to be friends with the sophomores in Triangle, are also in Tower. This just happens every year, so Triangle tends to go to Tower. Unlike a frat, clubs aren't "join now, make friends through a common experience." Friends are first, where you choose to party or eat is secondary (and in many cases arbitrary). While indeed the clubs are exclusive, it's more a product of this phenomenon and limited space than an intentional exclusivity (it would be like calling Princeton itself inegalitarian for adopting admissions procedures: they're just trying to form a cohesive group). People go where their friends are and want their friends in their club. Simple as that. I guarantee you that if a person makes friends at Princeton, they will have a club to go to. </p>
<p>And there is plenty of opportunity to make friends–good friends–at Princeton, especially as a freshman. There's the Outdoor and Community Action Trips that nearly force a friendship (it worked for my group: we're still great friends and we don't really have much in common other than hiking together for five days). Frosh week (the week of freshman orientation, for those who don't know, that starts on freshman move-in day and ends on the first day of classes) is a wonderful time to expand your circle of friends if the kumbayah is wearing off after a week in the woods with OA (LNT can get old after fast, especially after eating the pb&j you dropped on the ground or washing your bowl out with dirt for the umpteenth time). Two major things will happen during frosh week. First, everyone will figure out that no one knows anyone, which leads to the carefree friendfest that I like to call, quite aptly and redundantly (at this point, anyway), "friendfest." This is the second-wind of loving energy that dissipated on OA when you had to wander in the pitch dark back to the campsite after troweling for the third time that day because of all the gorp you're eating. Second, student groups will assault you with pleas of "join us" fervently, frequently, and, often, en masse. Do yourself a favor and join more than you can handle. You can always drop, but you get to meet so many amazing people for as long as you're in a group at Princeton.</p>
<p>Really, though, it's not the academics or reknown of the professors or buildings that will shape your experience here. It really is the people. Get to know as many as you can. We're really not as elitist and exclusive as some posters would like to make us out to be (Dad2, I'm looking at you). When it comes down to it, a Princeton student really likes to help people (except, ironically, the occasional premed). Just ask a question and we will answer. Call in a favor, and we will do it, no reciprocation needed. Talk to us. Be our friends. More people on this campus like hugs than you may expect. I don't want people scared off because they think it isn't a good place for "intellectually serious students." We're all here to learn, and we're all here to help each other live and learn in the best environment possible.</p>
