You fiddle with the handles of your suitcase as the campus gates adorned with the Columbia blue loom ahead. A mix of emotions bubbles in your chest. Of course, it’s excitement—along with the familiar feeling of having already partaken in this experience. This time, however, you’re the new student. Suddenly, that acceptance letter feels like a distant memory as an orientation leader greets you and introduces you to your NSOP group. Like many other students, you can resonate with the fleeting feeling of anxiety as you look around and it seems like everyone else already has this “life on campus” thing figured out.

Many students know about that familiar feeling of sitting anxiously in a classroom after test scores have been released. Slowly, you pull out your blue book, the one that you haven’t seen since that horrid midterm. You see 12% written in bright red ink. You might feel like sinking into the floor, but remember, if this is you, it was also definitely someone else at one point.

With a pocket full of money, an exciting room assignment, and the overwhelming desire to deck a dorm out to its fullest potential, students often turn to TikTok and Pinterest for inspiration when packing for college. They’re searching for the coziest space to go to after a long day of classes, an all-nighter at Butler, or even a late night out after they’ve had too much fun with friends. It’s easy to overthink, but even easier to overpack. Everyone is always telling them what to bring, but no one tells them what not to bring.

Like many Columbia students, my sleep schedule is… questionable. Between the late nights in Butler Library and endless doom scrolling before bed, I realized I needed a better sleep schedule. So, I decided to test out some of the internet’s favorite sleep hacks. For a week, I became a human guinea pig for TikTok-approved tricks to see what actually works when trying to fall asleep.

Everyone needs a self-care strategy during the school year that actually works for them. Between new classes, fresh routines, and everything happening outside of school, it’s easy to forget that taking care of yourself is just as important as keeping up with assignments.

Commencement season has officially arrived. You’ve probably noticed the bleachers going up around campus as clusters of seniors dressed in light blue robes fill libraries and lawns, trying to capture their final moments at Columbia. You’ve probably also noticed that maybe, just maybe, campus is humming with a touch of sadness. Maybe it just hit you—your friend, deep into their senior year, just posted about finishing their thesis. They’re graduating. They’re leaving. And now you’re left trying to figure out how to process it all.

Finals are around the corner, but you know what else is? Formals—lots of them. You haven’t truly lived the “work hard, play hard” lifestyle until you’re juggling Columbia classes and New York City nightlife. If you’ve got your student group’s big end-of-year party coming up but have no clue what to wear, we’ve got you. We’ve put together a guide to dressing to the nines (literally—looking at you, computer science majors and your obsession with clean code and clean fits) based on your major, prospective major, or even your situationship’s major—because why not out-dress them in both style and their chosen field of study?

Is winter getting you down? Though it might feel freezing outside, that doesn’t mean your playlist has to stay in hibernation. If you’ve had your fill of slow, moody songs on repeat, it’s time for a refresh. These tracks are guaranteed to bring a little warmth, a bit of sunshine, and a whole lot of good vibes. Shake off the winter blues, turn up the volume, and step into spring with these classics.

Interested in joining a preprofessional club but not sure where to begin? Don’t be intimidated by the suit-clad students bustling around campus after NSOP. Spectrum breaks down some of the finance, consulting, pre-law, and pre-med clubs on campus, helping you discover the right fit for your interests and goals.