Jennifer Bai

School and Year: CC 2013
Major: Economics and Statistics
Email: jb3184@columbia.edu
Hometown: Princeton, NJ

Clubs/Activities: President of the Columbia University Figure Skating Club, Research Assistant, Let’s Get Ready SAT Tutor, Sigma Delta Tau

Favorite NYC spots: Central Park, The Met, Butler Roof

Top 3 CU traditions:

1. the first day of spring when everyone blows off work and lounges on the steps
2. all the free food
3. being addicted to Bwog

What you wish you knew as a first year student:

1. Sleeping less does not necessarily mean working more. That being said, some of your best memories will be of late-night conversations with your floormates about Harry Potter, even if you really should be studying for finals.
2. Happiness and health are the most important things.
3. Bubble tea > coffee.

F. Elias Boujaoude 

School and Year: CC 2013
Majors: History and Middle Eastern Studies (MESAAS)
Email: fb2320@columbia.edu
Hometown: Eatontown, NJ

Clubs and Activities: Undergraduate History Council, RA for the Office of Residential Programs, Policy Liaison for Ivy Council, Class of 2013 Class Council

Favorite NYC spots: The Highline---you MUST go within your first week in NYC!!!!; Grant’s Tomb/Riverside Park, The Met, And yes, believe it or not, Penn Station!  Highly recommended for people watching…

Top 3 CU traditions:

1. Tree Lighting!
2. Orgo Night
3. “Steps Day” (aka the first day its really nice out and everyone sits on the steps on the plaza)

What I wish I knew as a first year:

1. NYC is a HUGE place and you will never see everything that a college student should in four years SO START EARLY!!!
2. Most professors want you to go to their office hours so don’t be shy; you’re the only one who loses out!  Also, most grad schools are okay with letters of recommendations from TAs so build those relationships early and pick classes with professors and TAs you like!
3. Columbia is a HUGE place so you have to make your own connections, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have help---CSA deans and advisors are an excellent resource to point you in the right direction when you have no clue where to start looking for something.
4. YES, there ARE football games and NO, they are NOT in the Dodge Fitness Center!  There is a shuttle bus that takes students from the main campus to the football stadium---the games are awesome and one of the few times to build school spirit!
5. Many courses are offered very infrequently so if you see something you really want to take, DO IT, it may not be there in three years!

Jiawen Tang

School and Year: CC 2015
Majors: Economics-Political Science
Email: jt2656@columbia.edu
Hometown: Providence, RI

Clubs/ Activities: Columbia International Relations Council and Association (CIRCA), Asian American Alliance (AAA), East Coast Asian American Student Union (ECAASU) Conference

Favorite NYC spots: High Line, St. Mark's Place (Union Square), Central Park

Top 3 CU traditions:

1. Tree lighting
2. Bollinger's Fun Run
3. Varsity Show

What you wish you knew as a first year student:

1. Never sacrifice my health or wellbeing for a grade 
2. Go to more of my professors' office hours
3. Take more chances: build connections with those around you, go to events that sound interesting, and join collaborative groups working on projects - a lot of the opportunities that have opened up to me are from unexpected sources.