Study-abroad

I used to be obsessed with the idea of starting over. I spent a majority of my school years in the same Maryland public education system, and I romanticized moving away as an attempt to remedy the feelings of loneliness that permeated my youth. By my junior year of high school, I was determined to graduate early and start over somewhere else—this time on my terms.

It might have been difficult to find the perfect study spot on campus during finals season, but how about during a global pandemic? For students living either on or off campus, it can be exhausting to search for a place to sit and work with the physical distancing guidelines. Spectrum’s got you covered with tips on where to study around campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With both a new year and a new semester beginning, it’s the perfect time to find new ways to stay on top of assignments and organize your daily tasks. To get you on track, here’s a guide to help you weigh the pros and cons of four different organization methods.

As students head into another semester which will have an all-virtual component,  many are again faced with the question of where to spend it. Time zones, convenience, community, and finances all factor into the decision. For some students in the fall, neither staying at home nor living near campus was ideal, so instead, they chose to live in new areas. A few gave insight into how their semesters went.

This semester, professors have to adjust how they administer examinations, given that they can no longer supervise students on location. Some decided to assign timed take-home exams, while others requested that students download proctoring software to mirror typical in-person exam conditions. No matter what you will be facing this finals season, as always, Spectrum has some tips to get you through it.

Even though midterm season has just finished, finals are right around the corner. If the upcoming exam season feels overwhelming, here’s Spectrum’s guide to separating yourself from finals and taking them one step at a time.

With lectures being virtual this semester, finals likely feel much more stressful. Whether you’re studying for your economics or biology exam, reading over your notes and rewatching lectures might feel repetitive and unhelpful. In addition to your usual studying, check out these YouTube channels and study sites for a fresh perspective on whatever topic you’re struggling with.

It’s a week before finals and you are swamped with work: Essays need to be written; tests need preparing for; and labs need to be done. Speaking from personal experience, the hardest part of the week isn’t the excessive coffee-drinking or the all-nighters––it’s the helpless feeling of simply not knowing how to solve a problem or structure an essay. In those moments, the best solution is to reach out and get help. Detailed below is a series of Columbia’s undergraduate resources that one should make the most of.

This semester, with students away from campus due to COVID-19 health and safety restrictions, many are no longer able to access Columbia’s libraries and other resources in person. In response, the University has made plans to accommodate international students through its Columbia Global Centers—traditionally international research outposts—which now provide an option for students who need a safe, communal working space outside of their homes.