First Gen Financial Aid Q & A

     RSVP: https://goo.gl/forms/JkjfatcLzgg89gsl2

Opportunity for low-income students: free fruit and vegetable shares from the Morningside Heights CSA

A message from the Sustainable Initiatives Consulting Board of Barnard Student Government:

via GIPHY

Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to healthy diets, but they can be prohibitively expensive, especially at stores near campus. SICB (the Sustainable Initiatives Consulting Board of Barnard student government) and Student Life have come together to fully subsidize several farm shares from the Morningside Heights CSA to increase access to fresh produce for students at Barnard who experience cost as a barrier to buying healthy foods.

We are not sure how many shares we will be able to sponsor but we’re trying to get as much funding from Student Life as possible. We also don’t want anyone to be deterred due to the concern of sharing low income status; the information given below will only be seen by a student life advisor— she will then select people using a random number generator and we’ll email you letting you know if you were selected. If you win the lottery, the share will be absolutely free and we’ll send you more details about signing up. Details about the shares are just below:

Every Sunday throughout the fall for ten weeks, La Baraja Farm in upstate New York delivers fresh, local, organic fruits and vegetables to the Morningside Heights neighborhood. The drop off takes place at 119th St and Claremont Ave. from 9 am to 11 am on Sunday mornings. There are two types of shares: the vegetable share and the fruit share. The vegetable share will include things like potatoes, kale, beets, carrots, parsley, pumpkins, etc. The fruit share will include mainly apples and pears. Please let us know your info below and which one you’d prefer and we’ll do our best to hook you up!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSckmB8UZgaRgYajpi2alvdtikaP6NsUVhEb7xaWIlL_Y9eWRg/viewform

Math and Computer Science Help Rooms

Barnard's Math Help Room 

This room, located in room 502 of the Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning on the Barnard campus, is designated for students needing help with:

• College Algebra/Analytic Geometry
• Calculus I
• Calculus II
• Calculus III

Meeting times vary by day as follows:

     Monday  6 pm - 8 pm
     Tuesday  6 pm - 10 pm
     Wednesday  6 pm - 9 pm
     Thursday  6 pm - 9 pm

The hours are posted on the math website at https://math.barnard.edu/help

Columbia's Math Help Room 

This room, located in 406 Mathematics Building, is designated for students needing help with:

• Calculus IV
• ODE
• Linear Algebra
• All other upper-level mathematics courses (UN3xxx or UN4xxx)

Meeting times are Monday - Thursday, 10 am - 6 pm, and Friday, 10 am - 4 pm

Barnard's Computer Science Help Room

This room, located in room 502 of the Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning, back area, is designated for students interested in computer science.

The first meeting will take place this Wed., Sept. 19 from 5:15 pm - 7 pm. Hours will be expanded as new tutors are hired (we assume this week). 

Their hours are posted on the same website as the math help room:  https://math.barnard.edu/help

Host a Student. Yes!

The Barnard College Office of Admissions invites you to give prospective students a taste of the Barnard experience! We are looking for volunteers who live in on-campus housing to host prospective students.  

On Saturday, October 6 – Monday, October 8 we will be hosting our annual Barnard Bound program. T provides a taste of both Barnard College and New York City for promising young women who will be high school seniors in Fall 2018 and self-identify as students of color, especially those students who could not otherwise afford to visit.

To sign up to host, please visit: https://connect.barnard.edu/register/bbhosting2018

If you volunteer to host for two nights, the student(s) may be picked up between 10:00 and 10:45 pm on Saturday and between 9:30 and 10:00 pm on Sunday (a location on campus will be determined at a later date). Event activities will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning and students will be off-campus for most of the day. They will depart by 9:00 am on Monday for our Open House Program.

All students will bring their own sleeping bags and pillows to use during their stay so you will not need to provide bedding.

Once you have signed-up to become a host, we will be in contact with you via email with more information about attending a brief host meeting. Your role as a host is invaluable to our office and to the future of Barnard, so thank you in advance for making this program a success!

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Alex Zink at azink@barnard.edu or Sarah Vallancourt at svallanc@barnard.edu.

Convocation (September 13)

As a reminder, Convocation will take place Tomorrow (September 13) at Riverside Church.  

Students will line up by class year starting at 3:45 pm outside of Riverside Church. Remember to wear your class color (yellow t-shirt)! We will have extra t-shirts for anyone that forgets to wear theirs or for those that did not pick one up last week.

Convocation is a long-standing tradition at Barnard, as it formally and symbolically introduces the newest members of our community to Barnard's rich academic traditions and kicks off the academic year. This year we are pleased to welcome Maria Hinojosa '84, the Executive Producer of Latino USA. A renowned journalist, Hinojasa was born in Mexico City and raised in Chicago. In 2010, she started The Futuro Media Group, a non-profit based in Harlem to produce important stories that the media often overlooks. She has worked as anchor and executive producer of NPR's Latino USA; anchored the Emmy Award-winning talk show, Maria Hinjoosa: One-on-One; been a senior correspondent for PBS's NOW; and anchored its Need to Know.  Hinojosa has won numerous awards, including four Emmys, the 2012 John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Reporting on the Disadvantaged, and the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Overseas Press Club for best documentary for Child Brides: Stolen Lives. She has authored two books, Crews: Gang Members Talk with Maria Hinojosa (1995), and her memoir, Raising Raul: Adventures Raising Myself and My Son (1999). In 2013, she became chair of DePaul University's Latin American and Latino Studies program. She received Barnard's 2009 Distinguished Alumna Award.

Barnard academic classes will be cancelled from 4:00 PM to 6:00 p.m. to allow as many to participate as possible. However, please note that in some exceptional cases, a faculty member may choose not to cancel class for pedagogical reasons, in which case students should attend class.

Study Abroad News and Events

STUDY ABROAD INFO SESSION – ARGENTINA AND CHILE

THURSDAY, SEPT 13^TH, 12-1pm

MILBANK 306

Study abroad in Santiago, Chile or Buenos Aires, Argentina through the Consortium for Advanced Studies Abroad (CASA) and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University.  Come meet the program directors from Santiago and Buenos Aires!

STUDY ABROAD INFO SESSION – LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

TUESDAY, SEPT 18^TH, 11am-12pm

OFFICE OF GLOBAL PROGRAMS, KENT HALL, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Speak with an LSE representative to learn more about spending a year at this prestigious university.    

GENERAL STUDY ABROAD INFO SESSIONS

FRIDAY, SEPT 14^TH, 1-2pm

FRIDAY, SEPT 21^ST, 12-1pm

MILBANK 214

TUESDAY, SEPT 25^TH, 1-2pm

MILBANK 325

Come get the basics on studying abroad for a semester, academic year, or the summer.

STUDY ABROAD FAIR

FRIDAY, OCT 5^TH, 12-3pm

ROONE ARLEDGE AUDITORIUM, LERNER HALL

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet with partner universities and study abroad programs and learn more about the many options for studying abroad. 

Good news about PE courses!

Good news! We recently learned that several PE courses are open to new students.

To inquire about open spots, be sure to attend your choice of PE class this week!

Mark Your Calendar - Convocation 2018!

Be sure to attend Convocation on Thursday, September 13!

Students will line up by class year starting at 3:45 pm outside of Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10027.

Remember to wear your class color (yellow t-shirt)! 

We will have extra t-shirts for anyone that forgets to wear theirs or for those that did not pick one up last week.

P.S. First-year students always pack the house at Convocation. Help keep this tradition alive by participating in this year's procession!

The Enrollment Confirmation Deadline is 11:30 pm tonight (Sep 5)!

The Enrollment Confirmation Deadline is 11:30 pm tonight (Sep 5). 

The process takes two minutes - do it now, please.

Click here for instructions and to avoid unnecessary fines!

IMPORTANT: special registration instructions for Barnard General Chemistry

From the Barnard Chemistry Department:

Barnard General Chemistry BC2001x is one of the largest and most popular intro science courses at Barnard, and we are regularly filled to capacity. It is our goal to be able to accommodate every student who wishes to take the course, and we will do everything we can to facilitate your needs. However, the size of the course (over 150 students) and the physical limitations of the laboratory which is a required component requires a very strict policy on enrollment and limits our flexibility. BC2001x is a unified lecture and laboratory course - you must be enrolled in a lab and recitation section. 

If you want to register in BC2001/2011/2012, please carefully review the following procedures. If these are not followed exactly your request will not be approved.


Procedures for adding General Chemistry BC2001x to your program:

The first rule of getting into Genchem lab is DON'T PANIC. The online system will tell you that every section is full. Ignore this warning and put yourself on a wait list ASAP as follows:









1 Add the main lecture BC2001x (5 points) to your program. This course is open enrollment (up to the enrollment cap) and does not require approval.

2 Add the pre-lab recitation section of BC2011 (0 points) on the day you wish to have lab. When you do this and click "register" during your assigned registration appointment, you will be automatically added to the wait list. All students are placed on the wait list for lab and recitation sections initially. We will come along and add you to the course if there is space permitting and if you have properly signed up for the other two courses.

3 Add the laboratory section of BC2012 (0 points) on the same day you requested a recitation section. When you do this and click "register" during your assigned registration appointment, you will be automatically added to the wait list. All students are placed on the wait list for lab and recitation sections initially. We will come along and add you to the course if there is space permitting and if you have properly signed up for the other two courses.

4 There is a limit to how many courses you can be simultaneously on the waitlist for - this is set by the system and cannot be altered. Do not sign up for multiple sections of lecture/lab as you only will be considered for placement for courses properly paired up. If you somehow make it to more than one waitlist for lab or recitation, you will only be placed in the one which is matched.

5 Our attendance policy requires you to attend every week of lab, and we start the opening week of classes. Carefully review your Fall personal schedule before signing up for a lab section, as we only allow excused absences under very limited circumstances.

Please note: The first thing the system will check when promoting names off of the wait list is proper enrollment in both BC2011/BC2012. If you do not appear on both waiting lists (BC2011 and BC2012) on the same day, you will never be admitted to the course!

If you have any questions:
Please don't hesitate to ASK the laboratory director, Dr. J (jalexand@barnard.edu). Please do NOT contact Prof. Rachel Austin (the primary instructor in the course) with questions about laboratory placement, as she will be unable to assist you.

See you in lab!
Best,
Dr. J


FAQ:

Q:  What if I want to change lab/recitation sections after successfully registering?

A:  Please be aware that all sections of lab are full to capacity. We sympathize with the fact that many of you will adjust your programs after pre-enrollment, but the size of this course and the fact that we start the first day of class severely limits our ability to accommodate section changes. Students attempting to add BC2001x will receive priority in lab sections over students attempting to change sections.

Q:  Okay but what if I really, really want or need to change sections?

A: If you registered correctly for the course, you should already be enrolled in BC2001/BC2011/BC2012. To attempt to change sections of lab, you should enroll in the section of BC2011 recitation on the day you would like to switch to, and attempt to add the desired section of BC2012 lab. If there is space in the lab, you will be automatically added. If not, you will go onto the wait list. Do not drop your current sections of recitation and laboratory unless/until you receive confirmation from the system that your new section of BC2012 is approved.

Once you receive confirmation, either immediate or otherwise, that you have successfully added the new section of BC2012 you should immediately drop the old sections of BC2011 and BC2012.  Other waitlisted students will thank you.

Have a look at English BC3105 Fiction and Personal Narrative!

There are still seats in English BC3105 Fiction and Personal Narrative, which is a course earmarked for first-year students and that requires special sign-up! 

To secure a seat in this class, please contact njudelson@barnard.edu or tszell@barnard.edu ASAP!

Aug 31 - Sep 1: Registration for Entering First-Year Students

You should by now have met with your Orientation Adviser and received permission to register.

Didn't meet with an adviser or just need more advice?  The deans will have walk-in hours from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm  -- come early and bring something to read in case you have to wait.  We'll get to you as soon as we can!  As a reminder, you can always see weekly walk-in hours and schedule appointments with Dean Grabiner and many other deans via https://www.barnard.edu/dos/about/deans

If you have met with your adviser and received permission to register, you will be able to register online via myBarnard/Student Planning.  

1. Log on to myBarnard/Student Planning at the start of your first assigned registration appointment time on Aug 31 and click "Register Now."  
2. Ideally, all your planned courses will turn green, indicating that you have successfully registered.  
3. If you're told a class is full and asked if you want to join a waiting list, click YES.  (Note that you can join no more than 3 waiting lists at once).
4. If necessary, add a "Plan B" option if you're waitlisted for many classes.  

Reminder About Waiting Lists:  many courses will initially waitlist you as a way to prioritize first-year students.  

Guest Blog Post: Chemical Problem Solving

Are you considering taking General Chemistry (CHEM BC2001) this fall? Are you wondering about your level of preparation? 

You may want to consider enrolling in CHEM BC1003, Chemical Problem Solving. This is a one-credit course that meets weekly to reinforce fundamental chemical concepts and approaches to analytical problem solving. Particular emphasis is placed on the mathematical and quantitative reasoning skills essential for success in CHEM BC2001, General Chemistry. Class will be led in a workshop style and enrollment will be no more than 15 students per section. The course will be offered at the following times this Fall:

Section 01: Tuesdays, 8:40 AM – 9:55 AM
Section 02: Tuesdays, 6:10 PM – 7:25 PM
Section 03: Thursdays, 8:40 AM – 9:55 AM
Section 04: Thursdays, 6:10 PM – 7:25 PM

If you are interested in this course, please complete this form! The form asks for some general information regarding your high school experience and also includes ten analytical problems. The questions do not require prior knowledge of chemistry. Your responses will help us provide you with the best guidance regarding your chemical coursework. We anticipate the form to take about 30 minutes to complete, but you can take as long as you need. The use of a calculator or any outside resource is not permitted. The form must be submitted by Friday, August 31st, to be considered for enrollment in Chemical Problem Solving.

Please note the following:
Students enrolled in Chemical Problem Solving (CHEM BC1003) must also be enrolled in General Chemistry (CHEM BC2001).
Chemical Problem Solving is not an appropriate course for students who have completed AP or IB Chemistry (or the equivalent).

Email course instructors Prof. Dina Merrer (dmerrer@barnard.edu) or Prof. Marisa Buzzeo (mbuzzeo@barnard.edu) with any questions.

We look forward to seeing you on campus!

FAQ: Student Employment

Hi there!

So one common source of sheer mystification I had coming in to my first year (and second. And third) was how I was going to find a job or make money to support myself throughout the year! I know that many you must have similar concerns about working while at Barnard, so the Office of the First-Year Dean has decided to team up with Student Employment to shed a little light on campus resources and hopefully answer some of your questions in this FAQ!

Q: Should I work during college? Wouldn’t it be more useful to just focus on my studies? 
A: IMO, yes. I have had a job every semester that I have attended Barnard. Because, lets face it, when Biggie said "Mo money mo problems", he wasn't referring to the life of a college student. The price of books, homework codes (sometimes you have to pay for class codes which give you access to course materials like homework and practice problems/exams), food, refilling your metrocard, and laundry, on top of many other things and having a social life contributed to it being dang near impossible for me to go without a steady income. NYC is very expensive, and so is living away from your parents! (Side note: Dont stress too much about books for class, we'll cover to save money on textbooks in an upcoming post!)

In addition to providing me with money during the year, working while in college also gives me a lot of great experience to put on my resume for after I graduate, and that really is the end goal here. You may think that working would be too much of a distraction while trying to focus on classes, but studies show that students who work part time have slightly higher GPAs than their unemployed counterparts, in addition to helping you be more structured and focused! If you still have some reservations and can afford to wait, take a semester or two to see what college life is like before getting one!

Q: Okay all this delivery is quickly depleting my money. But how do I even find a job? 
A: There are many resources out there, like LinkedIn and Indeed, who are great, but I would HIGHLY recommend using Handshake and BarnardWorks as it is specifically for students here, and includes jobs that will be more geared towards providing employable skills and flexible hours for students. On BarnardWorks, they have a range of listings including: On Campus jobs, Off Campus jobs, Paid and Unpaid Internships, and many others! You can also look at Handshake for many listings for internships and off campus work! Plus, both sites save a lot of your details so that you don't have to keep inputting them, because that gets VERY tiresome after like the third job. (Side note: If BarnardWorks won’t allow you to sign-on, that that means that you need to get your social security number to the Barnard College Registrar’s Office asap, so get on that and then you can get to job hunting!)

Q: What if I want to work, but my schedule is so crazy that I don't think that I’ll have time for a traditional work schedule? 
A: An amazing opportunity for us is the Barnard Bartending and the Barnard Babysitting Agencies! They are both client based jobs, so you can choose to work whenever you want to! And it is especially useful that many jobs are weekend/evenings/nights, on a one-time basis, pay pretty well (bartending is $20/hr minimum, babysitting $15/hr minimum), and its very beneficial to our lifestyles. Babysitting is super quick and easy to sign-up for, as you only need to print, sign, and return the Barnard Babysitting Rules Acknowledgement Form to studentemployment@barnard.edu. Bartending is a bit more involved, as you need to attend training (which costs $25) and pass the bartending exam, practicals and TIPS training in order to be eligible.

Q: I got my financial aid packet back and they said I was eligible for Federal Work Study, but I have no clue what that is or where to find a work study job! 
A: Federal Work Study (FWS) and Barnard College Jobs (BCJ) are both types of aid that allow you to work in locations on campus like at sports games as attendants or concessions, at libraries, in academic departments, student services departments, and many others. With FWS, you are also able to work at Columbia, off campus, or in community service jobs. With BCJ you can work on the Barnard College Campus only. You can find these jobs on BarnardWorks!



Q: What's a resume/cover letter, and how do I even begin writing one?? 
A: You're in luck! Beyond Barnard has info on resumes, cover letters, offers tips on conducting a job search, and many more valuable resources! Starting in the fall, they will also have a dedicated staff of Peer Career Advisers that you can contact about resume and cover letter advice and rewriting, so be on the lookout for that.

Q: My resume is looking like I'm only going to need a postcard at most. Where can I find volunteer positions to help add to it? 
A:  Beyond Barnard offers many different civic engagement opportunities throughout the city! Plans for the 2018-2019 academic year include, but are not limited to, serving with community partners in the Morningside Heights and Harlem areas. Civic engagement at Barnard includes service, attendance at panel discussions hosted by community leaders, civic engagement site visits, campus-wide days of service, and much more! If you want to engage with your new community, the Beyond Barnard staff can help you explore a broad range of volunteer opportunities in a variety of fields.

Student Job Placement:

So this year, Beyond Barnard has started an new initiative of placing eligible FWS and BCJ students in jobs! If you qualify for this aid and have completed all required financial aid paperwork, you should have received an email with a questionnaire to fill out so that you can be considered for job placement in a job on-campus. As many of you as possible will be placed in entry level, office jobs in various locations around Barnard, with you hearing back on or before the first two weeks of classes. These placements will be on-going, so if you don’t hear back within that time frame, don’t sweat! This program massively minimizes the effort you need to do on your part time find a job, and like many new programs there will need to be some on and off campus adjustment, so have a little patience while they work through these new processes all across campus for you!

 I can’t cover all of the amazing work that Beyond Barnard does, so here’s Cindy Meekins of Beyond Barnard to give you a bit more guidance:

Beyond Barnard is a new unit that is comprised of career development, student employment, professional schools support, fellowships, internships, externships, civic engagement and unpaid internship funding opportunities, which is staffed with a team of 19 professionals, who are here to help you create your own pathways to success. We engage with campus and community partners, employers, and for-profit and non-profit companies, agencies and organizations, to provide access for you to explore your interests and to help you gain valuable skills. Our aim is to help you with your entire career exploration goals, which include creating a new resume and getting a part-time job, to affording you internship and externship opportunities, to helping you determine and create your own pathway to success beyond the gates of Barnard. 

I hope this helped! If you need more assistance or want to talk to someone, you can always contact me at first-year@barnard.edu or Cindy Meekins, Director for Experiential Education, Zena Jones, Coordinator for Internships, and Bruce Ross, Assistant to the Director, in Beyond Barnard are be more than happy to hear from you! They can be reached at 212.854.2033 or at studentemployment@barnard.edu.

NSOP Language Placement Test Information

Now that NSOP is just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about what, if any, language placement tests you’d like to take. We’ve gathered the information for some of the most highly requested language placement tests from y’all and listed all the details you need to know down below.

The Student Side: Course Planning and Advisor Meetings

During the Summer Registration periods, you registered for a First-Year Writing or First-Year Seminar and maybe a P.E. class. Now it’s time to craft the rest of your schedule. You know how to find, add, and register for courses on your schedule, but now what? How the heck do you pick other classes? When do you meet with an adviser? What if you don’t know what you want to major in? How many classes do you pick?

Image of me picking classes as a first-year, colorized, 2016.

The Student Side: Move-In, Dorm Decorations, and What to Bring to College

Room assignments have been posted and we’re sure many of y’all have already begun to plan your dorm decorations and what you’ll be bringing to college. It really is super exciting to plan your dorm room.

We’ve moved in and decorated dorm rooms a few times now, and we’re here to impart some knowledge about the move-in process, dorm room decorating, and what to bring to college.

The Student Side: Be Like State Farm (AKA Be a Good Neighbor)

Beyond your room, you’ll also be living on a floor with other people. You’ll share bathrooms, a floor lounge, and a laundry room with your floor mates. Let’s talk about proper etiquette and how to be respectful of these shared spaces:

The Student Side: Being a Good Roommate

In college, you’ll spend a lot of time in the dorms. It doesn’t matter if you live on campus or not, you’ll most likely be hanging out friends, studying, and going to events in the dorm buildings. So let’s talk about how to be the friendly roommate, floor mate, and neighbor that Mr. Rogers always wanted you to be.

(more after the break)

Warning: Email Scams, Spam, "Phishing," and Viruses

Several students have reported receiving an email that appears to contain a job offer.  Even if it appears to come from a friend of yours, be skeptical of any such emails!

Some tips to avoid accidentally opening and sharing malicious or fraudulent emails:

Not expecting an attachment? Don't open it -- ask first! Curiosity is understandable but risky.

Already opened it?  Contact Student Computing ASAP for advice and assistance.

Got something that seems too good to be true (job offer, free money, etc.)?  It probably is.

Someone asking you something that seems weird (password, bank account, social security number)?  Be wary of phishing emails that ask you for personal information. Remember that neither Barnard nor Columbia (nor, for that matter, any reputable business or organization) will ever ask you to provide your login, password or Social Security Number in an email. DO NOT REPLY to any mail that does ask for such personal information. If you have questions about any email that you receive which asks for such information, please email Student Computing.

Application Due Tomorrow: Research Apprenticeship Seminar

Applications for the Research Apprenticeship Seminar are due TOMORROW, 9/25, by 9:00 AM Eastern Time. Don't miss your chance to be in this exciting first-year only seminar!

To find out more info on the course and get some thoughts on the course from a student who took the course, click here. 

If you're interested in applying for the Research Apprenticeship Seminar here's how to do it:
1.  Log into myBarnard/gBear
2.  Click this link for the Google Form:  https://goo.gl/forms/3qLgfSgEVSokeQY93
3.  Fill out the form, which will ask you for your name and a brief statement of interest (250 words maximum), explaining why you want to take this class and why you think you would be a good candidate for it. The deadline to submit this form is 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25.

Summer Registration Closes TODAY

Summer registration closes today at 4:30 PM Eastern Time! Please make sure that you have registered for your First-Year Experience Courses: First-Year Writing, First-Year Seminar and P.E.

A few quick reminders and announcements about summer registration:

• All P.E. classes are currently full. If you did not register for a P.E. course, you can take a dance course in the fall, take a dance course or P.E. course in the spring, or play a varsity sport in order to fulfill the P.E. requirement.
• You'll be able to register for a dance course starting on August 31st, along with all other non-FYE courses
• While there will be a second Summer Registration week in August for last minute registration, it's best if you register for your First-Year Writing/Seminar course today. After the August Summer Registration, your First-Year Writing/Seminar courses are fixed and cannot be changed or dropped from your schedule.
• First-Year Writing, First-Year Seminar, and P.E. courses do not take waiting lists.

If you're having any problems registering, please call the Office of the Dean of Studies at 212-854-2024 or email first-year@barnard.edu

Guest Blog Post: Thoughts on the Research Apprenticeship Seminar from Jenna Bergmann, '18

There's some exciting additional information about the Research Apprenticeship Seminar! This year, Beyond Barnard is partnering with the class to match each student in the course with a Barnard alumnae to visit and talk with about a career in science and research. Additionally, Beyond Barnard will visit the class throughout the year to offer advising and internship information about careers in science.
Continue reading to learn thoughts on the Research Apprenticeship Seminar from Jenna Bergmann, '18: Personally, I had already done research in high school when I applied for RAS and was excited for the chance to talk about careers in research and working in Barnard labs. I was sure that I wanted to do research in college, but as a pre-med student, I didn't know whether I wanted research to be a part of my career beyond that. I loved the class days when we discussed different careers in science, talked about how to read scientific papers, and learning about the different paths you can take to get there, as well as receiving advice on how to reach out to potential research mentors. Shadowing in Barnard labs was perhaps the most influential experience of the course for me, as I ended up doing research in both of the labs that I shadowed in. It was through working with those mentors that I came to my decision to pursue an MD/PhD and continue with research as a part of my career.


Whenever prospective students ask me about research opportunities for first-years, I am so excited for a chance to talk about the Research Apprenticeship Seminar (RAS). While it's not unheard of for first-years to begin working in labs, RAS is a great chance to get their feet wet in what it means to do research in college and beyond.
Other members of my class, however, really enjoyed the class even if they didn't go on to pursue science as a career or even as a major. Interest in scientific research does not have to mean a career in research, and my RAS class was enriched by Barnard first-years who went on to pursue arts and humanities but still benefited from the class. Discussing science in the news and having debates on topics ranging from vaccination to genome editing allows first-years enrolled in intro science classes to put what their learning in a more relatable context and to understand how scientific research plays a role in society. We also did presentations on scientists of our choosing and on science in the news, allowing me to work on my presentation skills in college in a low-pressure environment. The Research Apprenticeship Seminar gave me a network of fellow Barnard students who were interested in learning about science on several different levels. It broadened my interest in the field of research and the role of science in society, it gave me practical skills for research and other classes, and it gave me the confidence I needed to continue my pursuit of research at Barnard and beyond.

Jenna graduated this past spring with a double major in biology and classics. She currently works as a research technician at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

If you're interested in applying for the Research Apprenticeship Seminar:
1.  Log into myBarnard/gBear
2.  Click this link for the Google Form:  https://goo.gl/forms/3qLgfSgEVSokeQY93
3.  Fill out the form, which will ask you for your name and a brief statement of interest (250 words maximum), explaining why you want to take this class and why you think you would be a good candidate for it. The deadline to submit this form is 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25.

FY Writing or FY Seminars full? Try again later today, or tomorrow

Students who may have double-registered for FYS/FYW classes are now dropping extra sections as directed.  Some may be switching among sections their preferences may have changed overnight.

This means that more space is becoming available in these classes, so please check again later today or tomorrow if you weren't able to get into a FYW/FYS class during your registration time yesterday.  

Still can't find one?  Call the First-Year Dean's Office at 212-854-2024.

IMPORTANT: Please drop "extra" sections of FY Seminar or FY Writing ASAP

As a reminder, students may not register for more than one section of FY Seminar or FY Writing. There is simply not enough space to allow this, and it harms your fellow students by making them unable to register for a required course.  

If you are registered for more than one FY Seminar or FY Writing course, please drop all but one as soon as registration reopens at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time Tuesday morning.  

If you are trying to drop an extra FYS or FYW class and receive an error message, please contact the Registrar ASAP at 212-854-2011.

If you are still registered for multiple sections of FY Seminar or FY Writing at 12 noon on Tuesday, July 17, the registrar will arbitrarily drop all but one from your schedule -- take care of this yourself ASAP if you want to have a choice in this matter.  

Registration Notes: GREEN is GOOD

Several of you have asked how to tell if you have successfully registered:

For First-Year Experience (FY Writing, FY Seminar, Barnard-taught PE) Courses:

If a class appears on your schedule or List of Courses in GREEN, then you have successfully registered for it.

This is true even if it says "This section is full."  Do NOT drop a green section due to concerns about it being full. If the course is GREEN, then you are among the students that is making this class full.  

If a First-Year Experience course that you have attempted to add appears on your schedule or list of courses in RED with a red border on your schedule AND says it is full on your list of courses:

Then this class is full and cannot be added at this time. Barnard First-Year Experience Courses do not have waiting lists. If your preferred class is full, you should add another section or a different course instead, but you may check back later to see if space becomes available. 









For all other, non-FY-Experience Courses:
Remember: only FYE courses will be fully registered this week.  All other courses will remain in the "planned" stage on your record until the Sept. 1-2 registration period for entering first-year students.  

Note: the info directly under the course number shows your personal status in the class.  The info under "Meeting Information" is about the class as a whole.  In the example pictured at left: you are planned, and the class has a waitlist.  

Registration Issues (UPDATE)

UPDATE: REGISTRATION IS NOW FIXED. If your registration appointment has passed, you'll be able to log on and register. Registration appointments will continue on as normal for the rest of the day.

We're aware that there's registration issues at the moment. These issues are affecting everyone so no one is able to register. We'll being posting updates here and on the Facebook group about what's going on and next-steps for registration.

Last Minute Registration Reminders

Here are some last minute registration reminders to help Summer Registration on Monday go as smooth as possible!

• All registration times are listed in Eastern Time

• You're only registering for a First-Year Writing/First-Year Seminar course on Monday (and a Barnard P.E. course if you want to take P.E. in the fall). You'll register for all other courses during NSOP.

• If you're planning on taking dance as your P.E. course, you can't register for it until NSOP

• The 15 credit "Full-Time Billing" course listed on your schedule is a tuition place-holder for billing purposes. Don't worry about it and don't remove it from your schedule!

• Make sure you have courses planned on your schedule before you register for them!

• Please review the tutorials on adding and registering for classes
• Review this handy post with links to a bunch of other important posts!

If you have any problems on Monday during registration, CALL US at 212-854-2024. It's faster than emailing and we can help you quicker.