Early voting for the 2026 midterm elections starts on Saturday.

As the time grows closer to kickoff, and you are still deep in the crowd of your third Homecoming party of the day, you wonder: should I even bother going to the actual game? You have rallied at an ungodly hour—earlier than you’ve ever woken up to do real work—and have been socializing the entire morning, using all of your social battery before it’s even 1 p.m. Columbia students across generations have grappled with this question: Is it worth going all the way to West 218th Street to watch the Homecoming game? This is the true Columbia tradition, and you may need to weigh the pros and cons on whether you will make an appearance at this year’s Homecoming game.

An email pops into your inbox: “You have been selected for second round interviews!”

As the semester starts to ramp up, clubs become more active, and midterms are on the horizon, you might start to realize how overcommitted you are. Turns out you don’t have the time for four clubs, five classes, and a part-time job. Here are some healthy reminders to consider before you succumb to the stress of (trying to) balance it all.

“BIGGEST 18+ PARTY 9/17 NYC WELCOME WEEK. Use code VIP to grab your tickets now!”

One year post-NSOP 2025 and I can still hear the loud cheers of the orientation leaders as I entered the Barnard gates. As I pushed my cart filled with dorm appliances over uneven bricks to the Sulzberger lobby, I was overwhelmed with apprehension about the upcoming week. The idea that I would move 2,000 miles away from home, learn how to live with a roommate, and put myself out there at parties and other events seemed like too much for one week. Despite the inundation of new faces and coping with a communal bathroom, I had a great NSOP, so to the class of 2030, here are some regrets and recommendations from my NSOP experience a year ago.

The best part of finally securing an internship after months of writing countless cover letters and awkwardly making small talk over a Zoom interview is getting to post about it on LinkedIn. I feel completely confident that my junior year Advanced Placement U.S. history classmate, the president of the campus club I ghosted, and my mother, among all of my other loyal connections, will be enthralled with my job updates. They wait for my exhilarating posts with bated breath, at least that’s what I assume.

As the four of us sat down at a little square table in Cathedral Gardens we couldn’t help noticing the cozy ambience of the living room and the posters that dotted the walls. Ella Ahner, BC ’26, laughed as she chatted with us about our trek, and Francesca Eisenberg, BC ’26, giggled as we read their poster: “THE REAL G SPOT, GUINNESS.”

Bacchanal is right around the corner. You might have had your borg name planned for months, but have you really listened to any of the artists slated to appear? Not many of us are extensive music connoisseurs and don’t know where to start on making the playlist for the 10 a.m. pre.

You’ve been stuck in a horizontal position for days as the shades in your stale dorm room remain drawn to block out the sun. A Canvas notification from the class you are supposed to be in lights up the room: “Reminder: midterm #2 next class.” The sickness that’s been spreading around your dorm hall—the one you prayed you wouldn’t catch—has finally claimed you as its next victim and left you bedridden for what feels like an eternity. As you lie in bed sniffling, the mental list of all the school work you are falling behind on grows.