Barnard College Top Questions

Popular groups on campus - SGA, LGBTQ, BWOG, Spectator, sports teams, Columbia dems, Greek life. Athletic events aren't popular, except for rugby, football, and basketball. There are always interesting guest speakers at Barnard or Columbia, people are sometimes with other commitments to go to them, but they are definitely talked about. Theater and dance are very popular at Barnard. Dating is what you make of it. Want to date? you can find dates. Want to hook up? you can find those to. Its harder if you aren't willing to look outside of Columbia's campus. Girls at barnard have been getting really into sororities - which I'm not really into, but they can be fun if you want that sortof thing. Most people who go out (at least freshmen year) hangout at the bars/frats around campus. If you are more adventurous and would like to explore New York at night, you will definitely be able t o find other friends who are willing to go with you, but maybe not very many (again, at least freshmen year). If you don't drink, you can do whatever you want. Explore new york, study, go to a performance, whatever. Off campus there is the best city in this country - if you can't find something to do its your own fault. People generally go out Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Some people go out on weeknights, but its definitely a sporadic, not a regular, thing.

dorms are nice here. that's a fact. i met my closest friends through dorm life and through the orientation group but also in classes. sororities are pretty prevalent but i avoid those so i don't know much about them. people party plenty but get enough studying done at the same time. there are a lot of jazz clubs around which is a nice thing to do when you don't want to get wasted. the steps and the grassy spots on columbia campus are beautiful hang out spots in the summer time.

People always, always lock their dorm doors. Athletic events get hardly no recognition. Theater is rather popular. I am not awake at 2 AM on a Tuesday. Before mid-terms there is a "midnight breakfast" served by all of the Deans. Before finals there is a sub sandwich that spans the entire length of the campus (seriously). Barnard girls are not really into partying (at least not on Barnard's campus)--hardly anyone has alchohol or drugs in their dorm. If you want to do that kind of thing, everyone heads to Columbia on a Friday night, etc. Throughout the whole year, only one person got sick in the bathrooms on my floor. Off campus: visit different neighborhoods, Central Park, head down to NYU area/Greenwich Village, Columbus Circle, we get free admission to about 20 different museums (including the Met, MoMA, Guggenheim). Times Square gets very commonplace very quickly!

There are tons of extracurricular activities on campus. Barnard is known big time for Dance. I'm part of a dance team here called Sabor Dance Troupe. It's Columbia's first latin based dance team. There are a bunch of other dance teams like Raw Elementz, Onyx, Bhangra, Orishas (new), Dance team, Taal, etc... Most of the clubs and all the sports are under Columbia University so there is a mixture of Columbia, Barnard, and SEAS (engineering), GS (general studies), and grad students in the clubs. I'll warn you, Columbia is not that great in sports, we have an amazing fencing team, but eveything else not as great :-\ o well atleast we're super smart and will just kick ass in our jobs instead of a field or court. There's always sometihng going on, you're in the city so get out and find something to do. People leave their doors open and there are lounges and kitchens on each floor of the first year residence. Upper classmen have different setups for housing so it varies amongst them. There are fraternities and sororities, they're getting more popular. Some people party a lot, others maybe not so much. Traditions at Barnard are midnight breakfast (administration serves you breakfast and its one huge party in the gym), barnard spirit day, sexhibition, there are many more, but I can't remember/don't know them (I only just completed my freshman year).

I am involved with a Polish club and many other belong to clubs that involve a certain nationality or race. There are also sports clubs, for example I am in a tennis club and we go up to tennis courts once a week and play. There are also all sorts of professional clubs such as Pre-Med or Pre-Law club, Business, Engineering, Architecture Associations, etc. Athletic events are pretty popular. There are always some plays, concerts and shows on campus as well as off campus, and you can even get discounted tickets for Broadway shows, etc. I met my closest friends though the Transfer Alliance as I was a transfer student and I attended their meetings in the beginning of the year. We also got closer to each other when we were taking the same classes and studying together. I also met some great people in clubs I am involved with and I am still friends with them. Some people party on the weekend, mostly Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, some people party more often, some don't party at all. If you are awake at 2 o'clock in the morning, you are probably writing a paper or studying. Each year there is a show that brings all students and they sort of make fun of happenings on campus. There is also student employment week, career fair, clubs/organizations fair.

i mean, hello? we're in one of the best cities in the world. there is something going on every night which often makes it hard to study since the urge to venture out and discover what unforgettable things are just a couple subway stops away is always there. however, it's easy to separate yourself and drown in the academic bubble. there were 5-6 day stretches that i hadn't been on the subway since i was too busy with school work. one big tip: get a fake id. i view it as a pass that allows you to get anywhere in the city. bars, clubs, and some concert halls are off limits unless you have one...& even if it looks pricey, make sure it scans.

many various appealing events

The Spec (the Columbia newspaper) is a HUGE deal. People who work for the spec are extremely intense. The paper is taken very seriously, but we produce a professional daily paper. It's very impressive. Orchesis is the biggest dance group on campus. We put on a show each semester. The show is completely student-run, student-choreographed and obviously student-danced. The show ranges in variety of styles, although more often than not the range is limited to a lot of modern and lyrical. You audition each semester and the commitment can be as large or small as you want, depending on how many pieces you are in. Casting can often be political, but once you edge your way in it is a fantastic experience. The a capella scene is very competitive, but rightfully so. Athletic events are not a big deal. Everyone goes to homecoming in the Fall and Midnight Madness. But really, you are much more likely to have a big turnout at the latest CU Bhangra show or musical production than at a game. Guest speakers, especially when they are high profile, are well-received and frequently on campus. The dating scene is fantastic. There is SO much to do in New York that there are so many different venues to meet people, or to go out with people you meet at school. If I'm awake at 2 am on a Tuesday I'm studying. If I'm awake at 2 am on a Thursday I'm either at the bars or a party. People usually party Thursday-Saturday nights. At least that's when the party scene is most active. There are people who go out on weeknights, but I don't know many of them. Barnard is by no means a party school. We have our fun, but when we do, we go all out in a few nights rather than dragging it along a whole week of same old same old. Fraternities and sororities are not that big a deal. We live in the city!! There is so much to do besides that. Of course, if you want that it is there for the taking, but it is my no means necessary in order to have a social life. I LOVE going to shows. Student rush is the most amazing thing ever! I get to go to Broadway for 25 bucks. It's an awesome evening out and barely costs me. I go off campus a lot. Sometimes I babysit or bartend. I go to Bikram yoga on 72nd street at least once a week. I go to shows whenever I can. I love to visit museums or go running in the park. And when I'm feeling adventurous, I journey down to the village.

I love the little activities Barnard has for the students throughout the year: midnight breakfast before finals, Barnard spirit day barbecue, and other study breaks and little activities. I am not much of a partier, but being in the city, many parties, even cast parties, are forced to be in bars because there is not much room on campus for that kind of thing. This is frustrating because it forces you to either get a fake ID or be left out of a big part of the social scene. I have found friends that do not want to always go our to bars at night so we hang out in the dorms or find other things to do, but living in the city can be frustrating when your under 21 sometimes.

There is a lot of parting at Barnard, but you don't have to participate in it if you don't want to. Most parties take place at bars or Columbia dorms as opposed to Barnard dorms. Occasionally there will be a really big loud party, but that's not normally what has happened in my experience. If you don't want to be drinking on any given weekend night, available activities range from movies to theater to opera to guest speakers or other club hosted events, some of which may be parties, other that may be discussions or performances to just wandering around the city with friends. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge when the weather is nice is a popular night time activity. There are endless possibilities because we are in New York City. The fraternity and sorority scene is there, but not in any way the center or focus of social activities. From what I've seen so far, a lot of the girls who joined sororities early in their college careers have isolated themselves from other social groups. I met most of my closest friends during orientation of shortly thereafter. My best friend is my assigned roommate from freshman year.