It's that magical time of the year isn't it? The first semester is wrapping up and sophomores are deciding which eating clubs to join! I originally created this Facebook note last January, but the information here is still relevant; however, I would add three more items: (1) it's totally cool not to join an eating club, (2) If you're thinking about bickering, go for it! Don't overthink it, just be yourself!, and (3) don't sleep on Quad - I'll have more to say about that later on today.
Three years ago, I joined Quad because, I felt comfortable with it's senior class/officer corps, I had junior friends in the club, and my good buddy S from Forbes was signing-in as well... that was the best decision I made in the course of my Princeton career. I hope this note helps :)
1. Join the club in which you feel the most at home: As an upperclassman, the a significant portion of your time will be spent at the eating club that you decide to join - for the next two years, you will have most of your meals in one location. It is a good idea to make sure that you're comfortable with almost very aspect of the club, especially the membership and food. Additionally, be sure to consider the additional facilities - i.e. hangout spots, study locations, computer labs, etc. One more thing: your club is going to be the first place you come back to as an alumni...
2. There are pro and cons to joining the same club as your friends: A lot of people decide to join the same club as their friends (when I say friends, I'm talking about a group of 3-4 people) - there are both positives and negatives aspects to this process. Pros: joining the same club as your friends ensures that you'll regularly have a core group of people to eat with and (in my opinion) this is especially desirable in certain clubs. Con: Joining a different club than your core group forces you to interact with new people and thus make new friends. Keep this in mind, with meal exchanges as a junior or senior, you will be able to eat at any club in which your friends are members at almost any given meal.
3. Look out for the club's officer corps: An eating clubs' officer corps is responsible for taking care their members, i.e. you. Ideally, as a member, you'll want to join a club whose officers are friendly, visible in the club, accessible, and receptive to your concerns/criticisms. Ultimately, the officers are the individuals that are responsible for the operation and direction of the club, including the food, parties, formals, dues and a multitude of other factors - they are the people you'll need to go to if you'd like to see any change in your club.
4. Before you sign-in or bicker, do your best to learn about "sophomore status" within your club: In general, sophomore dues total up to be a few hundred dollars and a limited number of meals each week; however, the dues and sophomore membership benefits vary from club to club. For instance, certain clubs may allow sophomores to bring guests to houseparties whereas other may not. Just as a rule of thumb, I think it's a good thing to know what your getting for your money - you might even decide to delay your membership until junior year (which is practical for some clubs more than others).
5. It's cool to change your mind: In the world of eating clubs, nothing is permanent. It's cool to join a club sophomore year and reconsider your options come junior year. For instance, it is common for people who are rejected from a Bicker club to join a sign-in club for their sophomore spring and then participate in fall bicker next September/October. Another instance, is that individuals switch between sign-in clubs. Basically, there is no reason why you should remain a member of a club in which you're unhappy.
One last thing, it's not our clubs that define us, but rather who we define ourselves to be.
Three years ago, I joined Quad because, I felt comfortable with it's senior class/officer corps, I had junior friends in the club, and my good buddy S from Forbes was signing-in as well... that was the best decision I made in the course of my Princeton career. I hope this note helps :)
1. Join the club in which you feel the most at home: As an upperclassman, the a significant portion of your time will be spent at the eating club that you decide to join - for the next two years, you will have most of your meals in one location. It is a good idea to make sure that you're comfortable with almost very aspect of the club, especially the membership and food. Additionally, be sure to consider the additional facilities - i.e. hangout spots, study locations, computer labs, etc. One more thing: your club is going to be the first place you come back to as an alumni...
2. There are pro and cons to joining the same club as your friends: A lot of people decide to join the same club as their friends (when I say friends, I'm talking about a group of 3-4 people) - there are both positives and negatives aspects to this process. Pros: joining the same club as your friends ensures that you'll regularly have a core group of people to eat with and (in my opinion) this is especially desirable in certain clubs. Con: Joining a different club than your core group forces you to interact with new people and thus make new friends. Keep this in mind, with meal exchanges as a junior or senior, you will be able to eat at any club in which your friends are members at almost any given meal.
3. Look out for the club's officer corps: An eating clubs' officer corps is responsible for taking care their members, i.e. you. Ideally, as a member, you'll want to join a club whose officers are friendly, visible in the club, accessible, and receptive to your concerns/criticisms. Ultimately, the officers are the individuals that are responsible for the operation and direction of the club, including the food, parties, formals, dues and a multitude of other factors - they are the people you'll need to go to if you'd like to see any change in your club.
4. Before you sign-in or bicker, do your best to learn about "sophomore status" within your club: In general, sophomore dues total up to be a few hundred dollars and a limited number of meals each week; however, the dues and sophomore membership benefits vary from club to club. For instance, certain clubs may allow sophomores to bring guests to houseparties whereas other may not. Just as a rule of thumb, I think it's a good thing to know what your getting for your money - you might even decide to delay your membership until junior year (which is practical for some clubs more than others).
5. It's cool to change your mind: In the world of eating clubs, nothing is permanent. It's cool to join a club sophomore year and reconsider your options come junior year. For instance, it is common for people who are rejected from a Bicker club to join a sign-in club for their sophomore spring and then participate in fall bicker next September/October. Another instance, is that individuals switch between sign-in clubs. Basically, there is no reason why you should remain a member of a club in which you're unhappy.
One last thing, it's not our clubs that define us, but rather who we define ourselves to be.
 |
| Quad 2011 Seniors! Wow, so many memories, so many stories... and you'll never read them on this blog because they are so not PG, lol. Seriously, I love these girls and guys! |
No comments:
Post a Comment