Freshman year can be a difficult adjustment period for students and student-athletes alike. As a water polo player, first-year goalie Vojislav Mitrovic has compiled a perfect 7-0 record with a stellar .624 save percentage. The No. 10 Tigers are headed to California this upcoming weekend for their toughest test of the season. Eagerly anticipating his first trip to the Golden Coast, the freshman keeper sat down with The Daily Princetonian to discuss his first few months on campus.
Daily Princetonian: Where are you from and what’s the best part about living there?
Vojislav Mitrovic: I’m from Serbia. What’s the best part about living there … I come from Novi Sad, which is the second biggest city in Serbia. I like it a lot because it has half-a-million people and isn’t too hectic. It has a beautiful nightlife and beautiful green spaces, like parks. There’s a great many places where you can rest from your daily routine and obligations. I’ve played water polo for nine years, and seven years for my national team. There would be up to seven hours of workouts and then six to eight hours of school. So I really enjoyed those parks and relaxing with my friends.
DP: Did you have any preconceptions about America and Americans coming here?
VM: What I thought is that America is a culturally diverse country and a country that is well-structured and organized, where everybody is a law-abiding citizen. I knew that I’d be coming to a place where I’d be considered equal, like everybody else, and that I’d be welcomed with a lot of understanding and empathy. It wasn’t so much a stereotype, but some sort of expectation that I would get help to get used to everything and adapt to the environment.
DP: What has been something difficult to get accustomed to?
VM: To be honest, I’ve been living in Princeton for two or two-and-a-half months. I can say that this is a beautiful Orange Bubble. But I have no idea what’s going on outside that Bubble, so I really look forward to experiencing that in the future.
DP: Why did you decide to come to Princeton?
VM: The accepted cliché is that Princeton is one of the best universities in the world and a prestigious institution. Princeton is one of those rare schools which pays a lot of attention to undergraduate students, so professors are dedicated to helping undergraduates.
DP: What has been your favorite part about Princeton so far?
VM: I haven’t had too much time to experience the Street, but it could be that. But my favorite part is my Freshman Scholar Institute family. It’s a summer program for students whose high schools never send students to Ivy League schools. So you have some additional time to get used to the environment and workload. I’m really glad whenever I see my fellow FSI students now — we lived in the same dorm and had to deal with the same problems.
DP: If you could be salt, pepper or oregano, which one would you be and why?
VM: I’d like to be salt. Why? Because I can be all over the place. Like the sea. There’s salt in the water.
DP: Could you describe your role on the team in terms of athleticism and know-how?
VM: What I’ve been trying to do is convey my experience. I’ve been playing for my national team for some time, so I’m trying to see if I can help out my teammates and coaches with that perspective. At the same time, I’m trying to be a source of reliability in a game, that they can trust me.
DP: Could you describe your role on the team socially?
VM: I’m kind of a down-to-earth or calm guy. I don’t know. I don’t really find that I have a particular role, because the team accepted me, partly because I’m an older freshman.
DP: Water polo’s known as a pretty violent contest. Do you tend to see intense things happening in the pool?
VM: It is a violent sport, especially if the score is tight. What happens is that with that kind of pressure, players get nervous. I’ve seen a couple of huge fights, team-on-team, in the pool.
DP: How have you found that the level of play you’re used to compares to the Collegiate Water Polo Association?
VM: Serbia’s one of the best countries in water polo. It has amazing knowledge and tactics and experience in organizing workouts. So I find it to be really intense. During my school year, I play with my club team, and during the summer I train with the national team. So I may only have 10 to 15 days off during a year. You don’t have your own time, time for yourself. And summer championships sometimes overlap with the school year in September. That’s why I really enjoy playing at Princeton, because I find it’s interesting and fun.
DP: Do you have any pregame superstitions or rituals you go through?
VM: I’m not superstitious, but what I try to do is to listen to pump-up music to get in the zone. Then do some yoga to relax. Then it’s just trying to focus all my attention on the game in the last 10 to 15 minutes of warmups.
DP: If you could play one varsity sport here other than water polo, what would it be?
VM: I’d like to play tennis. I played a little bit when I was younger, but I definitely enjoy it.
DP: Novak Djokovic is a countryman of yours, right?
VM: That’s right.
DP: Do you have any sort of hidden talent?
VM: It might be kind of cheesy, but I am extremely persistent. It’s not quite stubbornness, but persistence. Also, astronomy is one of my passions.
DP: : If you could bring three things on a deserted island, what would they be?
VM: A pillow, for sure. The first three things I can think of are: a pillow, a cocktail and sunglasses.
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