Author Archives: Elia Zhang

Riggio Travel Seminar: Studying Medieval Art in Germany

Last spring break, I had the good fortune of participating in the Riggio Travel Seminar, a program offered to undergraduate students at Columbia University that enables them to study art history by visiting the sites where the artwork was created … Continue reading

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How Do You Balance Taking Classes and Having a Job?

The mindset behind taking classes as a student and having a job as an entry-level employee are very different. While taking classes, we want to absorb knowledge and ask questions under high intellectual demand. While working as an employee, however, … Continue reading

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How to Narrow Down Your Research Interest – or Should You? 

This blog intends to answer  one of the frequently asked questions in the office of URF (Undergraduate Research & Fellowships):   Help! I want to go to grad school, but I don’t know how to narrow my research interests from … Continue reading

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How to Make the Archive a Place for Discovery

Archival research often yields fruitful discoveries in the humanities and social sciences, including but not limited to history, philosophy, literature, or the history of art and archaeology. Reflecting on my research trip to Yale’s Beinecke Library, I would like to … Continue reading

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The Evolution of A Thesis’ Archetype

Every department goes through the senior thesis process differently. Some have their students complete a thesis in junior year, some require 4 semesters of continuous work. In this article, I would like to share how my thesis idea has evolved, and … Continue reading

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Musing Ecclesiastes at the Cathedral of St. John 

It was surprising to think back that, after completing CC, the most moving text to me was the chapter of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament—I thought, walking toward the Cathedral of St. John on Amsterdam avenue. I’ve always known about … Continue reading

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