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Outdoor Action

Leadership Starts Here

Frosh Trip Quotes

New Friends on OA

What Participants Have to Say

The most important thing that my frosh trip gave me was a sense of community. Before I went on the OA trip, I didn't really feel like I was a part of Princeton yet. However, the trip gave me a sense of belonging and community. It also gave me friends that I still hang out with!

The Outdoor Action Program us the single most effective socially-oriented program that Princeton offers with regard to the adjustment of new students and the opportunity, throughout one’s Princeton experience, to meet other Princetonians. 

I think that my frosh trip was an integral part of my first semester here at Princeton. I was able to spend a week with people I might never have met, and become incredibly good friends with them. Overall, I loved it!

I think the trip was the best thing that could have happened to me. I learned more about myself and Princeton and got to know 10 terrific people. It made the transition to college a whole lot easier.

My first encounter with Princeton Outdoor Action was my Freshman Trip. Going in, I honestly had no idea of what type of people would join me at Princeton, how I should act, and whether or not the school was truly a good fit for me. From Day One, I realized that I had made the correct choice, for not only had I formed a bond with nine other students, I had already in a sense oriented myself to Princeton life through my leaders guidance and felt that my adjustment to campus life was that much smoother. 

I had never camped before and I had a fantastic time on the trip. It was a great way to get to know other frosh. It turned out to be just the thing I needed to start my adjustment to Princeton.

The trip was a wonderful experience. My group was a conglomerate of very diverse people. Had we all not been thrown together in the wilderness for six days, I probably wouldn’t have met and become friends with them. It was a great way to begin Princeton.

The friends I made in OA will always remain my friends since they are the first ones I have met and also the ones together with whom I walked thirty miles. Because I am an international student, I had no idea what Americans were like, so I never expected my teammates to be so hilarious and friendly.

I have only been at this University for a few months, but I already call it home. This is due in large part to Princeton University’s Outdoor Action Program. Being a part of the Freshmen Trip this summer helped ease a lot of the uncertainty and confusion that accompany such an overwhelming transition, as the one from high school to college usually is. My leaders helped me feel comfortable not only in a backwoods setting, but also among eight complete strangers. With the pressure of what to wear and who to talk to out of the way, I was able to settle into myself with ease and get to know eight great people. 

My first experience at Princeton University was an Outdoor Action Freshman Trip. I can see now, more than a year later, that it was one of my most valuable experiences at the University. Outdoor Action did far more than introduce me to ten of my future classmates. It has provided the opportunity for me to interact with fellow students outside of the academic environment. Encountering the beauty and challenges of nature with an OA group provides for an intense and meaningful sense of camaraderie that is difficult to find during the pressures of classes. I have also learned numerous skills from Outdoor Action--first aid, hiking, minimal impact camping, cross-country skiing and kayaking are examples. I was changed from a city dweller with no outdoor experience to a camper with a greater sense of respect for the environment. I don't think I would have learned this without Outdoor Action.

No other activity at Princeton has offered me the camaraderie and the opportunity to make close friendships as quickly as OA. In a place whose atmosphere is all too often characterized by pressure and anxiety, Princeton could use an even larger Outdoor Action Program.

Quite simply, the Outdoor Action Program provides one of the most positive experiences for students at Princeton. On my Freshman Trip, my leaders told me that the trip would be one of the best times I had at the University or at least with Princeton students. They were right. And with every OA trip I have taken since, their words remain true. The greatest strength of the Outdoor Action Program arises from the fact that it offers the opportunity for Princeton students to get to know each other outside of the often tense and busy University environment.

OA is one of the most organized programs I have ever taken part in. Also its selection and training of leaders is excellent as the leaders are as supportive and caring as is possible to be. Personally, the trip was a great challenge that I overcame with tremendous support. If this is representative of the way in which Princeton thrives, I know that the next four years will be the very best ones of my life.

I loved the experience-the group awareness and bonding ultimately caused individual growth for every group member, I'm sure. The last night, when our group spent three or more hours discussing each individual, it was so spectacular to be able to view oneself through the mirrors held up by others. The group was helpful to me in that it lessened my fears about the social scene at Princeton-getting to know nine wonderfully interesting and caring people.

I believe that the trip was the best possible way for me to begin my time at Princeton. I had the most wonderful time and I know I will stay close to the friends I made. The planning was incredible and I am so thankful to everyone who made this possible.

[OA] outdid all of my expectations. I had a fabulous time. My group was great and we really hit it off. I think I made some great friends, a few of whom I expect will become very close friends. The Outdoor Action program was an extremely valuable experience and one I will not soon forget. The trip surpassed all of my expectations. It was an extremely positive experience. It was also a great introduction to a small portion of the Princeton community, which is incredible in its talent, diversity, and perspective. I made some friendships that I expect will last through my four years here and possibly longer.

The trip was a wonderful experience. My group was a conglomerate of very diverse people. Had we all not been thrown together in the wilderness for six days I probably wouldn't have met and become friends with most of them. Every member of my group contributed to the trip's greatness in a different way. I think it was a great way to begin Princeton because not only do you meet a bunch of people, but the trip also allowed me a lot of time to think and become in touch with myself.

OA was fantastically organized with a meticulous approach to safety and fun. I am an urbanite. Though I still am a victim of time and cement, I have gained a new respect for wilderness and group cooperation. I am thrilled to have had this experience with eleven others whom I now recognize as close friends. In a word, thanks!