Move-in day holds great significance in us come September, as we once again lug our memories, home, and experiences back to the Orange Bubble. As a returning student, sophomore year move-in was greatly different from that of freshman year, for obvious reasons. Little did we really realize, however, what we like from afar and how those intimidating upperclassmen thought of us. Freshman Week at Princeton is characterized by a jam-packed schedule each day leading up to the start of classes, with musical, academic, and social events at every corner. It is characterized by staying up late and waking up early, not because of work but because you had to SOCIALIZE. The flip side to this story is much, much different, as we the pacifier is ripped from our mouths, finally. Here, the four days of (odd) freedom back on campus:

Sept 10

Moved in, and there actually wasn’t a huge traffic jam of parents and cars. We drove right up to my hall, and proceeded to move things in. Looking around, there were already people on campus, but everyone knew people moving in today were upperclassmen. Saw huge groups of people walking together, and inherently know they are freshmen. What memories. Passed by our old suite and zee rooms, and there the new kids on the block are, getting to know each other. Lowkey had to restrain myself from running up to them and introducing myself “I USED TO LIVE THERE, THAT WAS MY HOME, TOO!!!” Settle, Christy. Settle. Came to the realization that there was not dining plan yet, rendering us to our knees in defeat (just kidding, Noodle House is pretty good...we were able to try the ramen but the fact that there is pho near campus now puts me on cloud 9). Heard eating clubs were open, knew they were going to be packed but decided to try to weasel our way in. As expected, couldn’t get into Quad (:c) but saw friends and we decided to walk down the Street. Mobs of people pass by saying Cloister shut down -- JOKES it was on PUID. Got soaked in beer, among other things that happen in that lovely place and decided to ditch. Checked out friends’ rooms and decided to lounge in the Woody Woo fountain for a few hours, letting our feet get pruny. Decided to walk around campus and finally played pool in Butler until 5am. This day was especially nostalgic of freshman year, when you want to spend all your time trying to familiarize yourself with others and solidify relationships that have actually just budded. One phrase kept running through my mind, though: party like a freshman -- without thinking of tomorrow, without thinking of imminent work, without feeling guilty, just having good fun with people.

Sept 11

Got a solid 4 hours of sleep but jumped out of bed. Actually contemplated skipping a networking brunch but decided against that. However, after the lovely brunch (@ Agricola -- shoutout to the awesome poached eggs), literally didn’t know what to do with myself on this day. Tried the Dinky Restaurant, and it’s pretty over the two dollar sign rating on Google...like higher end of it. Perhaps drinks are better but ribs were a little dry. Special swordfish tacos looked quite delicious despite their meager appearance. This time around, went to see TigerRoar, in which most of the a cappella groups flex their muscles -- I guess it’d be vocal chords in this case. It was really great going as a non-freshman because you know some people singing and hollerin’ their names is super fun. I’m always blown away by any sort of musical talent. It's terrible but whenever someone brought out the whistle or harmonica, all I could think about was those scenes in Pitch Perfect. No late night on this day, the day had been long enough and sleep was awaiting...

Sept 12

This is the day we got exiled from our own dining halls, forcing us to eat in front of the UStore. Man, this was a real hit for us -- so that's what sophomores were doing when our unknowing butts were listening to Head Cadava! Despite being once again faced with the realization that the days in which we are a big deal have come to an end, the weather was quite pleasant, and so eating outside wasn’t so bad of a change of plans after all. Freshman says they want Orientation Week to be over...you'll miss it soon, friend. You'll definitely miss it soon. Fast forward a few hours, Tigernight had us jammin’ in our seats. So tired that I screamed the wrong names during certain performances...smooth as I am. Oh well, shameless might as well be my middle name. Followed that up with an alternative party a friend and her group were hosting at Campus Club -- busted our moves there and then decided to call it a night. At that moment, I realized party like a freshman phase was over, and we weren't going back. Too many things to do (like writing this article) and the responsible part of a person starts kicking in...SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP!!

Sept 13

Woke up with the sudden realization that dark days are ahead. Perhaps not this week, as it is a three-day school week, with Lawnparties upon us on Sunday. Yet, everything after that...I can already see the time commitments and workloads flashing before my eyes. Sleep? Oh man, not so optimistic about that, either. Hopefully, as we all tell ourselves, this time around will be different from the first: I know I can count on people more and trust to push myself out there. Understanding my limits and the need for EXERCISE (literally got sick because I didn’t work out enough). In short, summer is over. Seeing frosh on campus was incredibly nostalgic and allowed me and my friends to have a newfound appreciation for frosh week. It’s exciting to see them on campus, and recall how we were in their shoes once. It’s not like HS, where you hate the younger grades or whatever, but you find it endearing. Maturity or not, perhaps it’s because all of us are on the same boat, headed for the unknown, when we look back that we want to share our love and knowledge with them as well.