Adjusting to any college is difficult, but this goes double for an Ivy League— from academics to extracurriculars to service, it’s only natural to feel overwhelmed by the complexity of life at school. Luckily, Princeton is chock-full of resources to help first-year students adjust, but all agree that one in particular takes the cake: according to a recent survey, the most helpful student resources by far are the labels you’ll see on trees around campus.
Yes, Zee groups provide friends that live nearby, creating a potential bunch-of-peers-that-live-near-each-other-and-have-offbeat-interactions-sitcom type of deal. And yes, if that fails, you do have the week-long Disney Channel Original Movie that is Outdoor or Community Action. And yes, it is possible that you’ll make friends in class, at the dining hall, in your laundry room, or literally anywhere else during your first months here on campus. But according to our survey, the tree labels really do lead the pack here are some comments from actual Princeton undergraduate students:
“Before I came to Princeton, I had no idea how to be independent—my parents did everything for me. But after an inspiring encounter with an American Beech, I knew I had to be as tall and strong and freestanding as that tree. So now I only wear 12-inch heels on campus, and I definitely stand out at Late Meal.” — Tess, ‘21, OR
“I remember wondering if I’d make any new friends, and thinking that I’d be really far from my hometown. But as soon as I saw my first Red Oak, I knew this was the school for me. It has to be more than a coincidence that my 2nd grade best friend’s favorite color was red. Of course, we stopped talking in 3rd grade when he was sent to reform school, but I like to believe it’s fate.” — Jaquan, ‘19, CA
According to the survey, labeled trees have helped students with everything from resolving roommate dilemmas to encouraging them to try new extracurriculars.
“I never would have thought to start the Princeton Competitive Tiddlywinks Team if I didn’t stumble upon that Dawn Redwood,” says Deirdre Kaufman, captain and founder of the Princeton Competitive Tiddlywinks Team. “After I saw it, so tall and cone-shaped, I knew what I was meant to do. After all, what other game uses small plastic disks, which if you think about it, are just big cone-shaped trees cut into small wooden disks, but made of plastic.”
Even those dedicated to helping first-years adjust think the labels are a true windfall. “I was doubtful,” admits Mathey RCA Vivienne. “But, really, it makes sense. As an RCA, I can only give personal advice based on experience and point my Zees to other helpful resources when necessary. But I could never do what those labels do. I mean, even as a junior, the Horse Chestnut helped me realize I wanted to do a Certificate in Spanish after all. Horses are from the Iberian peninsula, so Spanish, and chestnuts are small, so it should be my Certificate instead of my Concentration. Don’t make me spell this out for you.
Princeton University administration is proud to offer the labeled trees free of charge to each incoming undergraduate class, and plans are in the works to offer this service to incoming graduate students as well.
– NMC ’21
