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.

Barnard students, especially the freshmans, party alot.

People in sororities are few. There are a good amount of campus activities like plays and student organization parties and events, but mostly the social life at Barnard is Manhattan. Barnard is very academic as is Columbia, so I find that the social life is lacking. If you want a social life, you have to find it outside the college or work hard to establish one on campus.

Most popular groups: (from my perspective): The student councils, the Asian American Alliance and all the groups under that umbrella, the South Asian social, political and dance groups, Political groups in general, religious groups, esp, Hillel and MSA (which I'm involved in), the Student Councils are very active. In the MSA and the SGA we work very hard to serve student interests by plannign unique events (Big Sub-a day where we have one sub go all the way across campus) Midnight breakfast-night before the first day of finals in fall and spring semester the admnistration, including the President and deans serve the student body breakfast form 11pm-1am in the gym. MSA- we have Ramadan meals every week-night, and many students get together for suhoor. If I am awake at 2AM on Tuesday night I am either answering/writing e-mails for things I'm involved with or doing work and maybe chatting depending on whether it's a stressful time period. Many students go to the library and many don't. I've gone down to the lower east side to study on a monday night. ON the week-end, we eat out, sleep, go out in the city, stay on campus on go to the many on-campus events/dinners/parties/observe religious holidays. I met my closest friends through our commonality in religion and MSA and student involvement. In case you haven't noticecd, students are very involved. IN the first year dorms, people are very friendly, and upper classmen dorms tend to be a little more independent, and often people live with/near their friends after first year.

Because Barnard and Columbia share most things (this really is not as confusing as everyone makes it out to be) there are a lot of clubs to choose from. There is everything from culture clubs to an S&M club (I'm so not even kidding). There are also a lot of different community service groups. The two that I'm most involved in are Peer Health Exchange and CU Medical Brigades. PHE is an organization that teaches health education to urban high schools without a health edcuation program, and CU medical brigades organizes a trip to Honduras to help run a local clinic for a week (different colleges across the country rotate in and out of the make shift clinic, so its not as though it just falls apart when we leave). There are guest speakers all the time, you'll get enough fliers to make you crazy. As I mentioned previously, its not as though there's a surplus of boys on campus, but thats not to say they're impossible to find. Just dont expect them to show up at your dorm, you have to make a bit of an effort if you want to meet anyone. Making friends is relatively easy. Most of your friends will be people on your hall. I met almost all of my closest friends simply because I lived near them, but I also met a lot of the people I'm friends with now sort of randomly. There are generally a few parties going on every weekend. I personally find going out and drinking for the sake of drinking to be impossibly boring, so I'm always on the lookout for something more dance-oriented (like any college, alcohol is easy to find, but you'll need a fake if you want anything thats a grade above cat urine). Frats and sororities are kind of prevalent, but unless you're in one, you dont really hear about them at all. They arent a super big deal on campus (you're better off at a place like UVM if thats what you're after). There are about a million movie theaters, as well as museums and broadway shows (Which barnard gives you discounted tickets for, and the seats are sometimes actually really really good). Campus traditions: - midnight breakfast: see previous explanation - orgo night: also the night before exams start, the columbia marching band comes to the quad at 12am and plays music for an hour, and then everyone throws all their notes and papers from the semester out of their windows. it sounds stupid but its the best night of the semester, even if you have an exam at 9 the next morning (speaking from experience) - the big sub: or some witty name involving "sub", I forget what exactly. Basically, a 700 foot sub sandwich is set up on campus, and then starting at 7 we get to eat it. As this is a campus filled with hormonal women, the sub is typically consumed within 10 minutes. - take back the night: a protest to end sexual violence. its a good experience, but also kind of intense - certain dances are held by clubs every year, as well as a number of cultural events and shows and whatnot

Barnard is in and of New York City, providing Barnard students with countless opportunities for culture and nightlife. "Student activities" exist on campus, but for many "student activities" means local bars, performances and other city-specific activities like movies, restaurants, relaxing in any number of parks, etc. For others New York means museums, film festivals, Yankee games, galleries and, of course, shopping. Basically, student activities and social life overflow from campus and into Manhattan. As for campus activities, Barnard students participate equally in all Columbia groups, including athletic teams and all student groups. Dance and a capella groups are popular, as well as religious and political groups. While Columbia competes in the Ivy League, sports are basically a joke-- athletes aren't super stars like they might be at Duke or UNC. Fraternities and sororities are popular in their own circles (Barnard girls an pledge just like Columbia girls) but a small percentage of students actually go Greek, as it really does not dominate the social scene. For the most part no one group or activity dominates the social scene: Barnard and Columbia students tend to be pretty independent and urban-minded, making their weekends look like pretty much whatever they want.

we rarely stay on campus on weekend nights. it's ny, and ny has a lot more to offer than a college campus does, no matter how hard they try. some do stay; there are frats, and other dorms, but generally, the city has more to offer. i feel like there's not much you can do on weekend nights except party, although if you're not into that, you're probably friends with like people, so you don't have to worry. and my friends and i don't go out every night. it is barnard, and academics are important. i've stayed in doing homework on weekend nights. i've also stayed in and just hung out with friends, watching movies or whatever. i like how the school isn't totally into partying, like a lot of other schools are. i like the balance. i like how i don't have to feel weird if i don't feel like partying on a saturday night sometimes.

NEW YORK CITY!!! Make the best of it...

There are lots of options for socializing at Barnard. Lots of students go out to bars on the weekends, sometimes in the neighborhood around campus, sometimes in other parts of the city. If you want do this, it is vital to get a fake ID. If not, you're in New York, and there is, of course, a lot of other stuff to do. It's important to remember, though, that it takes a good deal of effort and exploration and trial-and-error to find YOUR New York, to discover the scene that appeals the most to you. There are also a lot of fun events happening on campus, like student shows and guest speakers. Fraternities and sororities exist, but they're not that popular. I met my closest friends on my freshman year floor. Before going to Barnard, I read in some college guide that the dating scene was competitive, because there are so many more girls than guys. As it turns out, this really is the case. Making friends with guys and finding boyfriends--especially in a casual, sober setting--is not the easiest task, but it can be done.

Activities... Arts is huge on this campus. Dance, theater, music, singing, there are over 50 clubs dedicate to the arts, each with it's own speciality. You can find your niche here. I ended up joining a dance team thats specific to the folk dance of Northwest india. If i can find that, you can find anything. Religious, cultural, politically active groups on campus are huge. As are pro-environment ones. Student government is good. They do a lot of good work, but are still somewhat detached from the students. Social Life.. It's nyc. Enough said. If you dont have a social life here, you wont be able to have one anywhere. I typically go out/downtown 1-2 nights a week, I would stay around campus for parties another 1-2 nights a week. We definitely live the work hard, play harder mentality. If you are worried about meeting boys and dating life at an all-women's college, just stop. Not only is columbia literally right across the street, but it's Manhattan. 3 million men in a 10 mile radius.

Lots of people are involved in community service groups. Other popular orgs are the Columbia Spectator (daily newspaper), the College Democrats, and dance groups. Lots of dancers go to Bnard. Nobody goes to athletic events, but everybody works out. There are lots of cool guest speakers. Lots of Bnard girls date Columbia guys and also guys from other schools (or not) in NYC. My closest friends were my freshman year hallmates. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm probably studying at the library - the Columbia library, Butler, is super intense. On a Wednesday though, I might be at a bar drinking. Got to balance it all. People party at Morningside bars. You'll always find people you know there on weekend nights (Thurs-Sat). There are also dorm parties and frat parties, but the frat scene is pretty small. People also go to bars and clubs downtown. You need a fake ID as a freshman!