Freshmen seek their place on campus

Sept. 4 was move-in day, and Avery McGraw '08 faced a slight setback. The Westchester County, N.Y., native had just finished unloading the contents of her car into a small single in 1937 Hall. Fortunately, it looked like it would all fit — barely. The only remaining difficulty? She still had another car to unload into a room whose contents were already spilling into the hall.

A few volunteers from the campus' Christian groups had been helping McGraw carry things into her dorm. Even these people of faith appeared skeptical about McGraw's chances of fitting everything into her room.

"We'll give you some time to get organized," one of the volunteers suggested, eyeing the overflowing dorm.

By the end of the day, however, McGraw and her family had somehow succeeded in emptying the second car into her room, and she seemed ready to tackle the next challenge Princeton offered. For a freshman who had been on campus for less than 24 hours, she seemed confident in her ability to handle whatever campus life would throw her way.

"My biggest anxiety is leaving my family," she said, "but I'm absolutely sure that Princeton is right for me."

That same confidence was apparent as the Class of 2008 marched in the first Pre-Rade. Although some students seemed uncomfortable with so many upperclassmen staring at them as they processed through FitzRandolph Gate, most seemed to enjoy the experience.

"It was fantastic," Matt Popper '08 said.

Although Popper appreciated the official welcome to Princeton and enjoyed the barbeque, he said he was a little disappointed that upperclassmen didn't interact much with the new arrivals.

Support nonprofit student journalism. Donate to the ‘Prince’. Donate now »

Even so, Popper said he hoped the tradition would continue, and that he looked forward to the coming year.

"The possibilities are amazing," Popper said. "You get the feeling undergraduates here can do anything."

But Popper also confessed to feeling some "uncertainty" about his time at Princeton, especially about his first classes at the University.

He was less uncertain about his ability to make friends on campus. Popper, one of five students coming to the University from the Delbarton School in Morristown, N.J., came to campus with the security of seeing at least a few familiar faces. He was also happy with his roommates, with whom he said he got along well.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Popper commented that the University was friendlier than he had anticipated.

"To be honest, I expected it to be a little more competitive, a little less congenial," he said.

Like Popper, many freshmen will continue to compare and contrast their expectations of Princeton with their actual experiences of campus life. Even curious students like McGraw — who visited the University three times before she arrived — will meet some surprises in the coming weeks.

Of course, some students have an extra edge in knowing what to expect. Peri Rosenstein '08, whose sister Rachel is a senior at Princeton, has already had several years of campus visits to help her find her way around.

"Having an older sister here definitely made it easier," said Rosenstein, a resident of Rockefeller College from Far Hills, N.J.

One advantage, she said, was not having to declare her freshmen status by constantly pulling out a campus map.

"You meet people, because you're the only one who knows where you're going," she said.

There are potential downsides, though, to having an older sibling on campus.

"The other night I was at the Street with my Outdoor Action group," Rosenstein said, "and all of a sudden my sister and a bunch of her friends basically jumped on me. It was very funny, but a little embarrassing."

Few freshmen arrive on campus as well informed about Princeton life as Rosenstein. Yet even she, like most of her classmates, found her first few days to be "sort of overwhelming," especially with meeting so many new people.

One of the challenges for freshmen adjusting to Princeton life is finding their places in their new community. But most of the new students were not concerned about fitting in.

"It's a balance," McGraw said. "You become a part of the school, but the school also becomes part of you. I'm really excited."

While some freshmen, including Popper, worried that students here actually fit in too well, McGraw was pleasantly surprised by the campus's diversity.

"It's a lot less homogenous than I expected," she said. "I was expecting a lot of the popping of the collar. I mean, there is, but there are other kinds of people, too."