Some useful distinctions to help prepare yourself for a math class at Princeton!
Myth: You will learn how to prove interesting mathematical statements like “e^iπ+1=0”.
Math: You will struggle to prove the most trivial mathematical statements. This will lead you down an existential crisis, causing you to question things you’ve previously held true: Do my parents really love me? Did I really deserve to get into Princeton? You will learn soon after that ignorance is the highest blessing.
Myth: You will enjoy solving interesting problems every week!
Math: Self-loathing is actually a common side-effect of doing problem sets. Your intellectual self-confidence will suffer, alongside your GPA.
Myth: Everyone is just itching to complete their QR requirement!
Math: Every year, President Christopher Eisgruber hunts down graduates who managed to evade the QR requirement. They are handcuffed to a desk and forced to complete a math class taught by an 11 year-old grad student in the math department.
Myth: Much of the math you will learn has fascinating applications in the real world.
Math: About 60% of the lectures in a Princeton math class are there for torturing students only. Because most of the lectures are difficult to follow anyway, few students pick up on this.
Myth: The graders will take pity on you if there are tear stains on your exam.
Math: The tear stains on your exam are invisible to the graders. You are better off saving your tears for when grades are up.
— AA ’17
