Princeton Orientation

Hello!

I got home from my weekend trip to Princeton with Pookie yesterday.

We left Friday night on a 9 pm flight and arrived in New Jersey at 5 am eastern time.

The guy next to me on the plane jiggled his leg and bumped mine repeatedly as he slept.  Finally, I wedged my knitting bag between us, and was able to doze a bit.  Pookie was in the seat behind me (we had the aisle seats way at the back.) The young girl next to him, she seemed about 12, slept on his shoulder.  When we landed, she called someone on her phone and talked super loudly.  I heard her say, "Next time I see Grandma, I'm going to kick her butt!"

Airplanes.

The public transportation to Princeton is fabulous.  You can take the Newark Airport Air Train right to a train station that has both Amtrack and NJTransit train connections.  For only $18, you take a train towards Trenton that stops at Princeton Junction.  From there, you are supposed to catch another little train that goes back and forth to the university.  This train is nicknamed the "Dinky."  But, they are moving the train station on the campus, so that train isn't running as often as it usually does.  Instead there were free shuttle buses.  The new station won't be as convenient a walk, but still, to have your own train is pretty cool.

On the platform, waiting for the train to Princeton Junction, we saw 3 young men who had to also be freshman.

The freshman check in one week early.  The school puts them into groups of 12 -20 and you can choose to either do some type of an excursion or charity project.  Pookie is going backpacking.  One of his roommates chose the charity option and is working with Habitat for Humanity in Trenton for the week.  So the only students arriving are the fall sports people (already there), the RCA's (Residential College Advisors - upper classmen who are supervisors in the dorms), and the upper classmen who are supervising the week's activities. 

These guys were all West Coasters, too.  Two were from Arizona (though they didn't know each other and met on the plane out), and one from California.  The four freshman bonded on the train.

None of them are in the same dorm, but as the two from Arizona plan to be Engineering majors, as does Pookie, they will probably have classes together.

We got in line and checked in.

The Princeton mascot, a Tiger,

was passing out lollipops.

After checking in, we headed to Pookie's dorm, 1927.  It was donated by the class of 1927, hence the name.  Princeton is just so cool.  They have organized the life on campus into "Residential Colleges."  Like most universities, there are academic colleges, only two here, the College of Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences.  But the residential colleges are another thing.  There are six.  They each have a dining hall or cafeteria, social space, study space, etc., and a grouping of dormitories.   Make sense?  He is in Wilson College, the oldest of the residential colleges and the best located.  It is the most central to the campus.

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Wilson College is only a two year residential college, so it is paired with Butler college, and after his sophomore year, Pookie will move into Butler College.  The two sets of dorms and social/dining/study spaces are right next door on campus, so he won't move far.

We had a great parent orientation meeting with the Master of Wilson College, Eduardo Cadava, who is an English Professor at Princeton. 

One of the interesting things he emphasized about the school was not how awesome it is academically, but all of the other awesome experiences students have access to at Princeton.  They are really into educating the whole student, not just the brain. 

After the adults spoke, the RCA's came in, were introduced, and answered questions from the parents. One parent asked what was the best advice for the parents of Princeton freshmen.  The RCA said, "B's happen."  Everyone laughed, because, of course all our kids have straight A's from their high schools as well as super high test scores.  Except one mom who was sitting near me.  At the phrase, "B's happen,"  she folded her arms across her chest, frowned, and shook her head, "NO."  I almost laughed out loud.  But, really.  B's better not happen to Pookie.

I took the train back to Newark Airport that evening and spent the night at the Marriott hotel right in the middle of the airport.

Here is my DISLIKE for the trip.  Honestly.  The Marriott charges almost $200 for one person for one night.  And then, the internet is not free.  $13 for 24 hours of wireless internet.  If you want really fast internet, you can pay $18 instead.  What?????  I refused to pay as I was awake in the hotel for about 4 hours.  Why do these big hotels nickle and dime you like that?  Charging for internet.  Crazy.

The knitting part of my trip was awesome, though.

I haven't knit all of August.  First because I needed to finish up the Graduation Afghan.  Then because I was making a bunch of crocheted stitch markers.  Then because it was getting close to September 1, the start of the new "term" for the Harry Potter Knitting/Crochet House Cup.  You can turn in one WIP for detention each month, but most of your points come from stuff you start and finish during the term.

I had planned to turn in my Pamina Socks for my WIP (detention) points. 

I made and finished these socks last winter, but they were a tiny bit too small.  I frogged the toes, reattched what was left of the yarn, and am busy making them about .5 in longer.  But, I forgot to pack them.

I did pack some new yarn in Princeton's colors (Orange, Black, and White).  I had planned to start a hat and fingerless mitts for Pookie when I finished the socks.  I figured I would knit the hat on the plane ride home, September 1.  Since I didn't have the socks. I went ahead and started the hat anyway.  It knit up so quickly!

I was using some Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Superwash.  This is a Worsted Weight yarn.  Because I knit loosely, I used size 3 needles.  I had Jared Flood's Turn a Square Hat as my guide.  I didn't follow it exactly.  I used 3 colors rather than one main and a self striping alternate color.  Also, I made it a bit longer so Pookie can either slouch it, or turn up the brim if he wants, or pull it way down over his ears.

I knit with fingering and lace weight yarn so often, that working with worsted is crazy fast.  I had the hat ready to decrease before I went to bed.  I finished the hat on the plane, quite easily.

I learned the jogless join, and was mostly successful.

When I finished the hat, I still had a lot of time before we would be landing in Seattle, so I decided to start my first "class project," a pair of fingerless mitts for Pookie in the same yarns.  I had no idea which class these mitts would fit, but there is always at least one class where gloves/mitts fit the prompt.

By the time we landed, I was almost ready to bind off the first mitt.  Wow.  I stayed up last night (until midnight!!) and finished them both.

That's my hand, modeling.

I used the 220 Fingerless Mitts pattern by Jessica Jensen as a template.  Again, I didn't follow exactly.  I made them slightly bigger around, added a bit to the thumb gussets, and make the finger part longer.  My hands are pretty big, and Pookie's are even bigger.  I want his hands to stay warm.  I love how they came out.  I will send the hat and mitts out next week with a care package that includes his afghan, as even in all those suitcases, he didn't have room for that giant blanket.

Peace,
f1bercat
enjoy your Labor Day.