Meet Our Students

The Core Curriculum: "After taking both Art Humanities and Music Humanities, I find myself more curious and observant. I walk on the street and look closely at what I see in a way that I never did before. I walk into museums and may stay in one room for an hour. I hear music and listen for its component parts. These classes have given me a framework to better appreciate the world I interact with."

In the world's greatest city: "Exploring NYC is an activity I do on a weekly basis. My friends and I get on the 1 train and get off at a random stop to try new foods, explore the area or see who we might meet. We have made some phenomenal memories and get to know the city a lot more!"

Learning beyond the classroom: "This summer, I conducted independent research in development economics through the Laidlaw Fellowship. I found this opportunity through the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Office, and I was aided along the application by friendly and supportive URF staff. I've felt incredibly lucky to get to work closely with a professor, hone my leadership skills and work on a project on my own terms!"

Columbia campus traditions: "My favorite extracurricular is Columbia Undergraduate Film Productions. I found this organization at the Activities Fair during my first year, and it is one of the greatest discoveries I've made. CUFP sponsors student run short films yearly, and we have a film festival for all of the shorts every spring."

Learning beyond the classroom: "This summer I was an intern at the National Endowment for the Humanities in the Office of Congressional Affairs. It was our job to inform officials of the vital work NEH does in democratizing the humanities through classrooms, curricula, museums and public programs. I’m not sure I would have gotten the position had I not done interview prep with advisers at the Center for Career Education."

Learning beyond the classroom: "Last year, I had an internship with ConEdison in New York City, where I was an Energy Monitoring Intern. During this time, I surveyed different buildings to check that their technologies were up-to-date and running efficiently to ensure that energy was not being wasted. I was able to get this opportunity through the Mechanical Engineering Department at Columbia."

Learning beyond the classroom: "Last summer, I participated in Columbia's Summer Internship Program in Psychological Science (SIPPS), which combined weekly workshops with mentored research projects. I didn't have any lab experience beforehand, but I still got to host tons of data collection sessions, assist with fMRI scans, and successfully make my own poster presentation at the end. I'm still working with the lab today!"

The Core Curriculum: "Through the Core Curriculum, I feel like more of a well rounded individual. It has allowed me to explore so many academic disciplines that I probably never would have tried on my own. Benjamin VanWagoner is my favorite professor at Columbia. He made Literature Humanities so much fun and was able to take us on many field trips to connect what we learned in the classroom to living in NYC!"

The Core Curriculum: "My favorite experiences with the Core Curriculum are always the ones where professors prioritize interacting with New York. My Literature Humanities class not only took a class trip to the Met and saw Oklahoma! on Broadway, but our professor also took us to one of her favorite restaurants for a class meal."

A college town in NYC: "Columbia’s campus is an oasis in the city. When you’re in the center of campus, it can be super quiet. You're not surrounded by the buzz of the city, which can be very comforting. My favorite thing to do in Morningside Heights is visit the parks, especially when dogs are able to run free in the morning. It’s always a boost being surrounded by fluffy dogs and greenery!"

Wide-ranging academic inquiry: "My favorite class has been my Indigenous Theater, Performance and Politics course. In this course we studied how Indigenous peoples have expressed themselves through art and in what ways they've resisted modes of colonialism. This class stuck with because of the material we covered, which included a variety of Indigenous artists I have never heard of before."

A residential campus in NYC: "I currently live in Carlton Arms, which is a suite-style residence hall. It truly feels like a home. Every morning, I wake up and am greeted by my friends in our living room, and we'll go about our morning routines. It's very domestic and cozy, and it brings me great happiness."

In the world's greatest city: "My favorite thing to do in New York City is grab an iced coffee and a bagel, go to a museum (especially one of the many free museums Columbia has access to), then go thrift shopping. There are endless opportunities to try something new when living in New York City."