Tips to Succeed at Columbia

Don’t be afraid to march into any administrator’s office if you need help or guidance. Nobody will ask you if you’re doing okay, but they will stand up and listen if you shout that you need help, whether it’s with academics, your personal health, your roommate or your mother.

Explore. The more adventurous you are at Columbia and New York, the more little and big gems you’ll discover. The city contains lots of thrills and charms, all waiting to be stumbled upon by you.

Study what you want and how you want. Columbia isn’t really a grade-grubbing place, especially compared to Harvard or Princeton, but you may sense occassionally that everyone around you is stressing out constantly and studying all the time. The less you pressure yourself, the better you’ll do. Most Columbia kids will say that they are in the library working on their thesis or studying for finals because they like the subject they’re working on, not just because they have to.

Be who you are, and trust that you will find people that you like and who like you. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen—there are all kinds of people at Columbia.

Do not wait until the last semester of your senior year to take all of your difficult classes. While some participate in the graduation events with one class left to go, there is something far more fulfilling about walking with your class knowing that you are a free (well, probably not debt-free) citizen.

Utilize the campus tutorial services before you actually need them.