đđ Dispatch #01
What's been up since 8/3: News on our launch, our Instagram, and recruiting for our team
đŹ From the Columbia Connect Community
With an overwhelming number of sign-ups in just a few days, Columbia Connect is on đ„ and ready to start the party. Our team has been hard at work matching you and creating groups based on your preferences. We hope youâre as excited as we are for the upcoming year, filled with bonding sessions and virtual happy hours! đ„ł
If you havenât signed up yet, donât worry! There is still plenty of time. Our matching form will be open till the end of September. Weâve already matched the first 100 students and group bonding is underway. Hang tight and we promise weâll get to every one of you.
â Our Tip of the Week
As if your first year in a brand new environment wasnât daunting enough, a global pandemic in the mix doesnât really make things better. Fear not! Us upperclassmen will give you some real advice for life at Columbia each week. Look out for tips on decoding slang at CU, which dining hall is the best at which hour (it varies!), secret spots on campus that will make you an expert in no time - even if youâre attending college virtually - and more!
Tip #01: [Academic đ] We know, youâre excited to register for classes and are envisioning how your first ever college lecture will be like. Have you heard of CULPA yet? Itâs a platform where students post candid reviews about the professors theyâve taken classes with. CULPA will soon be an essential when youâre picking classes next time. Go ahead and check it out at culpa.info. Keep an eye out for profs that have gold/silver nuggets on the platform
Bonus tip: [Social đ] Our favorite study spot on campus is the library affectionately referred to as âNocoâ (North Campus). Itâs officially called the âScience and Engineering Libraryâ but no one, literally NO ONE, calls it that. So if you want to blend in and sound like a youâve been at CU for longer than one week, call it Noco. Oh, and study spots fill up quickly here because of the beautiful natural light - the best time to go is in the early morning/during dinner hours.
đ Upcoming Events
Look out for our Happy Hour events here. Weâre planning on having movie nights, themed conversations, game nights (but, like, actual fun games to learn more about each other), and more. More to come in next weekâs newsletter!
đ„Our first SOCIAL is THIS SUNDAY, August 16th - so mark your calendars! If youâre an incoming first year who has filled out the matching form, look out from an invitation from us in a few days! Weâll be in touch with the exact time, the link and the secret code. If youâre not a first year⊠well, we hope to eventually expand to other years too.
If you have an event that you would like to host and that you think our community would love, share it with us! Write to us at columbiaconnects@gmail.com with the subject line âEvent Suggestionâ and a description of what you have in mind.
đ Student Spotlight
Columbia Connect has one aim: to bring you closer to each other and to make sure that the coming academic year is actually FUN for you guys. Every week, we will feature one student, some fun facts about them, and how you can connect with them. Go ahead and message them if you want to grab a meal with them, go on a walk together, or just say hi! Want to be featured next? Send us a blurb thatâs roughly in the format below (feel free to be creative) to columbiaconnects@gmail.com with the subject line âStudent Spotlightâ.
Meet Wangechi (pronounced wa-nge-shi, pronouns: she/her), an incoming freshman at SEAS hoping to major in Computer Science.
Yes, our first student spotlight is a member of our team. We really couldnât have done this without her and we think that sheâs great; weâre sure that you guys will too.
Aspirations: Software developer at the Silicon Savannah and Rich Auntie
Motivations: Mobile web and android development, tech community involvement, natural hair enthusiasts, and chocolate and junk food
Frustrations: Refreshes her Twitter timeline way too many times in a day and has a vast collection of unused hair masques and oils
Random tidbit: Religiously (almost) drinks her 8 glasses of water daily
Currently on repeat: Jaguar - Victoria Monet
đ¶ Certified ChĂŒnes
(GIF credit: tenor)
Every week, weâll add your current favorite songs to our Spotify playlist. We donât know about you, but weâre bored with our music and would love to hear what you guys are loving to listen to at the moment. Itâs collaborative, so feel free to add to it!
đą Announcements
Weâre recruiting for our team!
Columbia Connect Ambassadors
Weâre looking for outgoing students (regardless of class year) interested in leading group bonding sessions. The time commitment would be around one to three hours per week. Let us know if youâre free to chat with one of our team members for 15 minutes sometime this week. If youâre interested, write to us with the subject line âColumbia Connect Ambassadorâ with your preferred time commitment and motivation for joining!
Happy Hour Host
Have an instrument you play? A topic youâre passionate about? An essay or trend you want to discuss? A pet you want to show off? A painting you painted? A dish you prepared? ANYTHING? Please write to us! Weâre planning to launch Happy Hour soon and are looking for students interested in hosting a themed evening. Weâre honestly open to all kinds of ideas, no matter how wacky/niche they might be. If youâre interested, fill out the form below!
If you liked our newsletter, feel free to share it with your wisest/most-respected friends.
For any questions or feedback (we would also love to know about any additional segments youâd like to see in our newsletter) contact us here or write to us at columbiaconnects@gmail.com