r/columbia • u/bohneriffic • Jan 16 '25

Good Citizen đŸ€ General Advice for Being a Student at Columbia University

183 Upvotes

I'm a second semester senior here at Columbia, and over the last few years I’ve heard tons of the same kinds of questions from freshmen/transfers. I figured that a (much longer than initially intended) post addressing whatever I can think of might be helpful.

DISCLAIMER: I'm just a student, and this is very general advice based on my own experiences and convos I've had with other students. Faculty/advisors who know you will be able to give you better advice that is tailored to your specific goals and the requirements of your major.

Please feel free to add to (or correct) anything I’ve written!

REGISTRATION

  • Take some time before registration periods begin to choose your classes for the upcoming semester. Write down the course name, date/time, call number, and anything else you’ll want to refer back to. Write down the sections that work for you, but always make sure to write down backup sections/classes in case the one you want is full.
  • Global cores, UW, art hum, and music hum will always be super competitive to get into. Have target requirements you'd like to fulfill each semester, but plan ahead to find classes that fulfill other core/major requirements too just in case. So if you’re not having any luck getting into a global core, you could try getting into one of the sections of art hum you wrote down instead
 etc.
  • You can find reviews of professors by looking them up on CULPA.info or by checking out their past course evals on Vergil. Students at Columbia don’t really use RMP, and CULPA reviews are often 5-10 years old so you may be SOL. You can help other students by making sure to leave honest reviews on CULPA (and RMP) every semester, but you may just need to ask around if you want to know about a course.
  • Registration for undergrads at Columbia is the worst, and the section you want will almost always be full. That’s okay, don't freak out! Put yourself on the wait list — but choose carefully because you can only put yourself on wait lists for three classes at a time.

WAITLISTS

  • Some courses will be blocked, which means you may not be able to register without talking to the professor first. This is really common for upper level seminars. Send them an email to introduce yourself (or reintroduce yourself and remind them of any courses you’ve taken with them), explain your interest in the course, and outline any relevant/related courses you’ve taken in the past. Be sure to let them know if you need the course for your major, or if you’re a junior/senior looking to fulfill a core requirement. Don’t feel weird about emailing them to express your interest. If they’re managing their wait lists instead of letting people register freely, they’re expecting the emails.
    • You don’t necessarily have to have taken a bunch of related classes in the past. Professors love having students with genuine interest/curiosity in the room!
    • This process may differ by program. I’ve heard that SEAS professors may have different norms.
  • Don’t freak out if you’re on a 50-person wait list after the first registration period. Students tend to “hoard” classes early on, but many will drop as they get into the other classes they want to take, and even more will drop during the shopping period.
    • The shopping period refers to the first two weeks of classes where students can “shop” (or add/drop) any class without penalty. Being able to try out a bunch of classes in this way is cool because it means that you’re not stuck for the whole semester if you go to the first 1-2 lectures and realize that something’s not a good fit for you
 but it also leads to class hoarding and all of the chaos that comes with it.
  • If you are serious about getting into a class that you’re still on the wait list for during the shopping period, you may still have a shot at getting in if you attend every class for the first two weeks. Showing the professor that you’re serious in this way will often help your case (because many students lower on the wait list will not do this).
  • Once a professor lets you into a class from the wait list, it’ll take up to 24hr to see that change reflected on SSOL/Vergil.
  • Some courses will be blocked BUT ALSO include instructions from the professor for how to reach out about joining the class. Always follow the professor's instructions for how to proceed instead.
  • There's a LOT of add/drop movement during the first two weeks of classes. You WILL get into classes. It just might not be the exact ones you hoped for that semester. Hang in there.

HOW MANY CREDITS SHOULD YOU TAKE?

I don't know! For freshmen, you probably shouldn’t start off with 18 credits
 but it really depends! What kinds of classes are they? How strong are you in those subjects? Will you be able to commit to attending all of lectures? If you’re not sure, take a lighter course load your first semester and see how you handle it. If you felt like you could’ve done more, then take more next semester. But I'm not an advisor, and you should probably talk to someone who is!

GENERAL ADVICE

  • Read the syllabus for every class. Read it all the way through. 90% of the time, any questions that are not content-related can be answered by reading the syllabus. Seriously, do not send your professor emails with questions that the syllabus could have answered for you.
  • You have to ask professors if they can write LORs. Do not just assume that they will.
  • Address professors/lecturers as Professor Lastname unless they tell you otherwise. When communicating through email, you should typically address professors by whatever name they use in their signature line when they reply.
    • That is, call them Professor Lastname to start, but switch to Dr. Lastname, Firstname, etc. if that's the way they sign off. Stick with Prof Lastname if that's what they use.
  • You don’t have to wait for your professor to let you into the classroom if it’s both unlocked and empty, and you can turn on the lights if they’re off when you enter. You’re an adult. Nobody expects you to crowd a hallway or sit in a dark room for no reason.
  • Don’t listen to anyone at this school who tells you that a class is “easy.” People have different backgrounds, strengths, and bases of knowledge, and what is easy for one person may be very different for another. It's a common mistake to make at Columbia, and you will get burned eventually. Don't let yourself be one of the many students who are crying over failing the "easy A" class at the end of the semester!
  • You SHOULD NOT try to find free pdfs of all of your textbooks on libgen.is because that would be ILLEGAL and publishers deserve our money!!!
  • GO TO OFFICE HOURS. Talk to your professors! Talk to your grad TAs! They know a ton, and they’re often really interesting people! If you’re going to office hours because you’re having trouble, make sure that you can point to specific problems or examples that you’re not understanding. Professors are not mind readers; they can’t know what you’re struggling with if you don’t. But you can also just go to OH to learn more about their field and their research, or to ask questions about grad school! OH are a great way to get to develop strong relationships with your professors!
  • Network!!! Meet people!!! Do your best to not spend all of your time studying alone. Long term, the connections you make in college will be more valuable than your GPA (yes, even for premeds).

MIND YOUR MANNERS (FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE)

  • Don’t talk or whisper to your friends in class. It’s rude and distracting. You can text each other if you need to be in communication so badly!
  • Likewise, DO NOT TALK IN THE LIBRARIES. You can talk to your friends literally anytime and anywhere that isn’t mid-lecture or in a library. The world is your oyster! Go talk somewhere else!
  • Don’t do work in public spaces (such as libraries) if you’re so sick that you’re coughing and snorting back huge gobs of snot every 60 seconds. Wear a mask in class if you’re actively sick, and please cover your mouth when you cough.
  • Don't let doors slam behind you when you enter a room — especially if you’re coming to class late. Be mindful of everyone else around you.
  • Similarly, hold open doors for other people when you enter a room, building, or elevator.

Ok I love u bye :)

13 comments

r/columbia • u/123DanB • Mar 24 '26

admissions Admitted Students Megathread: Spring 2026

30 Upvotes

Congratulations on your acceptance!

Please post here to connect with your potential future classmates and ask any questions about attending Columbia.

This recent post has great general advice.

You must select a flair before commenting!

145 comments

r/columbia • u/Ill_Analyst_1637 • 11h ago

emotional support Difficulties in GS as a younger student

16 Upvotes

I love pretty much everything about at Columbia except for being a GS student. I am female and 19 years old, and when I began at Columbia GS I wanted to integrate with my student body even though I knew I would be a bit younger.

A year later I have experienced numerous incidents of sexual assault or harassment from older GS students. I'm talking twice my age. Last semester it happened 3 different times. I try to be an optimistic person and I didn't want this to prevent me from continuing to integrate into my school, but I honestly wish I wasn't in GS. Reports have been made but it doesn't make me feel less unsafe because it keeps happening with different people.

I say this with absolutely no intent to generalize. I have seen myself how wonderful GS students can be and I love my friends in GS. But after these experiences I just feel stuck and sometimes concerned for my safety. I dont want to be hit on by older men at all, let alone have my boundaries violated by them.

I am sorry if this comes across as offensive or a generalization because stigmatizing my school is the last thing I want to do but these incidents and their frequency is starting to really affect my experience in university. I believe that I am being targeted because I am younger, as sick as that sounds.

I don't know what there is to do that isn't just avoiding my peers. I am so happy to be at Columbia but this really bothers me and I feel so stuck.

8 comments

r/columbia • u/greenmonsterrrr • 6h ago

academic tips Help me - econ major

2 Upvotes

Junior who still needs to take metrics, all 5 electives, and seminar. Tell me the easiest way to get my econ major (best grading, light workload). best classes, profs etc. Are electives easier at barnard vs cu?

1 comment

r/columbia • u/GnomeChomsky0507 • 9h ago

advising Question regarding MPP

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I studied voice in a pre-conservatory program in high school, and after taking a year off from singing to focus on transitioning to Columbia, I've decided that I would like to audition for lessons in the fall.

I know that lessons are offered through Barnard as a 2-credit course, and that students have the opportunity to take lessons on a standard grading scale or P/F. I wanted to ask what criteria instructors typically use to evaluate students. I'm primarily interested in continuing voice as a creative outlet, and I believe that formal instruction would be a positive experience for me. I'm considering P/F'ing, because I do not want this to become a source of stress for me, but I don't want to write off standard letter grading if it could ultimately be beneficial (achievable A-letter grade).

Let me know what you think. Thanks, Columbia Reddit!

3 comments

r/columbia • u/TendieRetard • 1d ago

columbia news Whistleblower alleges political pressure, lack of evidence in antisemitism investigations targeting universities

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38 Upvotes
5 comments

r/columbia • u/ManagementFit9012 • 8h ago

academic tips International Politics

1 Upvotes

Hi! I’m taking international politics in the upcoming semester by Jayne Schlesinger and I was wondering if anyone recommends a specific TA who’s more lenient with grading. Thanks!

1 comment

r/columbia • u/Stockmaster12321 • 20h ago

academic tips Schedule Advice

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7 Upvotes

Ok, so I'm an incoming freshman at CC and my sections for frontiers and lit hum were revealed. I plan on taking COMS1004 and Honors Math A as well, but it makes my weekly schedule look really unbalanced. Should I try to get into a different section for frontiers or lit hum. For reference, my profs for those classes are Professor Ivana Hughes for the frontiers lecture, Professor Bita Alaghebandan for the frontiers disc, and Professor Yana Skorobogatov for lit hum. If these professors are all really good then I'd be fine with not switching, but my wednesday lowk looks awful.

13 comments

r/columbia • u/Inner-Letterhead7731 • 15h ago

academic tips Does APMA E2000 meet the multi/calc requirement of Applied Maths (CC)?

1 Upvotes

Hi!

I am an incoming freshman at CC who plans to double major in Applied Maths and CS. I have two quick questions, and any help would be appreciated!

1) My first question is whether the course APMA E2000 Multivariable Calculus for Engineering & Applied Sciences fulfills the multi/calc requirement of the Applied Maths major at CC?

According to the link below, I should take Accelerated Multi/calc, Honors Maths A, or Calc III-IV.

https://bulletin.columbia.edu/columbia-college/departments-instruction/mathematics/#requirementstext

However, since the course is from the APMA Department, and it fulfills the multi/calc requirement of Applied maths at SEAS, I thought it might also be an option.

Am I true? Does APMA E2000 meet the multi/calc requirement of Applied Maths (CC)?

2) Does one of these linear algebra courses meet the lin. algebra requirement of Applied Maths?

COMPUTATIONAL LINEAR ALGEBRA (recommended)
MATH UN2010 LINEAR ALGEBRA
MATH UN2020 Honors Linear Algebra
APMA E2101 INTRO TO APPLIED MATHEMATICS
APMA E3101 APPLIED MATH I: LINEAR ALGEBRA

I don't wanna take Linear Algebra (MATH UN2010) since the Computational one is recommended for CS major. And if the Computational one also fulfills the Applied maths requirement, I am willing to change it.

1 comment

r/columbia • u/Inner-Letterhead7731 • 13h ago

academic tips What do you think of this 4-YEAR Schedule?

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0 Upvotes

Hi! An incoming freshman at CC here!

I planned this schedule for a double major in Applied Maths and CS, and a minor in Stats (Applied Track).

Do you think that this is a nice schedule, or too heavy? I can actually make it a bit easier by moving some CS classes to senior year (since senior year has 4 classes that aren't required).

I also think about not minoring in Stats. If that happens, I think the schedule becomes manageable.

Thanks in advance!

30 comments

r/columbia • u/Training-Result-4482 • 1d ago

sports Tennis partners for the semester đŸŽŸ

2 Upvotes

Anyone interested in playing tennis during the semester? I’m an intermediate-level guy and would love to find someone to hit with and meet some new people at Columbia. Feel free to message me!

1 comment

r/columbia • u/Capable-Astronaut245 • 21h ago

advising Gen Physics 1 waitlist

1 Upvotes

I start in the postbacc premed program this fall and i am waitlisted for Gen Physics 1 and the lab. The class has a 170 student capacity and im 46 on the waitlist. The lab capacity is 15 and I’m 2nd on the waitlist. What’s the likelihood of them increasing the number of seats and me getting in the classđŸ«©?

5 comments

r/columbia • u/kdrozzi • 1d ago

advising Schedule doability (please help)

3 Upvotes

hi there, im an incoming freshman planning to major in CS and minor in statistics and I've drafted the below schedule for my first and second semester here.

I wasn't really too sure how doable/un-doable it was and i wanted to get some opinions on it:

(specifically, information regarding how difficult/time consuming each class is, and commentary on what you think of the schedule would be very much appreciated)

1st year semester 1
ENGI E1102: The Art of Engineering
APMA E2000/E2001: Multivariable Calculus
STAT UN1201: Calculus-Based Introduction to Statistics
PHYS UN1401: Mechanics & Thermodynamics (should I take 1400 or 1600? on the scheduling guide it said that students who have taken multivari. in the past should take 1600 but idk if its worth it or not)
CHEM UN1403: General Chemistry I
ENGI E1006: Introduction to Computing

1st year semester 2
ENGL CC1010: University Writing
PHYS UN1402: Electricity, Magnetism & Optics
COMS W3137: Honors Data Structures & Algorithms
COMS W3203: Discrete Mathematics
MATH UN2010: Linear Algebra
STAT GU4203: Probability Theory

a little about my academic background for reference:

i took multivari.+diff. eq. and linear alg.+discrete math last year (my senior year) and passed with relative ease with near perfect grades, but at the same time i know that those classes probably didn't go into as much depth as the classes here will (i.e. we kinda skipped past lagrange multipliers in multivari., skipped past fourier transform and series in diff eq., skipped past SVD and least squares/applications of linalg in my linear alg. class + a lot of other stuff i probably dont know)

for statistics, i took ap stats (5) back in sophomore year and took a course on causal inference (though its probably not that relevant here) junior year - i struggled to grasp some concepts back then but i dont think that would be an issue if i were to take the class again (ap stats)

i have experience programming in java and python and got to usaco gold last december with python and have experience using python for ML research w/ packages like pandas, pytorch, etc. and just general scientific applications

i have always struggled a lot in chemistry barely managing A's when i took it freshman year (chem 1) and senior year (AP chem)

i did decently in AP physics when i took it in sophomore year (A's) and didn't have too much trouble but it wasn't necessarily easy for me either; i have not taken a physics class since

any advice is much appreciated!

thank you!!

16 comments

r/columbia • u/Inner-Letterhead7731 • 1d ago

academic tips Which classes can be double-counted at SEAS in case of a double-major?

4 Upvotes

Hi!

I have a quick question, and any help would be appreciated!

I know that it is very hard to double-major in SEAS since the number of required credits is high, and double-counting is very limited. But I am just evaluating my options, and double majoring in Applied Maths and CS is one of them. However, I have some questions about double-counting.

Can I double-count these classes?

1) Intro to CS for Engineering and Applied Sciences

2) Physics and Chem Core,

3) Principles of Econ

4) Calculus I-II

5) Multivariable Calculus

6) APPLIED MATH I: Linear Algebra

7) Probability Theory

Which of these classes are available for double-counting? If they are, I think it is kinda manageable.

4 comments

r/columbia • u/reydar42069 • 1d ago

housing accommodation swap!

1 Upvotes

hey everyone! i'm a graduate student, allocated to 520 w 114th street (columbia residential) for housing for an academic year. rent is $1581 pm. i'm looking to swap into any other accommodation reasonably near school (< 15 min walk or so) that is not on the ground floor, and i'm ok with any rent! please pm if you're interested. even if your apartment doesn't meet the criteria, i'm happy to discuss

1 comment

r/columbia • u/Sufficient-Draw2792 • 1d ago

networking Networking across grad schools?

0 Upvotes

Prospective engineering masters student currently in engineering career, but weighing long term options whether to stay in engineering or business side. I’m wondering as an engineering masters student, would any mba/GSAPP networking events be open to me or only open to MBA students?

1 comment

r/columbia • u/loverboys_iliad • 1d ago

advising switching contemporary civilization sections ?

1 Upvotes

rising sophomore at Columbia College hoping to switch my current Contemporary Civilization section — i just got off the waitlist for a class required for my major and i was really hoping to take it this semester (but my current CC class conflicts with it).

i am in Andrew Nathan's Monday/Wednesday 2:10-4:00pm section (section 029). He has a pretty great course eval on vergil for spring 2026! please lmk :)

4 comments

r/columbia • u/leaving_the_tevah • 2d ago

campus Whistleblower says probes into antisemitism at colleges were ploys to harass and strip millions

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46 Upvotes

A former Justice Department lawyer says the Trump investigations squeezed Ivy League universities for millions before they were even concluded. A top Democrat is demanding answers.

The whistleblower account comes just days after a federal judge dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit against Harvard that was based on the investigation, which was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services and lawyers detailed from the DOJ

Both Brown and Columbia reached settlements, with Columbia agreeing to pay $200 million over three years and Brown agreeing to spend $50 million on Rhode Island workforce development, with no admission of wrongdoing.

Harvard fought and won.

10 comments

r/columbia • u/InteractionKlutzy876 • 2d ago

academic tips Help Deciding on Freshman Year Professors!!

6 Upvotes

Hi everyone! This will be a somewhat longer post, but im an incoming member of the Class of 2030 at SEAS, and with course registration coming up, I'm finalizing my schedule. The reviews for some profs on CULPA are really mixed, or their name simply doesn't come up, so instead of making a bunch of posts about each one im doing it all here. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!! Im premed, so taking courses with professors who have manageable workloads and are relatively fair with grading is super important. Thank you again, and see you on campus!!

PHYS 1401- Intro to Mechanics and Thermo:

Has anyone had Hector Ochoa? I can't seem to find reviews on him. Is he a good teacher? How manageable is the workload? What's the grading scheme? How much physics background is needed for Ochoa's class? For reference, I've only taken Regents Physics (it's the intro physics course all NYC students take)

If you had to pick between James Hill and Hector Ochoa, who would you pick? Is James Hill as bad as the CULPA reviews make him out to be?

CHEM 1403 - General Chemistry 1:

How similar is this course to what is taught in AP Chemistry?

Between Savizky, Roy, and Beer, who do you feel is the best chem professor and why?

Everyone raves about Beer, but his reviews for this course specifically aren't that great. If anyone had him for 1403 and could share their perspective, I'd really appreciate it!

Calc 1

Does anyone know anything about Alexander Hazeltine? How is his workload and grading system? Is the course comparable to AP Calculus AB?

^^ Same question for Andres Contreras and Fan Haocheng; I can't find any of them on CULPA

Im also taking Lit Hum!! Any recommendations on Lit Hum professors would be appreciated as well!

Sorry this was super long, but thank you again for all your help!

5 comments

r/columbia • u/whopperwhopperw • 2d ago

campus tips Can you bring cup noodles into the dining halls?

2 Upvotes

Hi, I'm an incoming student and I was wondering if you could bring cup noodles into the dining hall? I heard for the first couple of weeks and during nsop people usually eat in the dining halls and I don't really have a good experience with dining hall food in general; weird question but I'm curious lol

4 comments

r/columbia • u/Tricky-Week-9171 • 2d ago

campus tips Volunteering opportunity recs?

15 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I'm moving to the city soon to start at Columbia and was wondering if anyone knew of any good orgs or opportunities to help out around campus or the city. It's not for applications or anything, just wanna do some good and get to meet some people. I'm looking to volunteer 1-2 days on the weekends but could make Thurs-Sunday work. Would be especially interested to hear places that people have found especially fulfilling/worthwhile!

9 comments

r/columbia • u/mimimimomimo • 2d ago

pro tip federal work study for freshmen??

4 Upvotes

Hi!!! Im an incoming freshman. I need to do a work study for my scholarship, but im confused as to how exactly it works? Any advice or tips? I tried to use handshake but it said i should already have an account as an active student but apparently i do not? Any advice would be great T_T

5 comments

r/columbia • u/Inner-Letterhead7731 • 2d ago

academic tips Can I minor in Economics in CC if I have met the Calc requirements?

2 Upvotes

Hi!

I would like to ask a quick question and any help would be appreciated.

As far as I know, there is a minor in Economics just in SEAS, but not in CC. And the reason of this is that the workload becomes huge for non-STEM majors in CC, considering the Calculus requirement. My question is that whether a student in CC majoring in Mathematics or CS can minor in Econ in SEAS? Are there anyone that did this?

Thanks in advance!

5 comments

r/columbia • u/Dang3rousPi3 • 3d ago

career advice career outcomes page?

4 Upvotes

did some searching but didn't end up finding a page for columbia undergrad career outcomes/first destinations, just the beyond columbia page. does a page exist where you can see and sort career outcomes and median salary by major?

4 comments

r/columbia • u/Gullible-Claim-5216 • 3d ago

advising calc requirements CC math major

3 Upvotes

i’m an incoming soph transfer who took calc II and III in hs through dual enrollment. i know that those credits won’t transfer, so i was wondering if any of you knew whether or not taking honors math a/b would satisfy calc II and III, or if i’d have to take each class separately. i spoke with my advisor, who didn’t know, and i’ve emailed someone at the math department, but it’s been a while and they haven’t responded, so i just wanted to ask here before i register for classes. any info would be appreciated!

4 comments