This photo just radiates wiserly wisdom.

Our Senior Wisdom of the day goes to Becky Novik, who tells us where to live, how to spend our time, and whether or not seminars with one-word names are worth the risk.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Becky Novik, BC, philosophy & psychology, various parts of the tri-state area – mainly dirty jerz :(

Claim to fame: I think I threw up on Alma before NSOP was out. I’m sorry.

Where are you going? Physically, emotionally, and professionally I will be in New York.

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2022?

1. Please enjoy yourself. You are not in this school for that long, and as someone who spent their first year crying over a boy (literally ew), went abroad for all of junior year, and is graduating early, I can truly attest to how little time everyone actually gets in this place. It’s by no means perfect, but there is such a high concentration of incredible people here that you should definitely spend some time getting to know. Please put down the homework and close your fifteen tabs looking for a summer internship and do something fun with new people. You will not regret it, I promise.

2. Live in 110. I am 150% sure that my room in 110 was the largest room I will ever have in my life and I will cherish the memories of that small personal football field forever and always. 110 is a dorm but also not a dorm and will make you feel like a real person living in the city! Of! New York! Oh, and the entire lobby is actually made of MARBLE, it’s just too expensive to upkeep and also too expensive to take down. I feel like a damn princess just talking about it. Go live there.

3. On that note, I would say pick dorms that are actually far from campus/take the leap of faith and move off. A walk clears the head.

Bonus: Go to Burke?? Theology library? I’m graduating in 2 weeks and I just discovered it today. Isn’t that fucked? Go check it out.

“Back in my day…” Cannon’s *still crying. NUSS. More tears. The Diana center did NOT have sushi. Or fifteen flavors of Kombucha seriously when did this all happen? We had a magnolia tree that was alive and well RIP MAGGIE. Oh and the entirety of Barnard’s campus could literally be classified as indoors when Milstein was in its three year gestation period. Honestly, it was kind of nice.

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: As a philosophy major I feel personally attacked.

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Take anything with Rob King because he’s a gem. Plagiarism & Post Colonialism. A seminar called “Narcissism” – a class with a whack one-word title is always a hit or miss. I’ve been lucky with them, and because this is my senior wisdom and a celebration of my subjective experience and advice, I say TAKE the rogue one-word classes.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Um. Um. Um. Cheese. Bye brie(

One thing to do before graduating: Ah shit. I want to say something really grand, but I know it’ll just be me taking one last pensive walk around this school and probably returning shortly anyway.

Any regrets? Probably but I’ll say no and hope it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy :)

Photo via Becky Novik