CU: Connections is a collaborative effort involving several campus offices whose services and resources directly support Columbia students as they develop in all academic and cocurricular aspects of campus life. CU: Connections provides resources in the form of programming and information to students in all four years of the undergraduate experience. The following is a list of events typically offered throughout the course of an academic year. Actual events may vary from year to year.

Information about scheduling and registration is provided to students via email. Please visit the Student Affairs event calendar to see a list of upcoming programs.

First Year Experience

CU: Connections offers a variety of first year programs that are geared towards an extended orientation to first year students. SDA and the Center for Student Advising (CSA) launched a pilot First Year Experience program in the fall of 2012. This was a guided program towards first years to assist them in their transition to life at Columbia and New York City. This program is being offered again for first year students for spring 2013. Members of the Class of 2016 can apply until the end of January.

In addition, there are one-off programs in conjunction with other offices offered throughout the year. There's also a follow-up to orientation called Reorientation 2013.

Senior Programming

The following programs are sponsored specifically for the graduating class. All events are open to any undergraduate student unless noted. Seniors may refer to GradZone for a specific schedule of senior events, as well as information about graduation ceremonies and celebrations.

Seniors who attend the April programs listed below will be entered to win a pair of tickets to the Senior Ball. Students must attend the full workshop to be considered. If you attend more than one, you can be entered once for each workshop. The student will be notified the week of April 22-26th.

Congrats to Elizabeth Murray for being the lucky winner of a pair of tickets to Senior Ball.

Confirmed Programs:

F-1 OPT Information Session for Graduating Seniors

Friday, February 15, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lerner 477
Learn about eligibility requirements and application procedures for Optional Practical Training FOLLOWING COMPLETION of your program of study. Light refreshments will be provided. Co-sponsored by ISPS, ISSO, and SDA.

F-1 OPT Summer Employment Information Session for Continuing Students (non-graduating students)

Friday, February, 15, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Lerner 477
Learn about eligibility requirements and application procedures for Optional Practical Training during your academic program and intervening summers. Light refreshments will be provided. Co-sponsored by ISPS, ISSO, and SDA.

A College Student's Guide to Etiquette: For Now and Beyond

Friday, March 29, 12:00 p.m. to 2:o0 p.m. Havana Central
This session will be a lunch hosted by a premiere etiquette teacher. Sign-ups will occur after spring break. Be on the lookout for an announcement on how to sign-up. Students should plan to attend the full two hours.

Learning More about Wine

Friday, March 29, TBD Lerner 401 
Have you wondered about the different red and white wines. Don't know how to choose? This event co-hosted by the Senior Class Councils will give you a primer about wines. Be on the lookout from the senior class presidents on how to sign-up to attend because space is limited. Two ids to drink and only open to seniors.

Setting Up Your Finances

Friday, April 5, 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Lerner 477
This session presents simple ways to successfully budget, plan for expenses, and set up your finances for life after college.

If you were unable to attend the session, you can view the presentation here. If you have follow-up questions, you can reach out to James Bogner in Financial Aid and Educational Financing. 

Finding an Apartment in New York City

Friday, April 12, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lerner 477
You've lived on campus for the last four years and now it is time to find your first apartment off campus. What are the safest and most economical ways to do this? Is Craigslist a reliable source? Do you have to use a broker to find an apartment? These questions will be answered by a real estate agent, CC '03 Alum Dawn Jackson, who has years of experience navigating the rental market in New York City.

About Dawn Jackson

Dawn has navigated the streets of NYC since earning a BA in Economics/Political-Science at Columbia College in 2003. She started her career at Cushman & Wakefield's Investment Sales Capital Market Group and worked on landmark deals including with the Metlife Building for $1.72B only to surpass it with the largest single building transaction in NYC history with the sale of 666 Fifth Avenue for $1.8B. She is now a neighborhood specialist at the tech start-up focusing on real estate Urban Compass http://www.urbancompass.com/ founded by fellow-Columbia Alum Robert Reffkin CC '01 & CBS '03. You can find Dawn out dancing, dining or donating her time.

If you were unable to attend, here is a pdf of the presentation. 

#CUSocMedia: Almost Everything College Students Should Know about Social Media

Monday, April 15th, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Lerner 569
Have you wondered if you should have a LinkedIn profile or how to manage your Facebook privacy settings (especially with the brand-new Facebook search and display updates)? Columbia's Chief Digital Officer, Professor Sree Sreenivasan (@sree), will present a highly interactive program on how to get the most of your profiles and how to avoid some of the pitfalls. This program is geared to help students become successful in managing their online presence. He will also discuss opportunities in social-media careers. 

What to Expect From the First Week of Work

Friday, April 19, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lerner 569
This session will show students how to navigate that first week of work. What should you wear? What's a 401K? How do I choose an health insurance plan? What does FSA mean? Answers to these questions and more will be provided at this event.