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The CCRA blog is authored by Columbia undergraduate researchers, who are invited to reflect on all aspects of the research process and their own undergraduate research experiences, beginning (but not ending) with the Core.
Category Archives: Libraries
On Writing a Senior Thesis: Notes from the Field
I originally wanted to write a blog post on the Core this month, connecting some seminal idea from a philosopher in Contemporary Civilizations to our day-to-day lives as Columbia students. However, every time I tried to begin writing, I found … Continue reading
Posted in Coursework, Faculty Mentors, Libraries, major research, Senior Thesis, The Humanities
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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
Posted in Archives, Coursework, Faculty Mentors, Libraries, Life, major research, postgraduation plans, The Humanities, Uncategorized
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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
Posted in Archives, COVID-19, Libraries, major research
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Research and Columbia Libraries: A Guide to Maximizing Your Resources
Research settings look different for everyone but relying on textual resources and supporting documents to substantiate a claim remains consistent throughout all research types and environments. Nonetheless, finding a place to start with respect to navigating Columbia’s many libraries or … Continue reading
Posted in COVID-19, Libraries, major research, Uncategorized
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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
Posted in courses, Faculty Mentors, Libraries, Senior Thesis, Uncategorized
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Approaches to Interdisciplinary Research
It is rarely ever the case that our attitudes are binary or one-dimensional. In fact, life is characterized by the many beliefs, opinions, and preferences that we embrace. Ascribing to one thought or ideology while resisting others is not only … Continue reading
Posted in Archives, courses, Faculty Mentors, Libraries, major research, Uncategorized
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Searching for a research opportunity? Start here!
Navigating the research landscape for student opportunities can seem intimidating – here are some tips on where to start with brainstorming and searching. Picture your ideal opportunity Jot down a few notes relevant to the kind of experience you are … Continue reading
Posted in Archives, conference presentations, Faculty Mentors, Libraries, major research, New York City, Senior Thesis, STEM research, Summer Research, Uncategorized
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‘A Journey to the ‘Metropole’: Tracing Transnational Networks at the University of Oxford
It has always struck me as somewhat paradoxical that some of the Indian subcontinent’s most famous political activists in the twentieth-century journeyed to Britain to complete their education: from the anticolonial leader M.K. Gandhi, to the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, to … Continue reading
Posted in Archives, Faculty Mentors, Libraries, Study Abroad, Summer Research, The Core, Uncategorized
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Transferring into the Core
“As the stars made themselves visible, Milkman tried to figure what was true and what part of what was true had anything to do with him.” ― Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon As a transfer student, the arrival to Columbia … Continue reading
Posted in Libraries, New York City, The Core, Uncategorized
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Changing Tracks: Why Transfer Internally?
The joke goes like this: by the time I graduate, I’ll have gone to all four undergraduate schools. Now that I’ve gone through the first three, having originally enrolled in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), transferred to … Continue reading
Posted in courses, Libraries, Senior Thesis, STEM research, The Core
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