Princeton Correspondents on Undergraduate Research

How to use a Reference Room

Posted on October 25, 2023October 20, 2023 by Shane Patrick

Most people probably know Trustee Reading Room as that large room with big glass windows on the first floor of Firestone, where you go when you want a really quiet study space. Perhaps you’ve recently studied for midterms or worked on a paper in its sacred silence. Maybe you’ve wondered if there’s more to Trustee than simply providing a quiet atmosphere for study. The answer to that question is: yes, there is. It is the primary reference room of Firestone library– and if you read to the end of this article you will learn how to make the most of this tremendous resource.

Trustee Reading Room in Firestone Library has many reference works

Doing Summer Astrophysics Research at Princeton (Astro USRP)

Posted on October 23, 2023October 18, 2023 by Xander Jenkin

2023 Astrophysics USRP Students Group Photo standing on steps. — 2023 Astrophysics USRP Students Group Photo. Photo Credits: Stephanie N. Reif (2023)

My first summer research experience convinced me to declare my major as Astrophysics and solidified my plan to pursue research as a career after graduation. In 10 weeks, our Astrophysics department taught me how to start and complete a research project culminating in a presentation and paper write-up, with no prior research experience required! It was a particularly good experience to get to focus on research full-time without having to juggle courses, extracurriculars, and more, and it made me feel prepared and hungry to do even more research in the future.

A Look Inside TigerResearch: A Gateway to Princeton Professors’ Research Interests

Posted on October 11, 2023October 9, 2023 by Alexis Wu

Last year, I wrote an article on The Creation of TigerResearch, a platform created by three Princeton undergraduates (Vivek Kolli ‘24, Eric Ahn ‘24, and Alex Zhang ‘24) to help students to easily discover Princeton professors and learn more about their research focuses. Through my interview with Vivek, I was able to see how students at Princeton take their entrepreneurial ideas and bring them to life, creating new solutions that help other students become more engaged with research on campus.

TigerResearch homepage welcome message

This year, as I continue to explore my own research interests, I find myself returning to TigerResearch. I’m interested in learning more about my professors’ research backgrounds, particularly in what their latest and current work is on and how it relates to the discussions and material we cover in class. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to delve deeper into TigerResearch.

Why Research?

Posted on October 9, 2023October 9, 2023 by Rebecca Cho

Hello scientists! During your time here so far, you may have heard of science research at Princeton – either through your STEM classes, through listserv emails, or through conversations with your peers and professors. At Princeton, I became involved in research and I grew to love this activity as a way to engage with my academic interests outside of the classroom. There are so many great benefits from pursuing a research interest, but first let’s talk – why science research?

Frick Chemistry Laboratory - full of natural light and glass and wood features. — *Frick Chemistry Laboratory – an on-campus location of burgeoning science research. (Photo taken by Rebecca Cho.*)

My BSE Fall Semester Experience in the Engineering Sequence

Posted on October 6, 2023October 3, 2023 by Shannon Yeow

College is daunting. It’s normal for incoming first-years to feel uncertain about many things, especially course selection. I remember looking through every course on the course offerings page to determine the classes I would be taking in the fall, and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. I came into Princeton as a prospective COS (Computer Science) BSE student, so my class choices were inevitably influenced by my BSE degree requirements. BSE degree requirements include four semesters of math, two semesters of physics, one semester of chemistry, and every first-year is required to take one semester of writing seminar. Read on to learn about my experiences in the EGR sequence, starting with EGR 151.

EGR 151: Foundations of Engineering: Mechanics, Energy, and Waves

Screenshot depicting course description of EGR 151. Link in caption leads to full version. — *Course Description of EGR 151 for Fall 2023*

Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Becoming a Woman Undergraduate Researcher

Posted on October 4, 2023October 3, 2023 by Yubi Mamiya

A guide of first steps for women-identifying undergraduate students stepping into research

Two women students in lab coats performing a chemistry experiment. — *Every women-identifying undergraduate student has the potential to become an incredible researcher; your journey starts now!*

As we step into the new school year, woman-identifying undergraduate students across campus are looking to take their first steps into research. This process can be new, daunting, and sometimes, downright terrifying. It’s scary to step into a room where you are the first, the only, or both. That’s why it’s imperative to support women-identifying students in empowering research communities, advocating for their learning goals, and asserting themselves in new research settings. For allies, there are also important ideas shared by woman-identifying researchers about the best ways to support their success.

Wright Library: An Under-utilized Resource for Students

Posted on October 2, 2023September 29, 2023 by Shane Patrick

When I first walked through the doors of Theodore Sedgwick Wright Library at Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) on a sweltering September day a few weeks ago, I was struck by three things: the great size of the library, the small number of students there, and its remarkably-strong air conditioning. As I set my things down and cooled off in a quiet study area, I began to work on an assignment for one of my classes. My gratitude for the engineers who designed the building’s cooling system was quickly superseded by my admiration for those who worked together to produce the largest theological library in America and the second largest in the world after the Vatican Library in Rome.

Image shows the facade of Theodore Sedgwick Wright Library in Princeton, New Jersey.

Theodore Sedgwick Wright Library is the main library at Princeton Theological Seminary.

How to Prepare for a Research Presentation

Posted on September 29, 2023September 29, 2023 by Xander Jenkin

Students sitting in chairs face a man in a grey suit standing and speaking to them — Students in the Freshman Scholars Institute were invited to the 3rd Annual Summer Research Colloquium Conference in Prospect House. They listened to research presentations by current Princeton students both graduate and undergraduate. Photo Credits: Danielle Alio (2018)

Imagine that you’ve been working on a research project for months. Now you’re standing in front of a crowd of professors, some of which probably know more about your topic than you do. If you do research working in an academic department, it can be a stressful experience if you have to eventually present your work to that department. Trying to talk about what you’ve done with your own adviser can be enough sometimes, and showing work that you may not be 100% comfortable with for a whole crowd of professors is a whole new level of daunting. They all have years of experience and may know more about aspects of your presentation than you do, so trying to seem like you know what you’re talking about while possibly being asked questions far out of your depth may seem impossible for an undergraduate to do.

Nonetheless, whether it’s theses, JPs, internships, or summer projects, all undergraduates here are going to find themselves in this position. So how do you do it?

Productivity Apps: Three Hidden Gems for Getting Organized

Posted on September 27, 2023September 25, 2023 by Alexis Wu

As I was reading through old PCUR posts, I came across PCUR Alumni Taylor Griffith’s 2017 post on Productivity Apps and managing your work. With the continuous development of new organization and productivity apps, it can be challenging to find what works best for you. Though some are fierce Google Calendar or sticky note users, I wanted to share three (free!) apps I’ve found to be incredibly useful.

Image of an annotated course reading with highlighting and notes in the margins

Example of how I annotate readings with CollaNote

Welcome to the 2023-2024 Academic Year

Posted on September 25, 2023September 25, 2023 by Caitlin Larracey

Welcome back to PCUR! We are very excited to welcome back several correspondents from last year and introduce the new correspondents joining us! Posts will start up this week, so check your email Wednesday morning for the first post of the academic year.

Top, Virginia Cobbs. Middle, from left to right: Rebecca Cho, Amaya Dressler, Xander Jenkin, and Yubi Mamiya. Bottom, from left to right: Shane Patrick, Kate Weseley-Jones, Alexis Wu, and Shannon Yeow

I have the pleasure of welcoming back PCURs Amaya Dressler ’25 (Amaya is abroad this semester so she’ll be back posting in the spring), Kate Weseley-Jones ’25, and Alexis Wu ’25 and introducing new members Rebecca Cho ’26, Xander Jenkin ’25, Yubi Mamiya ’26, and Shane Patrick ’24, and Shannon Yeow ’26. We’re also very grateful that Virginia Cobbs ’25, joins us again as the Chief Correspondent! I welcome you to engage with their perspectives on and experiences with research. You can learn a little more about each correspondent below and stay tuned for PCUR posts this week.

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A guide of first steps for women-identifying undergraduate students stepping into research

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