We all have those moments when we doubt where we’re headed, even when the path we’re on is one we chose with so much excitement. Maybe it’s that feeling of disconnect, where you can’t quite see why you’re doing what you’re doing—even if it’s the thing you used to call your dream. And when it comes to research, that slump can feel even more intense.
Continue reading Navigating the Slump: When Even Your Passion Projects Get You Down
Reading is a fundamental part of one’s time at Princeton. Whether for sciences or the humanities, a great deal of coursework and independent research consists in careful and active reading. Reading for pleasure by oneself or as part of reading groups is also a common pastime, or at least a shared aspiration, of many students on campus. Moreover, Labyrinth Books’ and the University’s decision to cease coursebook sales has sparked a mix of dissatisfaction, outrage, and inventive solutions. With the end of textbook resales paired with personal interest for especially thought-provoking class readings, it is not uncommon for students to keep (at least some of) their coursebooks. It is quite natural, then, that over the course of one’s four years at Princeton, undergraduates tend to amass a good number of books and start to build up their own personal library. Thus, beyond our formidable library system and Labyrinth, it is good to know where and how to get books, even if such scholarly scavenging will not supply all of one’s textbook needs. Besides, building up one’s store of knowledge (and thought-provoking entertainment) is a worthwhile pursuit in itself.
Continue reading Begetting Books, on and off Campus: How, What, Where, and Why
Headshot of Ciara Sanders, Ph.D. student. Photo credit: Ciara Sanders.
For this post, I decided to ask third-year Ph.D. student Ciara Sanders in Dr. Brooks Lab here at Princeton about her experience in molecular biology graduate school. She hails from California and is currently carrying out microbiology research for her Ph.D. For students considering molecular biology research/Ph.D. as a career, these questions may help answer any concerns you have, especially since medical school seems to be the popular option for molecular biology majors.
Continue reading To Ph.D. or Not to Ph.D.: An Interview with Microbiology Ph.D. Candidate Ciara Sanders
The end of the semester is often accompanied by deadlines for semester-long projects and final papers (including the infamous Dean’s Date deadline, which past correspondent Ryan Champeau has amazing advice on!). For some classes, students may be asked to create an academic or research poster and present their work to their peers in a poster session. A couple of courses I have taken where I produced a final research paper were COS 484: Natural Language Processing and ASA 238: Asian-American Psyches.
In ASA 238, the department provided funding so that all students in the class could have their poster printed through Princeton Print & Mail Services. However, this option typically is not free-of-charge to students. Moreover, since this process typically takes 4-5 business days after the proof is approved to be printed, course instructors may set conservatively early deadlines so that all students’ posters may be printed on time. With more deadlines in other classes, this can create additional stress.
The great news is, this stress can be avoided with a free, straightforward alternative: utilizing the Makerspace’s Large Format Printer. The Princeton University Library (PUL) Makerspace is a creative space on the A-level of the Lewis Science Library open to current students, faculty, and staff. If you’ve never used the space before, it might be daunting, but I hope this article will clarify the process and assuage any fears you may have!
Continue reading Simplify Your Research Poster Printing: Using Princeton’s Makerspace Large Format Printer
Imagine standing in front of a big audience, heart racing, ready to blend your voice with others and hit the notes of an intricate a cappella arrangement. Every beat, every breath, is crucial. Every time I stand on stage or under an arch with my a cappella group, the Princeton Footnotes, I think of how similar singing and music feels to what I do in the lab. You might be thinking that singing in an a cappella group and doing research are worlds apart. However, these two passions have formed a bond in ways that I never believed possible. In fact, the creativity, collaboration, and discipline I have channeled in being a part of the Footnotes have made me a better researcher—and vice versa.
Continue reading Harmonizing Research and A Cappella: How Music Fuels My Scientific Journey
Students across a variety of disciplines (or fields, if you will) have the opportunity to perform fieldwork at Princeton. In contrast to lab work—which involves performing experiments or analyses within a controlled on-campus environment—fieldwork takes place, well, in the field. Researchers venture out into the wide, wild world in pursuit of somehow collecting useful data from the vast webs of chaos that surround them. In my home department of the Geosciences, fieldwork is the norm: students go out to geological field camps or embark on oceanographic cruises to gather data about the raw Earth that surrounds us. However, fieldwork is truly possible in any discipline.
This past summer, I conducted my own fieldwork as part of the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP). For two months, I lived and conducted glaciology research with about 40 other students, staff, and faculty on the glaciers of the Juneau Icefield—an interconnected system of over 140 glaciers spanning 1500 square miles across southern Alaska and northern Canada. It was one of the most incredible—and intellectually rewarding—experiences of my life. Here, I’ll share some stories from my time on the Icefield, contextualizing them within some broader lessons I learned about how field research operates.
Continue reading Field Research on the Juneau Icefield: Living the Emersonian Triangle
Writing a Junior Paper (or two, depending on your major) can be a stressful process. But it does not have to be that way. Below are some strategies to help you minimize JP-induced stress and streamline your research process.
Continue reading A Guide to JP-Writing in the Humanities
You’ve brainstormed a great idea for your research project. You have the details of your topic all figured out, but you need some assistance with figuring out the logistics of the financial aspects that come with your great idea.
If that’s you, here’s a quick guide on one way of securing funding as a Princeton student!
Continue reading A Quick Guide to Securing Funding
Applications are currently open for the 2025 Summer International Internship Program (IIP)! This incredible program connects 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students with an international institution for ~8 weeks to pursue a project that allows them to explore different careers, cultures, and workplace environments. Many of these projects empower students to take on various research endeavors, learn new research skills, and apply their research findings to make an impact on global communities. Here are several spotlights of Princeton students who shared their internship experiences and were winners of the 2023 IIP Virtual Posters. You can also view all of the poster reflections.
Continue reading Why you should apply to 2024 International Internship Program (IIP)
“What’s your priority this semester?” my friend asked after our first meal together post-summer break. My instinct was to say classes, internships, research—after all, we’re at school, preparing for life after college. The pressure to secure a job or get accepted into graduate school looms large. What could be more important than staying focused on the future? But none of those answers felt right. I paused for a moment before saying, “being happy.”
Continue reading Let Your Happy Self Shine: Why Happiness Shouldn’t Be Saved Only for Moments of Victory
