It’s 8:24 a.m. on Thursday morning and you jump out of bed, insanely late for your 8:40. You speed-get-ready: “brush” your teeth, “wash” your face, and throw on a random hoodie. As you’re scarfing down a half-eaten bag of chips from Chef Mike’s, you make your way over to the worst class at Columbia.

Twenty minutes after this semester’s Free Food Expo was set to end, students were hustling to Low Plaza to grab the last iced matcha latte samples from MAKI, a Japanese cafe in Manhattanville. But from 12 to 2 p.m., Low Plaza was swarmed by hundreds of students lining up for a variety of treats—everything from oolong tea to rice bowls. 

While assignments and exam studying may be piling up, the hardest feat can often be trying to figure out which library on campus is best for you. Each library is unique in its own way and attracts different types of people, from Butler loyalists to those who judge people out of Avery. To dive deeper into the Columbia libraries, we spent an hour in five of Columbia’s favorite libraries with one ultimate goal: to figure out where you belong. Here’s a look at what we thought about each library and what type of studying it’s most conducive to.

I wake up, and it’s February 14th. The day of love. The holiday of St. Valentine. Valentine’s Day.

The beginning of the year brings with it a pursuit of growth. A new beginning. A blank slate you can decorate however you choose. More often than not, it manifests in New Year’s resolutions that you hope will shape the next 365 days. If you were running low on motivation this new year, here are some 2026 resolutions from Spectrum’s staff to ease you into the new year.

One of the most crucial aspects of Barnard’s curriculum is the “Modes of Thinking” requirement. The requirement is intended to encourage students to take classes that they may have never considered before while teaching important quantitative, analytical, and historical skills.

To the lovely teaching assistants:

Students gathered at Low Plaza on a crisp Saturday afternoon to try bites from neighborhood favorites and learn about new restaurants at this fall’s Free Food Expo. Cohosted by Spectator and Columbia College Student Council, the event featured a mix of new and returning vendors, providing attendees with samples ranging from freshly brewed Adeni chai to warm bagels.

9:30 a.m.: I wake up ready to take on the day and put on my fully thrifted outfit, carefully pairing it with chunky jewelry and a very necessary designer tote bag.

Fall break is coming up—the perfect excuse to trade crowded subway cars for a scenic train getaway.