Tag Archives: Brandon Davis

Brandon Davis’ Princetonian story — as reported in Tuesday’s “06880” — elicited plenty of comments. 

It also brought an email from Brandon himself.

The Staples grad — just completing his sophomore year in college — believed I’d misinterpreted both the intent of his original newspaper piece, and his overall experience at Princeton.  He also felt the focus of my story was wrong.

I’m happy to hand Brandon — a very bright, energetic, positive and forward-thinking young man — the talking stick.  He says:

Dan –

I’m sorry if I misled you when we spoke, but I really think you got this issue wrong.  It’s not about my experience versus other people’s experiences — “it” is something that the VAST majority of students at Princeton — and other colleges — go through during their time here, at varying degrees and for various lengths.

Brandon Davis

I don’t know who wrote the one comment on my original column saying she/he didn’t sense “it,” but from my experience you would have to be totally clueless not to see at least some of your peers going through these difficult times.

Everyday stress about schoolwork is not the problem — we expect that, and most students can handle it.  The real problem is a kind of stress that leaves students unable to perform at their optimal level, that leads to disaffection from the university instead of engagement; students just throw up their hands and say “I give up.”  It’s feeling so low that there’s no way out.

I know a number of students who have had breakdowns here, though that is still uncommon.  This kind of stress is not preparing students for the real world, or teaching them how to work hard.  It shuts students down, at least temporarily.

No one is really sure how to deal with it — officially, the University Health Services calls it “acute depression.”  It’s not often talked about, but, as the comments on the Prince website and the feedback I’ve received show, most everyone recognizes “it.”  I merely wanted to help open up a conversation.

Your blog post focused on me and painted me as a querulous and inept student, when in truth, I’ve done quite well academically at Princeton, have made a number of good friends, and am involved with the school.  I write columns every two weeks, and as my column clarifies, “it” wasn’t even my idea.  It was a friend’s suggestion, and something that I realized also needs to be addressed.

Though I would certainly like some things to change here, I’m not trying to start an assault on my school.  My column was not about me: I wanted to give voice to what so many students experience, and offer a small piece of encouragement/advice.

As I wrote in my comment on your post, I spoke with you so that people in Westport would have an idea what Princeton, and the college experience in general, can be like for many students.  The Ivy League schools stood on a pedestal at Staples, and I wanted people to realize that there is another side of going to a highly-competitive college.

I’m sorry that I did not make my purpose clear.  Your post seems to be about a self-centered college student who can’t keep up.  I keep up just fine.  As I said, I have successfully blocked out the “noise,” and I think many students learn to as well; still, “it” is all around me, and I can’t help but wonder if another school would have been a more productive place.  I wanted high school students to see that, too.  Regardless, I came to Princeton and now, I am absolutely making the most of it.

I get lots of flack for the columns I write in the Prince, but this is different.  Your post is about me, not about the issue; this is attention I did not want and certainly do not deserve.  I am sure that it was not on purpose, but I wish you had made me the narrator of this story rather than its main character.

Best,
Brandon

Another college application season is over.  One more year of a couple dozen very worthy Staples seniors trying to knock down the admission walls of Princeton is done.

Meanwhile, Staples grad — and current Princeton sophomore — Brandon Davis is attacking his school’s walls from inside.

Brandon Davis

Recently, the Daily Princetonian ran an opinion piece by Brandon.  He described “self-doubt and crippling stress; the feeling of failure and rejection” that, he said, forces students to “power through Princeton without ever enjoying the process of learning.

“Maybe it’s preparation for ‘the real world,'” he added.  “Maybe it’s the way all colleges are, a post-adolescent malaise, or maybe it’s the essence of Princeton in particular.”

Using his and his friends’ descriptions — “nerves, fear… dishonesty, self-doubt, loneliness, isolation” — he lamented, “Rather than engaging with Princeton, so many of our peers want nothing to do with this place.”

Grade deflation — the practice of limiting the number of A’s — has made the school a hyper-competitive place, Brandon wrote.  Professors and administrators “seem to tower above us.

“Princeton is our school,” he concluded.  With a bit more humanity, “Princeton could be our home as well.”

Many students thanked Brandon for giving voice to feelings they could not — or did not want to — articulate, he says.

Some reactions on the paper’s website echoed Brandon’s feelings.

The first person to comment wrote:  “Somebody had better figure this thing out. Princeton is experiencing ‘colony collapse disorder’ now seen among the bee population.  It may have devastating consequences if not remedied soon.”

A 2010 graduate said:

This is a great article.  I certainly had similar feelings when I was at Princeton.  It is a place that can crush your self-esteem and leave you feeling very stressed. I was very focused on getting a great job, being awarded honors in my department, and running a large student organization on campus.

Looking back now, I really don’t believe I would have gone anywhere else, but I wish that I had the maturity to prioritize better, understand my strengths and weaknesses, and enjoy the amazing opportunities the school provided me.

Princeton is not supposed to be an easy school.  The JPs, the thesis, are extremely hard projects, and the overall standards socially, extracurricularly, and academically are unbelievable.  I may have been unhappy at times at Princeton, but I’m also not sure I could be happy with myself doing less.  Thus the dillemma of a type-A overachiever.

However, a senior disagreed:

I actually do not sense this at all.  I love being at Princeton, as do most of my friends.  Few of us “just want to get out of here” — talk to almost any seniors, and they’ll say they wish they were freshmen again so that they could re-live Princeton.

Of course, there are times of stress.  After all, this is school.  But in general I find that we help each other through it.  It can actually be fun pulling epic cram sessions with a group of close friends.

Of course the Daily Princetonian is going to focus on some negative aspects of our school.  After all, it wouldn’t be news otherwise.  And I’m sure that the segment of the Princeton population who comments on the Prince is generally inclined to complain. But that doesn’t change the fact that this place is awesome, and that everybody bends over backwards to pamper the undergrads.

We all go through times of stress, but I wish people wouldn’t project their individual unhappiness onto the entire campus!!

Brandon’s column appeared while admitted students were choosing between Princeton and somewhere else.  A few said that Brandon’s article caused them a bit of trepidation.

However, administrators did not mount an all-out attack, or even defend themselves or the school.  “They don’t comment on newspaper stories,” Brandon explains.

Princeton University. As at many colleges, everyone's experience is different.

As for his own future, Brandon will spend this summer in Brazil and Paraguay, writing about Muslim communities there.  “That’s the great thing about Princeton,” he acknowledges.  “You get to do things like that.”

A Near Eastern studies major, he hopes to go into journalism after graduation.

So, the $64,000 question (actually, much more):  Is he happy he applied to Princeton?

“I don’t know,” Brandon says.

“I think I’m getting a great education here, but it took me some time to block out all the noise — competition, overwhelming stress, and what I’ve seen to be a general culture of exclusivity and superiority. Some people thrive on that noise, but many students drown in it.

“It’s just not the best environment — for me, anyway.”