advice

Beyond the Orange Bubble: A Guide to Thesis Research Abroad

Posted on December 15, 2025December 12, 2025 by Shannon Yeow

Traveling for research abroad — *Leaving the Orange Bubble*

One of the greatest benefits of being a Princeton student is the unparalleled access to international opportunities. Whether it’s traveling for classes and clubs, completing an IIP (International Internship Program), doing fieldwork through HMEI (High Meadows Environmental Institute), taking a Global Seminar course through PIIRS (Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies), or participating in Princeton’s many language programs abroad, many students find ways to leave the Orange Bubble—literally. To become better-informed global citizens, it is important not only to study the world from Princeton, but also to spend time in the world beyond Princeton.

One powerful way to do this is by conducting research abroad. When I was a junior preparing for my senior thesis, I knew I wanted to incorporate an international dimension into my work and, if possible, travel over winter break of senior year. Although I had been fortunate to travel domestically through Princeton, I hadn’t yet taken advantage of any study or research opportunities abroad. Winter break of senior year is one of the last, and most popular, chances to do so. Princeton has a wide range of thesis funding sources, which makes it very possible to take your research to an international site.

Recommendations for Rec Letters

Posted on December 9, 2025December 4, 2025 by Stanley Stoutamire, Jr.

A fall evening at sunset with a view of the graduate college — *A fall evening on campus*

With my junior year well underway, I’ve started to do some thinking about everything that comes after you leave the “orange bubble”. As someone whose Princeton experience has been shaped by diverging interests, it’s exciting to imagine applying the unique skillsets I’m gaining to new contexts. Still, whether it’s internships, fellowships, or research projects, nearly every opportunity is guarded by an application process of some kind. While some applications can be relatively simple, many are decidedly complex. Of the many interlocking parts that make up any application process, letters of recommendation represent some of the most critical cogs in the machine. What makes letters of recommendation so important is that they can provide a new perspective on you as an applicant, affirm aspects of your application you’ve already shared, and more fully characterize you as a person. Still, asking for letters of recommendation can create uncertainty.

Making the Most of Conferences

Posted on November 13, 2025November 11, 2025 by Shannon Yeow

Showing a photo of the conference — *“Welcome to SWE23” sign at the Annual Society of Women Engineers National Conference*

When I attended my first conference, I was overwhelmed by the number of events—from keynote speakers and lightning talks, to career fairs and research presentations. Over time, through attending several conferences, I learned how to navigate these spaces strategically and make the most of the few days I had at each one. Conferences are an opportunity to connect your academic interests to real-world communities and open doors for future opportunities. From resume databases to poster sessions, conferences can open doors to new research and career opportunities.

The Role of Struggle in Research

Posted on November 11, 2025November 11, 2025 by Gabriel Ascoli

*Roman copy of a Greek bronze bust of Aristotle by Lysippos (c. 330 BC).*

Aristotle’s Metaphysics begin with an oft-quoted adage: πάντες ἄνθρωποι τοῦ εἰδέναι ὀρέγονται φύσει (Aristotle, Metaphysics A.1 980a). “All humans, by their nature, strive to understand.”

With some spare time over fall break, I decided to brush up on my Greek philosophy. My upcoming junior independent work will focus on Lucretius’ philosophical poem De Rerum Natura, and he engages with so many ideas from ancient Greek thinkers – Epicurus, Democritus, Plato, and Aristotle, to name a few – I thought it prudent to be familiar with them. Given that the very purpose of their works is to explain their ideas, I didn’t expect to run into serious trouble as I began reading them. Instead, as I started making my way through Aristotle’s Metaphysics and Plato’s Timaeus, I found myself entangled with ideas of identity, causation, and substance. My overwhelming reaction was… “wait, what?”

In Defense of Core Lab

Posted on October 30, 2025October 30, 2025 by Haya Elamir

this image is to represent the kind of group environment that core lab represents, even if this isn't an actual core lab class depicted — *A classroom of students reading at Princeton (not core lab)*. *Photo credit: Ryan Halbe.*

Many STEM majors here have the same rite of passage: core lab. For non-lab majors, core lab is a class that is purely to teach you about lab techniques and critical thinking skills that are useful for writing our theses. They usually involve a bit of a simulated lab experience where you discover new findings while the teachers guide you through the motions of a lab research experience.

Molecular biology’s core lab meets twice a week for 3 hours and then a small 50 minute lecture/precept on Fridays for half the semester. Other majors have similar constraints. However, while at first it may seem a bit overwhelming and even redundant if you’ve already done these procedures in a lab or are in a lab that definitely will not be using any procedures you learn, core lab goes beyond just teaching you technical skills.

I too was confused as to why I was here and why this mattered, but over time, I began to internalize one of the real skills this class is meant to teach you, something that pipetting will never give you: asking the right questions.

Jumping Back In!

Posted on October 21, 2025October 13, 2025 by Stanley Stoutamire, Jr.

Stanley Stoutamire standing in front of a university sign. — *A picture from the end of my internship!*

The summer is always a great time to get involved in research, whether on campus or off campus. One common challenge, however, is figuring out how to actually become a part of those research opportunities. At the end of this summer, I was fortunate enough to be able to return to the research team I worked with last year. While it was exciting to once again be working on the study (an investigation into the effectiveness of peer coaching on high blood pressure) it was a different experience the second time around. Jumping back into any project can introduce new challenges, and research is no different.

The Art of Bouncing Back

Posted on May 5, 2025April 29, 2025 by Haya Elamir

this image is to set the tone for the rest of the blog post; that it is about internship rejection — **screenshot of the beginning of most internship rejection emails**

Spring is a bit of a bittersweet time for me every year. When the sun comes out, so does any brain cell willing to do work. Summer is right around the corner, and things just seem to drag–even in the quick Princeton semesters. However, that ‘summer right around the corner’ thought is not always an exciting one. With summer comes the prospect of internships, and perhaps more pressing: the lack of thereof. In a previous post, I discussed tips for applying to internships, but by now, you may have already heard back. If you have heard back and the email made your heart sink to your stomach, this post is for you. I’m here to remind you that internship rejections are not the end of the world.

Encounters with Mentorship

Posted on April 30, 2025April 29, 2025 by Stanley Stoutamire, Jr.

Sunlight narrowly streams in an ornate window of the highest floor of Firestone Library in the afternoon. — *Firestone Library in the afternoon*

As I was graduating high school, everyone – whether it was friends, teachers, or family – told me I had to find a good mentor. I didn’t really know what this meant in the context of college. I had experienced instructive relationships with coaches and teachers before, but I didn’t really know how that would translate into a research-driven environment.

Now as a sophomore, I understand that especially before declaring a major, it can be challenging to forge mentorship connections. Still, during the first two years of my undergraduate experience, I have encountered mentorship in a variety of ways that I would have never expected. Whether it was through my lab-based courses, an internship, or even a recent serendipitous moment, quality mentorship has been a defining part of my Princeton experience.

Thanking Your Mentors: Tips on Writing Your Research Paper Acknowledgements

Posted on April 28, 2025April 28, 2025 by Alexis Wu

Photo of Princeton's Blair Arch with green grass in the foreground and a blue sky in the background. — *I have yet to print my senior thesis, but once I do, I’ll be taking a photo with it in front of Blair Arch (per tradition!).* *Photo by author.*

When I sat down to write the acknowledgements for my senior thesis, I realized something surprising: my department’s resources on how to write a thesis or independent work paper didn’t include any advice on writing this section. In some ways, that makes sense. Most readers focus on sections like the abstract, methodology, and results, which really serve as and highlight the key contributions of the paper. But having guidance on how to write acknowledgements can go a long way in helping students thank the people who made their research possible. In this article, I’ll share a few tips for writing acknowledgements—whether you’re submitting a STEM paper to a conference or wrapping up your senior thesis.

The Beauty of Mentorship

Posted on April 23, 2025April 21, 2025 by Haya Elamir

the purpose is to represent the main idea of the post: mentorship — *A mentor guiding two students on a startup project*. *Photo Credit: Danielle Alio.*

I think mentorship can be highly overlooked in the undergraduate community. This is mostly because we feel that professors and Ph.D. students can be so far in their own fields, and so we’re just intruding in on their time. They’re so impressive that it is almost intimidating. However, in hindsight, you start to realize how important their mentorship becomes in your life. I think a lot of undergraduates value mentorship in the sense that they’re being given an opportunity in the current moment to do research or work on a project. This is the perspective I had on mentorship when I entered research. Luckily, for me, mentorship turned out to be so much more; it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

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