Here’s another installment from one of Her Campus Barnard’s resident anonymous guys. Who is he? We’ll never tell. This week’s His Campus author answered some of the same questions we asked Dear Halle yesterday. Ladies we all know you’ve asked the “What on earth goes through guys’ heads?” question, so here’s an article that will help answer that for you. Read to the end of the article to find a link to submit your very own *anonymous* questions for our anonymous dudes to answer in the coming weeks! Nothing is too embarassing, weird, strange, or uncomfortable for them to answer.
1. How do I find a girlfriend here on campus?
In a world where it seems like every guy is on the hunt for a NG (Nice Girl), it can be difficult to find one for yourself. The hookup culture found at most schools certainly does not usually help a guy find anything more than a girl to go home with at the end of the night. So, how can us dudes find a girl that’s really worth bringing home to me the parents?
Putting yourself out there is always the best way to find your potential valentine, whether it’s a girl you’re already friends with or one you’ve never met before. Most of us (guy or girl) are typically afraid of making the first move, but showing that you are interested in a girl is the best (and sometimes the only) way of determining whether or not your crush feels the same way.
If you see a NG that you don’t know but that you find appealing, walk up and strike a conversation—whether it’s at Mel’s after a night out with friends, or even in your poli sci recitation. For many girls, the most attractive thing a guy can do is put himself out there and show his true intentions from the start.
To make sure that initial conversation doesn’t go sour right away, try to find common ground. Although this can sometimes be a little hard, ask her about her major, hometown, interests on campus, etc. Odds are that within the first five minutes you’ll find a mutual interest or attribute, allowing you to continue the conversation and maybe even get her number.
Just remember to try not to rush things. The best girls are often times the ones worth waiting for; trying to go too fast too quickly may ruin the progression of a great relationship. Just take it as it comes, day by day, and see where it goes from there.
2. I want to visit my friends at other schools, but midterms are never-ending. How do I make time to visit other places?
As much as we all love being at Columbia, most of us also miss our home friends. Additionally, it’s often really fun to go to a different school and change things up for a weekend. However Columbia is not the type of school where students typically have a free weekend that isn’t filled with prior obligations. So, how can we take time off from school and visit somewhere else?
As someone who is actually visiting his best friend at the University of Maryland this weekend (as I do every semester), I can safely say that planning in advance is crucial. Look at your calendar and syllabi to see which weeks you’re crammed with exams, papers, and meetings; try to find a weekend directly after a hectic week. These weekends tend to be less densely packed, and visiting a friend after a hard week is a great way to celebrate. Fall break is also a great weekend to visit friends since you have an extra two days to catch up on work.
The week before you visit, GET YOUR WORK DONE. Don’t tell yourself that you’ll do work during your visit, because odds are you’re going to be to busy reuniting and catching up with old friends. However, bring work with you to do while traveling to and from, since you’ll have time to kill anyway.
3. I know everyone says there are tons of libraries to choose from on this campus, but I only hear about one–Butler. Where else can I get work done on campus or even off?
Fun fact about Columbia- we have 22 libraries on campus! However, an overwhelming percentage of the student body seems to constantly be in Butler. So, how can you escape the Butler plague?
There are actually really great, underrated places on campus for one to study and each one offers a unique environment, depending on what you like. Directly on campus, there is the East Asian Library in Kent, the Architecture library in Avery, the Engineering Library in NoCo, and the international library in SIPA—just to name a few. Also, basically every library has great study rooms for one to work in, such as the Chemistry library in Havemeyer (which most people on campus don’t even know exists)!
If you’re looking to get a little off central campus, some great places to check out are the Diana at Barnard, Teachers College, and the Union Theological Seminary. Each of these places have great areas to work in and since some of them aren’t very well known, odds are you’ll find a seat right away (which is almost never the case at Butler).
Lastly, coffee shops are also great environments to do work if that’s what you’re looking for, such as Joe’s café (which is where I’m currently sitting). Another coffee shop not too many know about is the Hungarian Pastry shop on 111th and Amsterdam. Not only does this place have amazing treats and coffee, but it also has no wifi. So if you’re looking to do some work without the distraction of the internet, then Hungarian Pastry shop is prime real estate.
P.S.! You can submit your very own questions for our anonymous guys to answer by using this link.
* This article is a personal piece and does not reflect the views of Her Campus Barnard or Her Campus Media. *