Before they start working to pay off their student loans, Bwog humbly asks for departing seniors’ thoughts and advice.  Read the rest of this year’s here.


jacob weaverName, School:
Jacob Weaver, CC/GSAS

Claim to fame: Former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Politics & Society and Treasurer of ABC

Post-grad plans: I’ve been working on my MA in Statistics here at Columbia since graduating in December. This summer, I’ll be traveling in China and then working for McKinsey in New York.

What are three things you learned at Columbia?

I learned how to speak Chinese (more or less), translate German, and write English.

Favorite study spot?

The fifth floor of Lerner is under-appreciated during finals, but I like studying at home. Potluck House in particular had great common rooms with friends, good food, and comfy chairs cast off by the law school.

Justify your existence in 30 words or less.

I fully intend to survive and eventually reproduce. With luck I will find a way to help people while I’m at it.

What was your favorite controversy in your time at Columbia?

The Ahmadinejad smackdown. It had the requisite relevance to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ostentatious free speech, international publicity, and a great SNL digital short. What’s not to like?

Any battle wounds/war stories from the War on Fun?

Only secondhand: close friends with beautifully decorated walls had their suite forcibly repainted over winter break and were charged thousands of dollars for the privilege.

Would you rather permanently give up oral sex or cheese?

Oral sex. My dog’s name is Brie.



What do you wish you could tell the Class of 2013 before they come here?


Everyone loves to hate the Columbia bureaucracy, but think of it like one big training ground for all the frustrating real-world institutions you get to deal with later. If someone tells you that you can’t do something, it could be because it’s a bad idea, but it’s often just because it’s never been done before. If it’s really worthwhile, you can make it happen if you’re persistent.



Regrets?


I know it’s a cop out, but I regret nothing I did and everything I didn’t do. When I’m feeling nostalgic, I wish I had taken classes in all the majors I never even considered, met all the people I never even saw, and joined all the clubs at the Activities Fair. Sadly, I also never played Assassins.