Five ways to disrupt the monotony of Zoom University
At this point in the semester, monotony is the most accurate way to describe life as a Princeton student.
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At this point in the semester, monotony is the most accurate way to describe life as a Princeton student.
Before we were faced with the pandemic, many of us could not imagine that our responsibilities could become any more stressful. Ever since classes went online, I’ve felt that my sole goal has been to survive the classes I’m taking. In addition to being sleep-deprived and isolated, I’ve struggled to withstand the pressure of an already-hectic Princeton in the midst of the pandemic. As I longed for everything from easy access to peers to review material with to possessing a physical space as an outlet for my curiosity, I realized that I’d forgotten what it feels like to actually enjoy learning — and I’m guessing I’m not the only one.
It is officially the fifth week of attending Zoom University, and I will admit that I’m not as big of a fan of the online platform as I thought I would be. For some reason, I find that I am more tired, more stressed, and less motivated than when actually at Princeton. Attending classes from the comfort of my bed is turning into my academic Achilles heel.
Imagine this: it’s the beginning of March, spring semester is halfway over, and you don’t have an internship. You might as well drop out of school now, since no future employer will ever take you seriously with the lack of experience on your resume.
So, here we are again. Or, for many of you, for the first time. Summer is officially over, Princeton is hurtling into its fourth week of classes, and tourists are flocking to Blair Arch as a part of the ritualistic tradition of creating an obstacle course for students rushing to class. As a member of Mathey, I learned early on in my first year to allot a five-minute grace period when leaving for my classes, just to avoid getting caught in a mob or — God forbid — getting asked to take a photo of a visiting family.
Princeton Preview, a special time when admitted students decide whether they would like to officially join the Orange Bubble, is an equally important opportunity for current students to think about and evaluate what Princeton means to them. Recently, students have considered the same question and, it seems, regretted their decision to attend Princeton.
We are rapidly approaching the middle of the spring semester after what feels like a very short January and February. The past few weeks have flown by, and once again, we are facing midterms. For some first-years, classes this semester will define the track they will take in their studies during the remainder of their years here. So, what do you do if you find yourself doing worse than imagined in classes for what you once thought was your major? Are the results you’re receiving now an opportunity to explore other areas of interest? Now is the best time to ask yourself whether this is a good time to genuinely reevaluate your future rather than jumping to conclusions that you have no chance at succeeding in the current areas you are in.
Loneliness is an inevitable feeling. No matter how many people you may surround yourself with, you’re going to feel lonely at some point. It may sneak up on you during a quiet moment in the day walking between classes, or when you’re pulling an all-nighter and find yourself alone in a group study space. While it may not be fun to be lonely, it’s incredibly important.
At the beginning of the school year we were told admissions doesn’t make mistakes. I’m certain each student at Princeton deserves to be here for some reason or another. First-years, however, enter college having only known an academic environment that is typically easier to manage than college. Thus, the beginning of the spring semester reminds me of the dreaded “impostor syndrome,“ defined as constantly doubt in your accomplishments and persistent fear that you will be exposed as a fraud. The feeling that you are neither qualified nor do you fully belong is unfortunately common here.
Following the campus-wide winter election season, I think it is important to ask ourselves how much we know about the students who ran to represent us, and the actual purpose of the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) elections. This is especially relevant for the candidates who sought the Class of 2022 senate positions. When looking through the freshman candidate statements and campaign materials, there seemed to be a few common themes, which included keeping students informed, improving the overall Princeton experience, and, predictably, supporting policy changes that “reflect [our] interests.” However, none of these statements were groundbreaking or particularly informative. As a representative of the freshman class, a candidate is expected to act in the interests of their constituents. A candidate running for a student government position doesn’t have to explicitly state that they won’t be corrupt, as I highly doubt USG gives enough opportunity for there to be an individual who is trying to consolidate power for personal gain. Thus, purely based on the multitude of almost identical candidate statements, it’s hard to distinguish what makes each individual unique. I ultimately found myself asking: “Why should I vote for you?”
It doesn’t take much to form a habit. Many people once believed that only 21 days of repeating a certain behavior will turn it into a habit, while according to researchers, every habit starts with a psychological pattern called the “habit loop,” a three-step process that first engages the decision-making part of your brain. Then, after some repetition, the behavior becomes second nature. Nevertheless, whether we like it or not — and whether they are bad or good — we are particularly talented at forming habits. In the long run, those habits are incredibly important for coping with changes, providing structure in a busy life, and motivating us simply to get out of bed every morning. However, habits can also be incredibly important in hurting us if we have the wrong ones.
As fall break ended and classes began again, all around campus a predictable question started conversations. “So, where’d you go?” For some, Princeton was the perfect retreat, while others took the week as an opportunity to fly away from the familiar gothic architecture and forget about the homework that probably should have traveled with them. I decided to get as far away from the New Jersey fall as possible with a trip to Madrid to both practice my Spanish and better understand the culture I had been learning about for the past two months in my SPA 105 class. However, traveling outside the United States presented its own question: “What makes [insert common tourist location] so special?”
No one likes to be uncomfortable. We strive to achieve maximum comfort, whether by rotating through a multitude of Princeton sweatshirts or by choosing classes purely based on the number of hours of sleep they allow for each night. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy being comfortable, and I believe feeling comfortable on campus is a key part of enjoying the college experience. But it is important to remember that a college campus is also a place where we should be excited to have our perspectives challenged. We shouldn’t be comfortable with only seeking out safe spaces and limiting our exposure to new ideas.