Hand-me-down Advice for Juniors

We asked seniors to pass along advice that juniors might find useful in planning for senior year. Here are their responses. Learn from your peers - see what seniors wish they would have known prior to senior year!

Academics:

• Remember to take FUN classes - classes that are enjoyable and interesting. Although it is necessary to finish major, concentration, and Core requirements, it is important to leave room for non-disciplinary electives - college is the last chance to take any classes in any field, so take advantage of it.
• If you are planning on taking a Pass/Fail class, consider taking a class that you find interesting and compelling, but otherwise unappealing-for instance, consider the class whose subject you find interesting, though you've heard that the professor is an extremely hard grader. By taking a class with the Pass/Fail option, you'll enjoy lectures, and you won't have to worry about a letter grade. Also, try to avoid a class that determines your grade on the basis of a single, long paper. Writing a long paper is quite time consuming, even if it will only be graded as Pass or Fail.
• Start planning way ahead of time for any type of administrative deadlines (such as applying for the degree, ordering a cap and gown, etc.). It is impossible to predict the complications that might come up in the administrative process.
• Take advantage of the time you have here. If you've chosen to major in Biology but still want to learn Tibetan, take Tibetan. There will always be free time, no matter what; you'll still enjoy your senior year, but the chances of taking some of these courses with some of the greatest professors in the world are opportunities that may never arise again. On that same note, virtually every course you'll take will have some use in whatever field you choose to go into. Academia will become more and more interdisciplinary in coming years, so there's no point in limiting yourself to a single field of study.

Make contact with professors:

• Get to know your professors early on! Whether through independent research projects (in certain departments), talking to them after class, or going to their office hours, most professors are willing to get to know their students. You'll need references for jobs, graduate programs, fellowships, etc. So don't wait until senior year - get to know them now.
• Get to know your professors and TAs personally. Not only are they great and brilliant people, they also write wonderful recommendations.
• Your professors are interested in knowing more about how you feel about their class.

Be prepared, stay focused and don't stress:

• Have an idea of what you want to get done/accomplish by the time the year is over, and keep it in mind. The year goes by so quickly that if you don't remind yourself of your goals, you'll end up not having fulfilled them!
• Keep in close contact with the Senior Advising Center, since they offer valuable information and will help you fulfill your goals if they can.
• Think ahead. You don't have to know what you're going to do with the rest of your life, but if you have some ideas, take some steps to prepare. Get those recommendations before your professors stop recognizing you. Go to the seminars on Law School or fellowship applications. Find out about deadlines before they pass. Like the Boy Scouts, be prepared.
• The last two semesters go a lot faster than the first two.
• The swim test is only three lengths of the pool.
• If you plan in advance, you may take classes in the graduate schools. Explore and take advantage of this option and you will have unparalleled exposure to graduate courses while you are still an undergraduate.
• The Job Search is like another class. The process of writing resumes and cover letters, attending information sessions, going to interviews, etc, takes a lot of time. If you are planning on searching for a job after school, plan your Fall semester as if you are taking another class. I spent more time on the job search than any single class in my Fall semester.
• What I would have loved to know before senior year is that questions like, "What are your plans for next year?" or "What are you going to do after graduation?" are much more stressful than they are exciting for the senior who must answer. There are many seniors for whom the answer is "I have no idea," and it's OK if you are one of them!

It's never too late - take advantage of everything!

• Senior year is when it hits you: this is the last chance to (insert desired activity here). All of a sudden you wish you could take that class you were too lazy to take, or join that club, or become involved in volunteer work, or attend those athletic events... the list goes on. You start going to every basketball game and free lecture you can go to, trying to store up memories for the Columbia-free years ahead. However, sometimes it really just is too late. Jump at every chance while you can... you might think that your Junior year is too late to start writing for The Spec or playing intramural basketball, but you don't really know what "too late" means until it's March and graduation is 2 months away!
• That Miller Theatre puts out once-in-a-lifetime productions...and you still get student rates!
• It's never too late to do anything at Columbia. I know people who have joined groups during their last semester at Columbia. I declared a new concentration during the first semester of my senior year. If there's something you're interested in, there's always time to get involved. There's also always time to meet new people, make new friends, learn more about New York. Don't limit yourself.
• Go to every event of interest you possibly can and maintain a list of contacts... this especially includes events posted in Uris, at SIPA and The Law school. Opportunity lurks everywhere in the shadows for those with a flashlight and a dream.