Yep—college is expensive, and Columbia is no exception. Tuition, housing, and meal plans can add up, even if you don’t factor in another expense that is often underestimated is textbooks. Sure, you may have enrolled in that one lecture everyone is raving about, but maybe that $300 textbook from Book Culture is making you second-guess that decision (with good reason). We here at Spectrum believe that pricey textbooks shouldn’t be hindrance for any college student, so with that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of places where you can get textbooks for free or at a reduced price. That way, you can feel free to take absolutely any class you want.

Coming to Columbia or Barnard this coming fall? Feeling overwhelmed/confused/stressed/et cetera? Don’t worry, that’s natural, and that’s why we’re here. We want to know what questions you have about life at Columbia, academics, registration, nightlife, surviving in New York, and anything else you have on your mind!

Though the Upper West Side and Harlem may not be renowned for their booming art scenes, that doesn’t mean that art doesn’t exist this far uptown. Dozens of independent art galleries are scattered up and down the UWS and throughout Harlem—it’s just a matter of finding them. We’ve done the dirty work for you and have found some of the best galleries in the neighborhood so you can take a break from studying for your ArtHum finals and actually go see the kind of thing you’re learning about.

When it comes to parks, New York has a lot to offer. That being said, one of them does beat out the rest: Central Park. As the weather gets warmer and the end of the school year approaches, be sure to take advantage of everything Central Park has to offer. Knowing where to start your Central Park exploration can be a little overwhelming, so we’ve narrowed down some of the best spots for hanging out, picnicking, studying, or avoiding memorizing 200 bio terms.

Today's the day: the dreaded first day of housing selection. Stay up-to-date on what rooms are being taken in real time using The Shaft’s Liveblog: the Columbia Whiteboard.

Though Take Back the Night maintains an impressive presence on campus already, Ryan and her team hope to grow the organization further by providing new resources for sexual assault survivors on campus, who oftentimes lack the support they need to recover from an assault. “We’re trying to provide more programming, especially around art therapy,” Ryan noted, “and we’re also planning on making self-care kits for anniversaries of assaults. Survivors or friends of a survivor can pick them up just for a bit of extra support and love on a very difficult day.”

Students at Columbia and Barnard are responsible for maintaining countless relationships— with roommates, friends, parents, siblings, bosses, colleagues, significant others, etc. We are in a perpetual state of contact with others—calling our worried moms, texting friends we promised to grab coffee with, messaging random classmates for the notes from last lecture—and it can grow exhausting. Our lives seem consumed by the dozens of relationships we form; and in the continuous sustaining of these bonds, it can be easy to lose sight of the relationship we have with ourselves.

With the start of a new semester comes the inevitable “I want to get more involved on campus” spiel you give every single September and January. We get it—going to Columbia is difficult enough, but when it seems like everyone else is involved with ten different extracurriculars, it can be easy to feel a bit out of the loop. This semester, we’ve made it easier than ever to actually live up to that new semester goal by compiling a list of all of Columbia and Barnard’s clubs, programs, and organizations that are still recruiting new members this semester.

You’ve run the gamut of extracurriculars–you’ve tried to find that one group, club, or society that truly makes Columbia your home, but to no avail. We get it. It can be tricky finding that perfect close-knit community in college, but every Columbia student deserves one.

Throwing a dorm party is no easy feat—it’s an art. From the ambience to the playlist, everything requires preparation. If you’re planning on throwing a party in your Columbia dorm room, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve done all the dirty work and have determined the best tips and tricks for planning a party in five different Columbia and Barnard dorms: a John Jay single, a McBain double, an East Campus suite, a Brooks quad, and a 600s suite.