Activities & Events

Midday Break

“The midday activities gave us the opportunity to meet students from other classes and to participate in fun activities like crafts, service work, and games.” Caitlyn Nora Cole, 2012

Recreational activities are offered every day during the break between the morning and afternoon class. These include:

• Outdoor sports
• Arts and crafts activities
• Board games and video games
• Trips to local restaurants and places of interest such as the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Riverside Park, and Grant's Tomb, all just blocks away from the campus
• Panels on applying to college and topical issues
• Community outreach projects.

Community outreach projects have included volunteering in local soup kitchens, visiting elderly people in the neighborhood, public park clean-ups, and on-campus food and clothing drives.

Students are expected to cover expenses for trips to restaurants and local attractions.

“The lunch clubs are very interesting and motivating. They provided me with opportunities to communicate with college students and discuss things we are all concerned about.”From a 2012 Student Program Evaluation

Other options for the midday period include:

• Using Columbia's extensive physical fitness center
• Studying in the university's many libraries and computer labs
• Sampling the neighborhood's cafés and inexpensive restaurants
• Relaxing, socializing, and enjoying the sunshine on Columbia's beautiful campus

Please note that students in the creative writing curricular options who choose to participate in a creative writing elective will not be able to participate in Midday Activities as the electives meet during the midday break.

Special Events

College Application, College Admission, College Selection Session
(Both sessions)
Admissions officers from Columbia Undergraduate Admissions lead an extensive and interactive session on selecting and applying to college, the admissions process, and financing a college education. The focus is on applying to Columbia. Students are required to attend this session.

Barnard College Campus Tours and Information Sessions
(Both sessions)
Located across the street from the Columbia campus, Barnard is an independent liberal arts college for women, which, in an historical partnership with Columbia, is also a college of the University.

The College Fair
(Session II only)
The College Fair, hosted by Columbia College, is scheduled during the first week of Session II. The fair is held in Lerner Hall’s spacious Roone Arledge Auditorium, where alumni, admissions officers, current students from over one hundred colleges and universities, and representatives from the Princeton Review and Kaplan are on hand to answer questions and provide information and literature. Summer Program students have the opportunity to visit the fair during the midday break or after classes. The College Fair is open to the public, so Session I students who are in the area are welcome to attend.

Course-Specific Activities

Instructors may schedule course-related programs and field trips. If the activities do not take place during normal class hours, attendance is encouraged but optional.

Evening and Weekend Activities for Residential Students

Several recreational options for residential students are offered every evening and weekend day. Further information about these activities can be found here.