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While You're Away

Keeping in Touch
While on study abroad, you are still a fully matriculated student at Princeton. You will therefore have access to your Princeton e-mail account and will receive all e-mail just as if you were on campus. Remember to remove all deleted and unnecessary messages from your account on the Princeton server to avoid problems with space limits. Note: Deleted messages remain on the Princeton server in your Deleted Items folder until you empty the folder or permanently delete the items.

In addition to general announcements and notices about opportunities that may be of interest, the Office of International Programs will  forward any alerts from the Department of State that pertain to your study abroad site or the nearby region. You should check your e-mail regularly to keep abreast of often fast-changing situations.

Confirmation of Arrival
As soon as you have a permanent residence or program mailing address abroad, you should phone or e-mail your family and the Office of International Programs to confirm your arrival and inform everyone of your local address, telephone number, etc. At Princeton, contact Dean Kanach, 609/258-5524 (please give your parents/guardians this information).

Setting Up an Emergency Contact Network
Should your family wish to reach you in a personal emergency, they can contact you directly or contact the Office of International Programs, which will get in touch with you directly or via your on-site coordinator. It is usually best to check with your on-site coordinator first before calling home about something that may be best handled locally. When traveling on weekends or over holiday periods during the course of your program abroad, be sure to keep your local coordinator and your roommates or host family informed of your intended itinerary.

Remote Access to Princeton University Library Resources
The library provides information on its website about accessing library resources from off campus and remote locations. Follow the directions for using a Proxy Server or VPN (Virtual Private Networking), as appropriate. It is best to set up VPN on your computer BEFORE you leave. Be advised that many home and private networks do not allow Virtual Private Networking (some Internet Service Providers are charging extra for the service) so do not assume that you can VPN to Princeton domain resources while traveling.

Additionally, a Guide to Library Resources for Princeton Students Going Abroad has been put together to assist you in conducting academic research while you are abroad. You are also encouraged to contact a subject specialist for assistance, especially for junior paper research.
 
Course Selection and Registration from Abroad
Students who are studying abroad complete registration and course enrollment for the academic year via SCORE at the same time as all other undergraduates.

Please note that enrolling in courses is not registration. These are two separate operations. Registration is a review of your personal and bio-demographic information and confirms your student status for the academic year. All enrolled students, whether on campus or abroad, must register by the deadline. If you do not register on time, you will be assessed a late fee of $75. Students who have a compelling reason for not being able to register on time should notify the Office of the Registrar at 609/258-3360 or registrar@princeton.edu immediately to explain the circumstances and request a waiver of the late fee.

Course selection for the fall occurs in mid-April. Course selection for the spring occurs in late-November. The Office of the Registrar will notify you about each semester’s course selection schedule via e-mail. To enroll in courses from abroad, you should first seek the advice of your departmental adviser via e-mail and then enroll in courses online on the specified dates. To participate in this process, you need internet access both to review course offerings and to select courses. If you have trouble accessing the internet for online course enrollment and registration, please notify Deputy Registrar Sally Gonzalez.

The web-based course enrollment process will keep track of and enforce enrollment limits on courses that have them. There will still be, however, a number of courses to which admission is by application only. It is not difficult to apply from abroad for courses open by “application only.” Applications are usually available online and can be faxed or sent by e-mail to the appropriate office. Some courses may require an interview. Students who are abroad are not expected to be present at an interview.

If the interview is required in addition to the application, you should use the written application to explain fully your interest in the course. If only an interview is required, you can send an e-mail to the professor in charge of the course explaining your reasons for wanting to take the course and any background that you would bring to it. If you have difficulty making contact with the appropriate person on campus, please let the Office of International Programs know so that we can help you.

Room Draw and Housing

Students Abroad for the Fall
If you will be away during the fall semester only, please consult the Housing Office website for information about Spring Move-In. Students who are returning to housing for spring semester should apply for housing online, as instructed on the Spring Move-In Information webpage.

A space vacated by a student going abroad will be filled by a student on the housing waiting list. Students may not hold a room or space in a suite by paying for a yearlong housing contract. In some cases, the remaining roommates may be moved to a smaller room, if one is available. All vacancies in suites will be handled at the discretion of the Housing Office. Students returning to campus for the spring should be aware that single rooms are usually not available. Please expect to be assigned to a vacancy in a suite. If you are returning from the fall semester abroad and wish to take the space in a suite of someone who will be away in the spring semester, let the Housing Office know between December 13 and January 21. As long as the other students in the room agree to the proposed arrangements, there should not be a problem.

Please note that single rooms cannot be requested, even if you know that the room will be vacant. Beginning December 13, you may contact Angela Hodgeman in the Housing Office (609/258-3461) to discuss your housing request and ask any questions. Please note that students returning from the fall semester abroad cannot be given access to their room until noon on the Wednesday of intersession week.

Students Abroad for the Academic Year or the Spring
If you will be abroad for the academic year, you should participate in room draw for the following year through online room draw. If you will have limited internet access, you should contact the Housing Office to make other arrangements. You can designate a friend or the Housing Office to select your room and roommates by logging on to the room draw website and clicking on “Assign Proxy.” Your proxy will then be able to log in (as you) to select your room. You should be sure that your proxy is aware of your draw time and your room preferences. Your electronic signature on the Housing/Dining Contract indicates your intention to occupy the room. You are therefore subject to all rules concerning the cancellation of the housing contract.
 
Postgraduate Fellowships and Scholarships
Spring semester juniors abroad may be interested in applying for postgraduate fellowships and scholarships in the fall of their senior year. You will receive emails about fellowship information sessions and/or opportunities beginning in the spring. If you have an interest in any fellowships, you are encouraged to contact Deirdre Moloney, director of fellowship advising and to visit the Fellowship Advising website. For fellowships with early fall deadlines, students begin drafting application essays and identifying possible recommenders as early as April of their junior year. Study abroad students have successfully competed for these prestigious fellowships.