ORIENTATION 2011: Go beyond Butler for grade-A first year

With the first day of classes about one week away, here’s what you need to know to get grades that resemble those As you accumulated in high school.

Make sure to spend time on CULPA (culpa.info), Columbia’s student-run take on Rate My Professors. It’s full of nuggets of information that will aid you in preparing that color-coded spreadsheet of potential classes you’re tempted to make. The website’s reviews cover every aspect you’ll need to take into consideration: professors’ teaching styles, some course syllabi, and advice for both morning people and night owls.

Remember, even though the site is an amazing resource, you shouldn’t hesitate to supplement your CULPA searching by talking about classes with your adviser and upperclassmen—and do some Googling, especially for younger professors or TAs.

Once classes start, know that Columbia students have access to a whopping 22 libraries. Changing your study location from week to week can make the process a little less monotonous. Of course, Butler Library is the most convenient study location to freshman dorms—and by far the most crowded.

To circumvent the chaos of traditional study rooms during midterms week, though, try heading for the Butler stacks located behind the librarians’ desks. Don’t wait until one semester of your first year has already flown by to use them—even though the stacks get a bad rap as being dark, secluded, and creepy, they are always conducive to concentration. There is no Wi-Fi in the stacks—and there are, therefore, no distractions.

Alternatively, the library in Avery, Columbia’s architecture building, is one of the best-kept secrets on campus. It’s conveniently located above Brownie’s Café, a cash-only spot in the building’s basement. No food and drinks in there, though—if you like to snack while studying, head to the library in Kent, the East Asian studies building, instead.

Also, take full advantage of the fact that Barnard’s Wollman Library and Butler are so close to each other. You’ll often find that books that have been checked out of Butler end up across the street. This information will prove useful during University Writing, when you take on the 3000-word research paper for which UW is famous. The Writing Center can also be surprisingly useful for revising those papers—just make appointments early.

As for Lit Hum, don’t worry about reading every word, and do get your hands on the study guides for midterms and finals that generations have spent days compiling for you.

Remember: just going to class gets you ahead. And your GPA doesn’t matter as much now anyway.

sonalee.rau@columbiaspectator.com