Welcome, I guess? That type of hesitance is exactly what Admitted Students Day will bring you, but don’t be scared.

Starting April 10 with the first of Columbia’s Days on Campus, and with Barnard joining in on April 11 and April 26 with their series, Becoming Barnard, prospective students will swarm Barnumbia.

And we will welcome that swarm!

Here is some advice from my experience as a first-year student who attended Columbia’s Days on Campus event last year. Admittedly, though, this tour was during the thick of the protests and was thus modified, and so I’m also not completely sure what typically happens during these events. Let’s figure it out together!

Everyone is nervous. Or at least they should be. This is a major life decision. You’re meeting people who might be your close friends for the next couple of years, maybe even trying to find a roommate. Four years is a long time, and you should be nervous in anticipation of that. Just talk to people. Get to know people. Don’t sit with your mom during lunch like I did. Get their Instagrams (and get Instagram if you don’t already have it).

Don’t remain just inside the campus. Look outside. Look around. Riverside Park is an oft-visited spot for me and my friends. Every Friday, a couple of us band together to grab breakfast somewhere around Morningside Heights. You might end up doing the same, so see if there’s stuff you like! Sweet treats! Snacks! Coffee! And more! You don’t just choose a home for the house, but also what’s around it. It doesn’t have to be hours long, just wander for as little or as long as you please.

If you’re curious about something, ask a current student! Perhaps one that doesn’t look like they’re panicking for a midterm or crying over a breakup—please exercise your judgment on who looks approachable. I know I would love to help—many of us were in the same shoes as you. If they dismiss you, I feel more sorry for them than I do for you, prospective student; it’s miserable to live like a Scrooge.

Alas, Barnumbia is in what we could call a political firestorm at the moment. If that matters to you, that’s okay. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too. But know this will likely continue to happen. It is a valid consideration. I know people who didn’t choose here with that as part of their reasoning; I came here despite it. Your interpretations of what this political climate means for you as a student are okay to make.

It’s a lot, but remember to take it in. Take quick notes on what you like. Or do what I did: notate how you felt to your parents and expect them to remember (this tactic was unsuccessful, although, depending on the parent, it could work). Feel the vibe of each dorm, don’t just blindly follow what you hear online. Do you feel that spark? Can you feel yourself walking here next year, with a heavy backpack, stressed about your First-Year Writing assignment or University Writing essay? Good. It’s a rite of passage.

In the end, for me, it was more the feeling than the events that happened. Do I remember specific parts? Sparsely. But do I remember the feeling when I realized this community would be home? Yes! In the end, just consider how you feel. If it simply feels wrong, that’s okay. If it feels right, welcome home!

If you take one thing away from this, please, just talk to people. I still talk to people from mine (hi Alison if you’re reading this) and also still follow people that didn’t end up choosing here. I hope I see you again this fall! And check out Hungarian Pastry Shop; it’s my favorite Barnumbia staple!

Header via Bwarchives