First Two Months of College

It's kind of crazy to think about how a year ago today was the Princeton early action deadline. Now, I'm two months into my freshman year! I've been so busy that this blog was temporarily abandoned. I hope to change that, as I know these next four years will be the most important and interesting years of my life so far. I actually have time to update you all tonight because I'm on my fall break. While I'm glad to be be home and see my friends and family, I miss being on campus as well. I've had such an amazing two months at Princeton. I don't really know how to summarize it in a single blog post, but I'll try my best.

My college experience started off with a jam-packed orientation. Every incoming freshman does a small group orientation trip to get to know other students and transition into college. I can say without a doubt that my closest friends at Princeton are from my small group. I don't need to list them out, because they know who they are. Everyone on the trip was valued and appreciated. This inclusive environment carried over to Princeton as a whole. I am amazed by the friendliness that I encounter anywhere I go on campus. One reason that I was so sad when I graduated from Camp Simcha Special was because I thought I would never be in such a warm and welcoming place. I'm grateful to have found a similar environment at Princeton. I am so glad that I ended up at a small school, because I run into people I know pretty much any time I go somewhere. Even though I do have a single, I make plans for meals or find friends in the dining hall. The other freshmen who live in my dorm are so nice and fun to be around. They also help me when I need it. One time, I was messaging with a friend who lives down the hall when suddenly I spotted a spider in my room. I messaged her "SPIDER" and 30 seconds later, she was already in my room with a paper towel in her hand. I'm lucky to have met such awesome people at Princeton.

While the people are amazing, sometimes I need a little time to myself. That's when I go to my room. I have my own room and it is perfectly set up for me. There's plenty of space for my wheelchair, a backup electric wheelchair, and a manual wheelchair, plus my various respiratory machines. I have my own bathroom that is almost the same size as the other part of my room! I have been impressed by the Office of Disability Services and their ability to accomodate my needs. There are some parts of my campus that are not wheelchair accessible, such as my friends' dorm that has two flights of stairs and no elevator, but I'm starting to learn the best routes for me to take. If a class is in a building that isn't accessible, the whole class will be moved just for me.

I guess I should talk about class a little, since that is the whole point of college. I'm in four classes: intermediate Spanish, introduction to moral philosophy, a mandatory writing class, and a freshman seminar about disability in literature. My biggest class is my philosophy class because it is a lecture, but the rest of my classes have twelve students or less. I love having more opportunities to interact with the professor and other students. The literature class is definitely my favorite because it combines my interest in reading and learning about disability studies. I like all of my classes and all of my professors are fantastic, but I do have a lot of work. I'm still learning how to manage my time. It's a lot different than high school since I'm in class for so much less time. Of course, if you know me, you know I keep myself busy.

Outside of class, my biggest extracurricular is writing for the newspaper, the Daily Princetonian. It's a huge commitment, but I really enjoy it. So far I have written four articles, two by myself and two with other reporters. One of the articles I co-wrote was about Ellie Kemper's speech at a conference for alumni. I got to meet her and talk to her for ten minutes, and when I commented on her Instagram picture, she followed me on Instagram and commented on my picture of her! My last article was one I wrote by myself and it was the big cover story. It was such a great feeling to see my name featured so prominently on the cover. I also am involved with the Princeton chapter of Girl Up, the club that I co-founded a chapter of in high school. I go to most Friday night Shabbat dinners at the Center for Jewish Life. There's a great Jewish community here, which I really appreciate. When I'm not in class or at a club meeting, I love just hanging out with my friends. I took a trip to see Frozen on Broadway with my residential college, which was super exciting. There is always so much happening around campus that sometimes I get overwhelmed.

I know this post is really long, but a lot has happened in the past two months. I am so glad that I am at Princeton and I look forward to seeing what the next four years bring. Go Tigers!