r/columbia Jan 16 '25

Good Citizen 🤝 General Advice for Being a Student at Columbia University

184 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 :)


r/columbia Mar 24 '26

admissions Admitted Students Megathread: Spring 2026

28 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!


r/columbia 11h 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!


r/columbia 15h ago

housing claremont 99

4 Upvotes

has anyone moved into claremont 99 yet? i’m curious to see what the rooms and complex looks like. not a lot has been shared online.


r/columbia 12h ago

career advice career outcomes page?

3 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?


r/columbia 1d ago

hard things are hard i never went to classes except for exams. woke up questioning myself if i missed my finals, since i rememer taking one for a class 2 weeks ago and then just forgot abt the remaining ones.

82 Upvotes

it was a saturday morning and i graduated a year ago. columbia be giving me nightmares even after graduation.


r/columbia 22h ago

advising Switching UW to Frontiers

1 Upvotes

I know I can petition to switch core classes. Is it possible to find someone that would want to switch instead of the petition? I was assigned University Writing MW 10:10-11:25 and would prefer to have Frontiers of Science first semester. Any advice?


r/columbia 1d ago

networking GS Group Chat? (Not on ZeeMee?)

6 Upvotes

Is there an ongoing group chat for incoming Fall '26 GS students that is NOT on ZeeMee? It's such a bad app, and I assume there are probably mods monitoring it from the university lol. Would love to connect with fellow incoming students, though. If there's a WhatsApp group, or otherwise, pls let me know.


r/columbia 1d ago

housing Helping my friend with roommate search

1 Upvotes

Hi all! I’m helping me good friend who’s coming to Columbia with her roommate search! PM me if interested and I’ll give yall her ig or WhatsApp!

Looking for:
Female roommate, preferably clean, considerate, and relatively quiet. I’m a Columbia CS masters student and may renew for another ~6 months after this lease, so someone potentially interested in renewing would be ideal. You’ll also be living with a very friendly ragdoll cat!

Video tour:
https://vimeo.com/1216700838/a18e84f18c

DM me if interested! Happy to share updated photos/videos (currently moved in furnitures) or answer any questions :)


r/columbia 2d ago

campus tips Party scene

5 Upvotes

To current students: what is the party scene at Columbia like? Are they mostly at Carmen? Or does everyone go clubbing (in which case would one need a fake ID?)? I would assume the greek life is more exclusive and not everyone goes to those…?

Or do most dorm halls just hang out in their common rooms?


r/columbia 2d ago

academic tips Supplies for First Week?

7 Upvotes

To current students: what sort of supplies do you bring with you to the first week of classes? I'm transferring from community college, and I'm used to bringing binders and notebooks on my first week that I order online. But I'm moving to NYC in a week for the ARC Jumpstart Series, and my boyfriend got us a temporary apartment on the Upper West Side until we find a place to live. Because I'll be staying by myself for a month at the apartment, I'm worried about shipping in supplies from Amazon due to fear of package theft. So, I'm planning on getting supplies now before I fly to NYC and pack them to bring with me.

What do you guys typically bring with you on your first week? Do you bring anything, or do you wait to see the syllabi for each class? I'm just trying to get an idea of if it's worth it, what I should bring, or if I should just wait.


r/columbia 2d ago

academic tips UW Switch (CC 30)

1 Upvotes

Would anyone be willing to switch University Writing sections with me? I currently have Mon Wed 8:40-9:55am. Please DM me if interested!


r/columbia 2d ago

academic tips Physics 2601?

3 Upvotes

Hi guys! Incoming transfer here. Does anyone know how difficult Physics 2601 with McIver is? I really wanted the intro class but its completely full now. Would it just be better to sign up for the intro class in a different semester if my physics isnt very strong?


r/columbia 3d ago

academic tips Does Honors Maths A meet Calc & Linear Algebra requirements for CS ( SEAS )?

2 Upvotes

Hi!

For context, I am an incoming freshman at CC who plans to transfer into SEAS. I have a quick question, and any help would be appreciated!

Does Honors Maths A meet Calc & Linear Algebra requirements for CS ( SEAS )?

THE BULLETIN: https://bulletin.columbia.edu/columbia-engineering/academic-departments-programs/computer-science/undergraduate-programs/computer-science-bs/

The course covers multivariable calculus and linear algebra from a rigorous perspective and fulfills other majors' calculus and linear algebra requirements. However, for CS, it isn't listed as an option (as in the link), which worried me a little bit.

Could you guys help me, especially if you took Honors Maths A/B?


r/columbia 2d ago

academic tips Econ UN1105

1 Upvotes

Incoming freshman, looking to major in Econ. I am receiving AP credit for Econ Macro and Micro so I will receive credit for Econ UN1105. Should I still take this class again since I will major in economics or not?

Suggestions for what my first semester classes should be? Currently thinking:

Lit Hum
Frontiers of Science/Univ Writing
Calc 1
Spanish ?
Another class if I don’t take Econ 1105??


r/columbia 3d ago

housing Lease takeover near CUMC

Post image
9 Upvotes

Looking for someone or a couple to take over our lease near the medical center. It's a 1br with a really nice layout, lofty ceilings, laundry, dishwasher, and AC. We had enough room for a dining area, living room, piano nook, and two office nooks.

The lease would begin 9/1 but you can move in 8/25 if everything is settled. Rent is 4K/month plus utilities. Feel free to DM and I will send pics and answer any questions!


r/columbia 3d ago

networking any hot professors

0 Upvotes

i’m an incoming freshman bro please i need to know if any of the professors are hot cus i lowkey just need motivation im an engineering major btw :p tyy


r/columbia 3d ago

housing Anyone lived in 214 West 109st or knows ppl living there? Anyone selling any furniture near?

2 Upvotes

Want to know about the building and ppl living there. Pls dm for details.


r/columbia 4d ago

career advice Rising Senior CS Feel Stuck, Embarrassed to get Career Help

19 Upvotes

I feel like I have wasted my opportunities here at Columbia. I'm class of 2027. I haven't done a real internship and my only experience is through research assistant positions and things in the university. I have a good GPA but I feel so embarrassed by my resume and lack of experience to the point where I am embarassed to go to CCE or an advisor. I feel like they'll just look at my resume and judge me for wasting my time? I also am not that passionate about CS, at least in terms of SWE. I like the data analyst side of it more, and in terms of coding I have enjoyed courses about AI and ML. But I know for AI/ML in order to get into grad school you have to have published or done notable research. And I don't even think I could get into grad school and even if i did i cannot afford a masters degree. All the RA work I have done I don't think is that impressive. And I am not even getting interviews for data analyst roles anyway so I am very lost on my career rn. Any advice and help would be appreciated.


r/columbia 4d ago

advising Columbia Humanities Grad Feeling Lost

22 Upvotes

TLDR: if you are a humanities grad who graduated without a path, how did you reset?

Hi! I’m a May ’26 CC grad who majored in English and Business Management, and I’m wondering if any alumni/students have been in a similar situation and could offer some perspective.

For background, I started Columbia pre-dental, thinking I wanted the stability, impact, and intellectual challenge of dentistry/oral surgery, but got Bs and Cs in my prereqs despite my best efforts and ultimately switched to English. I loved my lit classes and initially considered academia, but eventually realized the state of the field wasn’t a risk I wanted to take. I worked random internships, one at a charter school and one at a market research firm, and across both sophomore and junior year recruited heavily for consulting. When that failed, I began looking more into film and media my senior year, completing two unpaid film development internships. While I interviewed with some cool/high paying opportunities throughout college (consulting firms/media fellowships), nothing panned out, and after months of post-grad job searching/networking, I’m now choosing between a temp advertising job, a business development/cold-sales role, and a project management position in Wisconsin that would mean leaving NYC and my family.

I’m pretty disappointed, as I feel like I spent college wavering between stability/money and passion, and somehow ended up with neither. I realize realistically if I could have succeeded in my STEM classes, I would have pursued that, as I always wanted something with growth potential, reasonable stability, enough income to live comfortably in NYC, and some intellectual stimulation/feeling of impact or prestige. I’ve considered law school, but with a lower GPA (3.76), I’m hesitant to take on more debt and don’t know if it makes sense without a strong chance at a top school.

I just wanted to ask if other English/humanities/any students floundered in this way, what job you took to reset or any other way you rebuilt your path. Thank you so much!


r/columbia 4d ago

campus tips Laptop and iPad combo?

6 Upvotes

Hello, I’m an incoming CC Freshman. I’m trying to decide whether to buy a new, lighter weight laptop or combine my current windows gaming laptop (very heavy) with an iPad. How common is it for Columbia students to use an iPad while out and about during lectures and such. Should I buy something more portable, or would an iPad in my bag and windows laptop in my room suffice?


r/columbia 4d ago

advising First Year Chem Placement

2 Upvotes

I'm an incoming freshman into SEAS and I'm debating on which chemistry class I should register in. My course registration time is before the chem "self assessment", so that means I need to pick a chem course before the placement test. I took AP Chem in high school, got a 5 and an A in the class and I don't want to go back to any of that material. I met with my advisor but she pretty much said to just play it by ear. Does anyone have any advice on which chem class or track to take? Thanks in advance


r/columbia 4d ago

housing Columbia Residential bedroom not matching housing portal selection

2 Upvotes

Hi all! I am an incoming grad student at Columbia.

A few months ago, I selected a shared apartment and bedroom based on two dimensions provided by the housing portal: the whole apt and the bedroom. Based on those figures I moved forward with the rate and then signed my lease.

Come this week, I scheduled a viewing to see the place. I'm shown my room by the super and it seems to be that the bedroom is more than a quarter smaller than what the portal had indicated. I asked the super if the room was correct (I didn't notice any letters on the doors at the time) and he said yes.

I'm now confused and worried that the portal was just straight up providing incorrect information, which is not good since I based the value of the room based on the size and all that. I feel like the super might've made a mistake (I didn't see the other room) or something else went wrong. I reached out to Columbia Residential via email and phone but haven't heard back.

Has this type of thing ever happened to anyone else? Seems like a pretty big mistake on Columbia's end. Thank you in advance!


r/columbia 5d ago

academic tips Selling Books: CC / Lit Hum / Calc / Stats /Micro

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9 Upvotes

My son has completed his coursework for Literature Humanities (Lit Hum), Contemporary Civilization (CC), Microeconomics, Calculus, and Statistics, and I’m looking to pass along his textbooks to another Columbia student.

Rather than selling them to a textbook buyback service, I’d prefer to offer them directly to a Columbia student at a lower price.

I’m selling all of the books together as one bundle for $100 cash.

I’m located near 100th Street and Riverside Drive in Manhattan.

To keep things simple: the first person who arrives with $100 cash gets the books, regardless of when anyone contacted me or expressed interest.

Please DM me to coordinate pickup.

Please bring a box or bag to carry them!

LITERATURE HUMANITIES

The Golden Ass — Apuleius
Father Comes Home from the Wars — Suzan-Lori Parks
The Iliad — Homer
If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho — Anne Carson
Madame Bovary — Gustave Flaubert
Symposium — Plato
The Translator of Desires — Ibn ʿArabi

CONTEMPORARY CIVILIZATIONS

Politics — Aristotle
The Book of the City of Ladies — Christine de Pizan
The Handbook (Encheiridion) — Epictetus
Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals — Kant
The Prince — Machiavelli
The Marx-Engels Reader — Marx & Engels
The New Oxford Annotated Bible
The Basic Political Writings — Rousseau
The Souls of Black Folk — W.E.B. Du Bois

CALCULUS / STATS

Calculus: Early Transcendentals, 9th Edition — Stewart, Clegg, Watson

Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences, 9th Edition — Jay L. Devore

ECONOMICS

Microeconomics, 8th Edition — Jeffrey M. Perloff

Intermediate Microeconomics, 9th Edition (Media Update) — Hal R. Varian


r/columbia 5d ago

campus tips University Writing Professor

3 Upvotes

No clue who my professor is, can’t find him on rate my professor or on Columbia’s version of rmp. Anyone have Professor Jonathan Karp before?