Bring it or buy it there?
At Columbia College, campus sits a long way out from Columbia's center, so a bike earns its keep locally first — around campus, to the nearest shops, to the bus. If you already have a bike you like and it's in good shape, bringing it is usually worth it — you know it fits and you trust it. If you don't, buy after you arrive, not before: a local shop will size you properly and do the first tune-up, and a campus or town bike co-op (most college towns have one) is the cheap, friendly way to find a sound used bike and learn basic repairs. Skip the big-box "bike-shaped object" — it costs more in repairs and frustration than a decent used bike.
The ground rolls a little, so give yourself a low gear or two — nothing exotic, just enough that the hill on the way home isn't a reason to drive. And check whether the local buses carry bikes: a bike-and-bus trip beats both a car and a long ride you keep talking yourself out of.
The theft reality — lock like it matters
A small campus doesn't make a bike thief-proof — it just makes the racks quieter. Bikes still disappear from college towns, most often the ones locked with a cable "because it's only for an hour." In a city this size, lock it properly even for the ten-minute stop — that's the theft, every time. Get a hardened U-lock, always lock the frame and rear wheel to a fixed rack, account for quick-release wheels and your saddle, and register your serial number with campus security or a national registry. A good lock used well is the single biggest thing between you and a bad week.
The ride into town needs planning
A ride this long into town is a fine thing on a bright afternoon and a miserable one in cold rain at night. Around campus and the nearest shops, the bike is still the best tool you have. For the trip into Columbia, plan it properly — daylight, charged lights, a way home — or pair the bike with a bus and skip the worst of it.
A note for parents
The most useful send-off isn't the flashiest bike — it's the boring kit that keeps a student riding safely all year: a serious lock, lights that stay charged, fenders for the wet months, and a rack so they'll actually carry books and groceries. Given how far campus sits from the middle of town, lights and a rack matter more here than they would at a school you can walk across. Run the Assessment together in Columbia and it'll turn your student's real situation into a short kit list — and flag the one item worth spending real money on.