Hey First Years!
Congratulations and welcome to Barnard! Riya and I, Becca, are the two student workers for the First-Year Team at the Dean’s Office of Advising and Support. We'll be regularly posting and updating you guys on lots of information and fun stuff from the Dean’s office AND lots of other resources on campus as the year goes on! Allow us to introduce ourselves! :)
My name is Rebecca Sidi (you can call me Becca), I’m a rising sophomore, and I’m one of the student workers for the First-Year Team at the Dean’s Office! I grew up in NYC in Manhattan (specifically the Upper West Side) and I’m currently a non-Residential student with a 10-20 minute commute to campus. I love hanging out around the city with my friends, specifically exploring different restaurants and bites to eat! I love to draw and paint, listen to music, and going on walks in Riverside Park and Central Park! I plan to major in Chemistry with a minor in philosophy, and I’m really interested in exploring research opportunities at Barnard. I’m also currently an illustrator for the Columbia Undergraduate Medical Review.
My name is Riya Rao, I’m a rising junior and I’m the second student worker for the First-Year Team at the Dean’s Office! I am so excited to meet and work with you all. Some information about me: I was born in India, and grew up in Hong Kong. So… just a little far out from The Big Apple. I love hosting movie nights with my friends in our little Plimpton dorm, colouring, and exploring the city by trying new restaurants! So far, I’ve found Chinatown to have the best eats. I am planning on majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior with a minor in Economics. Outside of class you can find me planning Diwali and Holi with the Hindu Students Organization, writing articles for the Columbia Science Review and doing research at the Biomedical Engineering Centre over at Mudd.
We were in the same exact position as you are now, and we know very well how the college transition period can feel like a lot. It can be stressful, exciting, scary, confusing, and more. We’re here as a key resource to help you throughout your first year and to reassure you that anything you may think and feel is valid! For absolutely ANY questions or concerns, you can reach out to the First-Year team via email at first-year@barnard.edu or via Instagram at @barnardfirstyear. If you have questions for either of us personally, you can reach out to Becca at ras2357@barnard.edu or to Riya at rr3577@barnard.edu. We'll also be posting walk-in hours in the future, so be on the lookout for that!
We’re so excited to have you on campus!
