College Life
How do Princeton students live beyond the classroom? The ‘Prince’ asked seniors about substance use, encounters with P-Safe, and their intimate relationships. We explored the everyday lives of Tigers, uncovering the culture that shapes our campus community. Below, find the answers to your burning questions.
Daily Life

When studying in a semester with a full course load, Physics major respondents studied the most on average per week at Princeton at 41.1 hours. This is significantly higher than the average senior respondent, who studies 27 hours per week.

When sleeping, only 4.6 percent of respondents share a room with the same person from the entirety of their Princeton experience. 36.2 percent of those who had a first-year roommate stuck with them for at least one year.

When dining, nearly two-thirds (65.4 percent) eat their meals as members of an eating club, a 6.1 percent bump from last year. Most respondents are happy with their options — only 5.5 percent said they were “dissatisfied” or “somewhat dissatisfied.” Despite having the fewest people (7.4 percent of respondents), those in co-ops are the most satisfied with their dining experience, with 81 percent saying they are “satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied,” compared to 49.5 percent of those who are independent.

Drugs

More respondents in the Class of 2023 reported having consumed alcohol (89.1 percent) than the class of 2022 (86.5 percent), but reported consuming alcohol less often. Weekly alcohol consumption in this year’s senior class is lower than last year’s senior class (46.9 percent versus 50.5 percent) — but is still above national figures. 63.7 percent of legacy students drink at least once a week, compared to 43.9 percent of students whose family did not attend Princeton. `

Drug use also increased among this year’s seniors. 49.7 percent of respondents report that they have used marijuana at least once in their life, while 11.5 percent report that they have tried psychedelics. 6.1 percent report using non-prescribed medication to aid in academic performance or focus. Additionally, 80.8 percent of respondents report that they have never tried a cigarette or other tobacco products, and 80.3 percent report that they have never vaped before.

Mental
Health

About 65 percent of seniors have sought mental health counseling or treatment, while 78.5 percent have thought about doing so. These are both increases from the Class of 2022, in which 59.9 received treatment and 75 percent considered doing so. Half of the respondents used Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) on campus and 37.4 percent sought external resources. These numbers are significantly higher than college students across the country, 51.5 percent of whom say they have ever received counseling and 38.9 percent have received counseling from their university’s services. B.S.E. students were less likely to seek mental health help, with 45.8 percent of future engineers not receiving counseling or therapy compared to 31.4 percent of A.B. students.

Night Life

Over 60 percent of respondents participated in bicker, an increase of over 10 percent from the Class of 2022’s respondents, potentially as a result of a virtual bicker process that took place in the spring of 2021. The Inter Club Council (ICC) reported that year a 70 percent participation rate in bicker. 77.8 percent said they joined an eating club, up from 73.1 last year. Tower was once again the most represented eating club, comprising 15.8 percent of the respondents, while Cloister members represented just 2.5 percent of the respondents.

Just 40 percent of those who bickered Cottage reported being a member of Cottage at some point during their time at Princeton. On the other hand, 62.2 percent of Tower bickerees said they joined the club.

12.5 percent of all respondents reported being brought to the McCosh Student Health Center for overconsumption of alcoholic beverages. Among the eleven eating clubs, 27.9 percent of Charter members reported being McCoshed, the highest on the Street. This was followed by Cap and Gown at 25.4 percent and Tower at 19.3. No respondents from Cloister or Cottage reported being McCoshed.

Sex and
Romance

Over three-quarters — 76.6 percent — of the respondents reported that they have had sex, up from 69.6 percent from last year. 41 percent had sex for the first time while enrolled at the University. Of the 11 eating clubs, Charter had the highest proportion of respondents who reported having had sex, with 92.9 percent of the nearly 50 respondents from Charter Club saying they’ve had sex, compared to just 65.1 percent of 44 Quadrangle Club respondents. 46.4 percent of University seniors reported being in a relationship at the time of filling out the survey, with 36.1 percent having met their significant other at Princeton. 3.7 percent are engaged and 4.3 percent say “it’s complicated.”

More recruited athletes and A.B. concentrators reported having had sex than their non-athlete and B.S.E. counterparts, though both A.B. and B.S.E. students reported significant increases in sex compared to last year (up 8 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively). Additionally, long studying hours didn’t seem to affect the frequency of sexual activity — 37.5 percent of respondents who study 70 or more hours a week reported having sex more than twice a week.