Whether you’re going to class or catching up with friends, video chatting has become part of everyone’s daily routine. However, after many months of working, networking, playing games, and even taking exams over Zoom, many voice the same complaint: an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as Zoom fatigue. Read Spectrum’s tips to find out more about what it is and develop better screen habits during the day.

With the upcoming presidential election and voter registration deadlines drawing near Spectrum wants to remind you to register and vote!

This semester, teachers aren’t the only ones struggling to interact and engage with students over Zoom. Clubs throughout all four undergraduate schools now face the challenge of recruiting and hosting events virtually.

Whether you’ve taken classes at Columbia before this semester or not, all students are apprehensive about a full semester of remote classes. Beyond the confusion that comes with navigating office hours, courses that used to depend on in-person attendance—namely labs and senior seminars—may now be held with students across various time zones.

As you register for classes and start seeing their reading lists on CourseWorks, you’ll soon come to realize that textbooks can get pretty pricey. However, instead of rushing to your nearest bookstore or ordering all your required textbooks on Amazon, you should know that there are countless ways to circumvent paying full cost for your textbooks—and Spectrum has compiled a list for you.

After applying and committing to Columbia, you’ve probably bookmarked the Columbia Undergraduate Admissions website and scoured all the different pages countless times. However, it’s quite difficult to get a real feel for the school if you haven’t had the chance to visit campus or attend Days on Campus. 

Since classes have been moved online and the whole world seems to have gone under lockdown, seniors have had to face the newfound reality of a virtual graduation. There will be no group pictures on Commencement Day; no personal handshake from University President Bollinger, Barnard President Sian Beilock, or college deans; and no last hugs with the people who defined your college experience.

If you’re an admitted student, you’ve probably heard Columbia College Dean James Valentini’s catchphrase that Columbia is the “greatest university in the greatest city in the world.” From internships to museums to all types of shows and entertainment, the opportunities and lifestyle that New York offers are a defining feature of the Columbia education. What you might not know much about, however, is Morningside Heights, the neighborhood where Columbia is located.

As we continue to adjust to life in the era of the coronavirus pandemic, many Columbia and Barnard community members are also in quarantine, which can be particularly draining to physical and mental health. If you’re finding it hard to motivate yourself to complete assignments or to go to sleep at a reasonable time, Spectrum has some advice to keep you physically and mentally healthy during quarantine.