It’s natural to have that thought slip in about transferring. College is a formative and exciting, but often terrifying, experience. At a place like Columbia, where ambition rings in every classroom and library, it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one not thriving.

Thanks for your interest in joining Columbia’s most premier and prestigious organization! We cannot wait to laugh at your application along with our e-board members that are barely a year older than you. This is what our application process looks like:

’Twas the night before Homecoming, and all through the lawns

First-years and transfers, welcome to the villa! Columbia is just like “Love Island”—except instead of spending hours flirting at the firepit, you’ll be circling the Sundial on study breaks. And the only people pulling you for chats are your professors after you bombed your midterms.

Every Columbia student knows that each season on campus has a different vibe. From winter nights spent in the stacks, to spring afternoons lounging on South Lawn, your favorite things about Columbia might just say something about your personality. Take this quiz to find out which season matches your vibe—Columbia style.

With talks of a looming national recession, it seems Columbia isn’t immune. The stock market hasn’t hit Butler just yet, but the vibes? Definitely off. From subtle shifts in student behavior to budget-friendly choices in the dining halls, the symptoms of Columbia’s very own recession are in plain sight. Here are some recession indicators that Spectrum has spotted on campus.

Bacchanal is one of those days you hear about long before you live it. People talk about it like it’s a rite of passage at Columbia. Group chats blow up weeks in advance, everyone plans their outfits like it’s the Met Gala, and suddenly, everyone is a music fanatic. But no matter how many stories you hear or Instagram dumps you scroll through, nothing compares to actually being there. Here’s a rundown of my very first Bacchanal.

Spring at Columbia means one thing: Bacchanal. As soon as the weather starts getting nicer, students start buzzing about our annual concert. It’s the closest thing Columbia has to a music festival—campus turns into a giant party with a big-name headliner, student performers, and crowds filling South Lawn. If you’ve never been, you might feel out of the loop on what exactly happens and where. Here’s a quick dictionary to help you navigate Bacchanal like a pro.

It’s that time of year again—endless LinkedIn doom scrolling, people pestering you about your summer plans, and everyone desperately trying to show off their high-profile internships. Someone just announced their return offer to a firm you’ve never heard of, but now you suddenly wish you had applied. Another is sharing their journey in a 10-slide carousel about how they manifested success, whatever that means. It seems like everyone around you has a plan lined up—except you.