Author Archive for Niara Valerio

If you’re missing NYC during Winter Break: Favorite Places to Study outside of Columbia University

Posted by Niara Valerio 
· Tuesday, January 8th, 2019 

Although Lehman Library is the default, and perhaps easiest, place to study for SIPA students, there are plenty of other spaces to explore throughout the City. Sometimes it’s great to get out of Morningside Heights and make the trip to other neighborhoods. Below is a list of some of my favorite places to study off campus. 

  1. Rose Main Reading Room – The Rose Main Reading Room is located in The New York Public Library in midtown Manhattan, and the trip is well worth it! Generally speaking, the NYPL is a must see for anyone visiting New York for the first time. However, one of the best things about the library is the Rose Main Reading Room, after years of renovations, it has finally been reopened to the public. High ceilings and plenty of light make it the ideal place to study for midterms and finals (plus you feel like you’re at Hogwarts – an added bonus!). The library is divided into two sections: an area where tourists can walk around and take photos, and an area designated for quiet studying.
  1. Coffee Shops in the West Village – The West Village is easily accessible via the 1 train from Columbia University and in addition to it being a great area to explore, there are a lot of coffee shops where you can sit and do some work. A few personal favorites include Rebel Coffee on 8th Avenue and Stumptown Coffee Roasters on 8th Street.  Both of these locations have plenty of seating and are great to catch up on notes. However, they tend to get very crowded in the midafternoon on weekends, so getting there early is essential.
  1. The New York Society Library – The New York Society library is one of New York City’s oldest cultural landmarks, and though only members are able to check out books and have full access to the building, the first-floor reading room is open to the public. This is a great, quiet place to study, though it’s located on the east side, the cross town bus makes it easily accessible from Columbia University.
  1. Sheep Meadow – Sheep Meadow Is located on the west side of Central Park, from 66th to 69th Street, it is a great place to study during the warmer months. During the summer, residents flock to Sheep Meadow to sunbathe, have picnics, and enjoy the New York City skyline. The area is open from April to Mid-October and is a great place to catch up on reading and do some studying. Don’t forget to bring a blanket!

Feel free to share your own favorite locations below!

Categories : Student Life
Tags : ,

Why I chose International Finance and Economic Policy as a Concentration

Posted by Niara Valerio 
· Friday, December 7th, 2018 

When I was looking at graduate schools initially, I knew I wanted to focus on my three interests: women’s economic empowerment, entrepreneurship and finance. It was very important for me that I found a school that allowed me to pursue all three. The International Finance and Economic Policy concentration was ideal in that it provided me with coursework in both finance and economics.

My first year courses included macroeconomics and microeconomics, as well as corporate finance and international capital markets. All of which gave me a strong background in financial and economic policy and allowed me to apply the skills I learned in the classroom in a real world context. The International Finance and Economic Policy concentration is also ideal in that it has three separate tracks: International Finance, International Economic Policy, and Central Banking. This meant that I could tailor my coursework to focus specifically on international finance.

I chose the International Finance track because I knew that my interest in promoting women’s economic empowerment through entrepreneurship required that I have knowledge of accounting, corporate finance, as well as emerging financial markets. Additionally, the International Finance and Economic Policy concentration had a global focus, which allowed me to look at financial systems and economies on an international scale. This was very important to me considering that my main interest is to help women entrepreneurs and 51% of SME’s globally are owned and operated by women. Additionally, my specialization in Gender and Public Policy was a great way for me to combine my interests in both finance and gender. Much of the work that I did in my IFEP classes served me well in my gender classes, particularly in the realm of evaluating economic and financial systems through a gender lens.

Photo Source: Carol M. Highsmith – Public Domain

Categories : Academics, SIPA
Tags : , , ,

A Definitive List of the Best Libraries on Campus

Posted by Niara Valerio 
· Monday, November 26th, 2018 

Although Lehman Library is the default place of study for the majority of SIPA students, there are plenty of libraries on campus that are worth exploring. Butler Library, is of course, the quintessential image featured on every other postcard sold at the bookstore but there are other, equally picturesque places to study on campus and your Columbia Student ID card is a veritable passport to each and everyone of these locations. See below for a list of my personal favorites. 

  1. Avery Library at the School of Architecture: Avery Library is by far one of my favorite places to study on campus. As soon as you walk in you are greeted with large windows and plenty of sunlight. Although finals and midterms season makes this a popular location, there are generally plenty of seats available throughout the semester. Unfortunately, you are only able to print with Paw Print, which means you are limited to a $2.00 quota per day, but this is usually the case for printing anywhere outside of SIPA. Plus, Avery is located above Brownies Cafe, so you can easily grab lunch.
  2. Science and Engineering Library: The Science and Engineering Library is another great location to study. The upstairs area is located right next to large windows overlooking the Engineering School, with views of the Business school as well. There are always plenty of seats and computers available. Plus, it is conveniently located next to one of the best cafe’s on campus – Joe’s Coffee.
  1.  Mathematics Library: located in the Mathematics building, this library is small and generally isolated. Although the library itself may be a little quieter and smaller than the other items on this list, it has some really great views of Broadway and Barnard College. The views alone make it worth the trip from SIPA.
  1. Gabe M. Weiner Music and Arts Library: this library is located above Dodge Hall and also has some great views of Columbia University. Additionally, due to its location, you will generally find it emptier than other libraries on campus. Although a little further out of the way than other items on this list, it is one of the quieter places to study, it also doesn’t get as packed during finals and midterms like other libraries generally do.

Note from Admissions: If you have the chance to visit Columbia University in person, you should also look into visiting SIPA and sitting in on a class.

Categories : Columbia University, Student Life
Tags : ,

Best apps and websites for the grad school application process

Posted by Niara Valerio 
· Sunday, November 18th, 2018 

One of the most important things about applying to graduate school is staying organized. There are so many deadlines/things to remember that it becomes hard to keep track.  However, there are plenty of apps and websites that will make things easier. Below is a list of some popular apps/websites that will make your graduate school application process easier. Feel free to add your own in the comments below. 

Wunderlist: This app is great, it is very easy to input reminders and you can even create a shortcut on your laptop to create notifications with ease. It also syncs with your calendar automatically. 

Wolfram Alpha: This is essentially a very fancy visual calculator. It is able to solve problems across a variety of topics, including probability, money and finance, and statistics. This comes in very handy for the GRE. 

Trello: This is a great website for keeping track of projects with multiple tasks and assignments. Trello is a popular tool for many startups, which means it can handle a large number of tasks at the same time. 

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock: This is a great alarm clock that works naturally with your sleep cycle. It keeps track of your natural sleeping patterns and REM cycles to wake you up when you naturally would. The application process can be stressful and getting plenty of rest is important.

Youper: This mental health tracking app helps you handle stress. Although there are many apps out there that work similarly, this app stands out among the rest in that it helps you better understand your emotions in real time. Never underestimate the importance of taking care of your mental health!

Categories : Academics, SIPA, Student Life
Tags : , , ,

My Experience with Cross Registration

Posted by Niara Valerio 
· Sunday, November 4th, 2018 

One of the great things about SIPA are the many course offerings across concentrations and specializations. Although the majority of students spend their first year focusing on the core curriculum, by your second year there are plenty of opportunities to branch out and take electives. One of the great things about SIPA is that it allows you to cross register at other schools within Columbia University. This is a really great add in because it allows you to mix and match across a variety of fields and courses. The process itself is fairly straightforward and varies between each individual school. For example, Columbia Business School offers two cross registration phases during the semester. There are a limited number of seats available for SIPA students in specific business school courses; however, there are a lot of courses to choose from. In my experience, you will generally get your first choice if you apply. SIPA students are able to cross register at several schools at Columbia University, including Teachers College, Columbia Law School, and the Mailman School of Public Health.

Overall, my experience with cross registration has been very positive. I’ve taken courses at the Mailman School of Public Health, the Institute for Research in African American Studies (IRAAS) and Columbia Business School. At IRAAS, I took “Gender, Labor and Sexuality in the Caribbean” with Dr. Pinnock. The course explored the concepts of gender, sexuality and labor and the historical and contemporary perspectives of work in an increasingly globalized society. Taking the course in my second year was really beneficial, as I’d spent my first year at SIPA focusing on the core curriculum and taking classes in my concentration, International Finance and Economic Policy, which gave me a strong background in macroeconomic theory and analysis. The course allowed me to combine my two interests, gender and economic policy and apply my coursework from SIPA in my final paper in the class, which was on Sex Work and the Dollarization of the Economy in Contemporary Cuba.

I highly recommend cross registration and taking advantage of the many courses across Columbia. It is especially important for those of us who are interested in public policy to gain a breadth of experience across a variety of sectors.

Note from Admissions: Graduate school is a big commitment and “fit” is hugely important. Take advantage of SIPA class visits and register here.

Categories : Academics, Columbia University, SIPA, Student Life
Tags : , , , , ,
Next Page »

"The most global public policy school, where an international community of students and faculty address world challenges."

—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs

Boiler Image