So, What Exactly Are Virtual Walk-In Hours?

Hey First Years!!!!

Hey there! We’re super excited to meet you! 😊 Sorry if we got a little carried away with the exclamation marks—we just can’t help it!

In the next couple of weeks, you'll be getting a lot of information, and we totally get that it might feel like a lot to take in. But no worries at all, we’re here to help you through every step of the way!

For now, we just wanted to start by talking about...✨Walk-in Hours✨. 

So, what exactly are walk-in hours for? What kind of questions can you ask? When do they happen? We totally understand if you’re wondering about these things!

Just to clear things up: Walk-in hours are hosted by me (Riya) and Becca on Zoom. We’re the student assistants for the First-Year Dean, and we're here to help with any general or one-off questions you might have. Whether it’s advice or just sharing our own experiences as students, we’re here to lend a hand.

As for when our virtual walk-in hours are...

Becca’s: Monday 3-4:00 P.M., Tuesday 10-11:00 A.M.

Riya’s: Wednesday 8-9:00 P.M., Thursday 9-10:00 A.M.

All the times above are in EST and the zoom links are attached :)

We hope that helped clear things up a bit! 😊 As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us anytime at first-year@barnard.edu—we’re here for you!

Best,

The First-Year Team

FYS, FYW, and FYWW Explained!

 

Hi first-years! Welcome to the much anticipated "FYE, Explained" blog post! Prepare for all your First-Year Experience questions to be answered.

As part of Barnard's Foundations Curriculum, there are 3 required courses Barnard first-years must take. Two of these courses are First-Year Writing (FYW) and First-Year Seminar (FYS) (the third is a physical education class, but we can talk more about that later). You’ll take an FYW class one semester and an FYS class the other semester during your first year at Barnard. These 2 FY required courses (FYW and FYS) are collectively called "First-Year Experience" (FYE).

Let’s Break These Courses Down:

1) First-Year Writing is a writing-intensive course with two options offered:  First-Year Writing: Critical Conversations and First-Year Writing Workshop. So what’s the difference between these options?

1a) First-Year Writing: Critical Conversations are small, discussion-based writing courses that introduce students to academic writing in college. Students read challenging literary texts and critical scholarship, helping to develop fundamental skills in analysis and writing. The critical reading, discussion, and academic writing skills that First-Year Writing focuses on provide a foundation that is useful in every course you will take at Barnard and across disciplines. Each FYW course focuses on a special topic and has a different reading list to reflect the conversations you will have. You can find descriptions of course listings for fall FYW courses here.

1b) First-Year Writing Workshop is similar to First-Year Writing: Critical Conversations as they share the same goals and almost the same syllabus, but there are a few differences. First-Year Writing Workshop is designed for students who feel they would benefit from some extra  support with their critical reading and academic writing skills. It provides additional preparation for students to strengthen their writing in their first year before moving on to higher-level courses. First-Year Writing (FYW) and First-Year Writing Workshop (FYWW) are equally rigorous, and both fulfill your First-Year Writing requirement. However, FYWW courses are slightly smaller than FYW courses; they meet 3 times a week instead of twice a week; and they are worth 4 credits instead of 3 (to account for the extra class time required).  FYWW is only offered in the fall semester while FYW is offered both in the fall semester and spring semester. To request one of the limited spots available in FYWW, make sure to fill out your First-Year Experience Preference Form.

A note about reading lists: every course has a fairly extensive reading list and many will require you to have your own copy of the text. The cost of books for courses can be quite high, but don't let this deter you from signing up for a course. The Barnard Library and FLIP Library provide free copies of course books to borrow for the semester, some readings will be available online for free, and older students often sell their old course books at a low-cost. Later this summer we'll have a post about text-book affordability, but if you have any questions or concerns before then, feel free to email first-year@barnard.edu.

2) First-Year Seminars are courses designed to help ease students into academic life at Barnard. These classes tend to be more discussion-based and have fewer writing assignments. First-Year Seminars fall into two categories: Reacting to the Past and Special Topics. Reacting to the Past (RTTP) is a course designed by Barnard’s very own history professor Mark Carnes. In RTTP you’ll reenact historical events using pertinent texts. In RTTP, you may pose as an ancient Greek philosopher arguing about government, participate in the trial of Anne Hutchinson, or give a speech on labor laws as an activist in early 20th century America. Special topic courses are designed by individual professors and often taken an interdisciplinary approach to ideas like justice, ethics, and liberation. FYS courses are designed to help you think critically and articulate your ideas verbally, skills you’ll definitely need for the rest of your life. See a list of the Fall 2021 FYS offerings here.

So Which One Should You Take in the Fall?

Here’s the deal. Before it comes time to register for First-Year Experience classes later this summer, you’ll be notified if you should register for First-Year Writing: Critical Conversations, First-Year Writing Workshop, or First-Year Seminar. This is done so students are evenly distributed across the 3 different courses and people can be in classes that best benefit them. If you are assigned First-Year Writing Critical Conversations for the fall, you MUST register for a First-Year Writing course and you will be unable to register for a First-Year Writing Workshop or First-Year Seminar course. Remember that you will be assigned to a category of a course, not a specific class itself. You will still need to register for a specific class.

(Confused about registration? Don't worry! That will happen later this summer and we'll make sure you have all the information you need to register and explain the whole process in a few weeks.)

If you want to start working on your writing skills right away, then you should request to take First-Year Writing or First-Year Writing Workshop in the fall. Otherwise, you can take either.

What Do You Need To Do Now?

If you would like to request to be placed in a specific category of courses, please fill out this form. If you do not request a placement, we will randomly assign you. The deadline to request placement is June 14th EST. If you have more questions, this FYE FAQ page may be helpful. 

There are a few things to keep in mind when requesting to be placed in FYE:

Requests are not a guarantee that you’ll be placed in that course. We’ll try our best to honor your request, but it's not always possible. Finally, requesting placement in an FYE course is not registering for a course. Registering for First-Year Writing and Seminar will take place later this summer and a ton more info about that process will be posted soon.

If you have any more questions, please email first-year@barnard.edu.

Best,

The First-Year-Team

Introducing the First-Year Team: Becca and Riya

 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!

A Rundown on Barnard Beginnings 2025!

Hi First-Years!

Yes, that’s you: CLASS OF 2029! We are so excited to welcome you on campus. Before that happens, we hope to provide a run down on most things academic as well as advise you on other aspects of the college experience in preparation for your arrival at Barnard. 

WELCOME TO BARNARD BEGINNINGS!

So what is Barnard Beginnings?

Barnard Beginnings is the umbrella term used to refer to the content delivered by the Dean’s Office for Advising and Support during the summer to help the first-year class transition smoothly to the College. Over the next three months, we will communicate with you frequently via emails, our Blog, our Instagram, and most importantly our First Year Guide volumes to keep you informed of relevant and timely information. This ranges from topics such as class registration to academic and social support to our favorite dining halls. 

 

Who’s on the team?

Our team is comprised of the following:

• Wendy Garay (The First-Year Class Dean & Senior Associate Dean)
• Lauren Quach (Administrative Assistant to the First-Year and Senior Class Deans)
• Rebecca Sidi (you can call me Becca) and Riya Rao (Two Student Assistants to the First-Year Class Dean)

You can expect to hear from us often!

Riya

Rebecca ("Becca")

Lauren

Dean Garay

What other Barnard Beginnings Programming should I expect?

• First-Year Guide Volumes every two weeks

• Q&A’s on our Instagram

• Academic Planning & Registration Sessions

• Department Meetings for Prospective Majors 

• Blog Posts

The above list is not comprehensive but, hopefully, provides a good idea of what to expect!

Where should I go If I have any questions?

We have all been in your shoes and have had dozens of questions on everything related to college. This is why we are all so excited to start working with you. We are here to help! Below are the best ways to reach the first-year team.

Becca and Riya will host virtual walk-in hours over Zoom every week to answer your many questions:

• Becca's Office Hours: MON (3PM-4PM EST) | TUES (10AM-11AM EST)

• Riya's Office Hours: WEDS (8PM-9PM EST) | THURS (9AM-10AM EST)

You can also email the first-year team with your questions at first-year@barnard.edu and we will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Dean Garay will also host a general advising session on Monday, June 9th this summer during which she will discuss all things related to academic planning and registration. Starting Tuesday, June 10th, you will be required to participate in one (1) individual academic advising sessions. Instructions on how to sign up for you 1:1 advising session will be delivered to your Barnard email on June 6.

We will pause here for now. Just know that we are ready to take this journey with you and look forward to meeting you all! 

Best,

The First-Year Team

Physical Education (PE) @ Barnard

Hi First-Years,

As part of your first-year requirements, you are expected to complete the Physical Education (PE) requirement within your first year. This can be fulfilled by enrolling in one Barnard PE class or one Barnard dance class.

Earlier, in Volume 1 of Barnard Beginnings, you filled out the Physical Education Requirement Preference Form by the deadline (June13). Based on your preferences, you’ll be notified via email before July registration about whether you’ve been selected to fulfill the PE requirement in Fall 2025 or Spring 2026.

If you’re selected to fulfill the Physical Education requirement in Fall 2025, be sure to register for your PE or dance class during the July registration period.

The Physical Education department offers a variety of classes, including yoga, body sculpting, pilates, tai chi, strength training, and health coaching. For dance, you can choose from courses in ballet, modern, tap, hip hop, and more.

Click here to view course offerings for Physical Education and here for dance. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to physed@barnard.edu for PE-related inquiries or dance@barnard.edu for dance-related questions.

Best, 

The First-Year Team