Barnard College Top Questions

Barnard is not the best place for a social life, at least in my experience. If you are looking for a campus-oriented/frat party social scene, this is not the place for you. You can't do much in terms of partying without a fake I.D. If you are into cultural things in the city,however, this place is great. New york has so much to offer.

Social life at Barnard takes place mostly off campus with groups of friends. My experience was that there wasn't too much to do on campus, but I did not really make an effort to get involved.

SGA is very popular here--many girls go all out and campaign which keeps a close Barnard community with passionate leaders. Barnard babysitting is very popular as well. It gives students a chance to make money and connect with families in NYC--some jobs are very well payng. Also students join clubs that stand for pride of color, religion, sexual orientation and such. THere are also other groups such as yoga and cooking that girls join. There are tons of clubs and everyone has the chance to join and become a part of something.

Despite being in the middle of New York City, most students pursue drinking and drugs rather than culture; it's quite difficult to find a companion to go to the theatre or opera, and you'll probably come back to find your roommate smoking pot in your room. Musicians-- don't count on being able to find a practice room or especially a piano remotely in tune, even if it is a Steinway. Hillel, at least, is very active and welcoming.

Barnard Social scene can seem a little difficult to break into at first. You know it's there but it is hard to make friends past the acquaintance point because everyone is so busy. It is New York City, after all. As for the party scene? Nonexistent at Barnard. But that doesn't mean that Barnard girls don't party! It's just that most would rather not hang out and party in an all-girls dorm where the alcohol policy is really strict. All the partying takes place on Columbia campus or at local bars and clubs. Which is nice really, it means it's never outside your door when you're trying to sleep or study. And because of the sheer amount of schools in New York City, the dating scene at Barnard is certainly alive. Some people call us the most coed women's college around. You probably wouldn't know it's a women's college just by checking in the cafeteria on a usual weekday. There are so many possibilities here for the weekends. There's clubs and bars downtown, there's parties on campus and if you don't want to party, then that is perfectly fine too! There are lots of non-partiers on campus who feel just fine at home here. There's movie nights on certain floors, and lectures and shows on campus all weekend, every weekend. Besides all that, it is New York City after all, you can basically do anything you want on a weekend! My closest friends live on my floor, and we do a variety of things. We're all good students and study all week, nobody goes out on weekdays here! Last weekend, my friend and I went down to a club friday night, and had a movie night on Saturday night. There is a distinct difference between the bar hoppers from Barnard/Columbia though. We are always smart about how we party. While a lot of girls from other schools might get wasted and go crazy on the dance floor, there is a certain level of maturity expected from Barnard students that is always maintained. Everything in moderation.

There is always a lot going on around here. There are all kinds of clubs at Barnard and Columbia having all kinds of events all the time. Plus there are school-sponsored events like Midnight Breakfast, not to mention lectures, dance performances, plays, and musicals happening pretty much all the time. There are bars and clubs in the neighborhood, and of course downtown Manhattan is just a half-hour away, so if you're into that it's definitely available. And if you're not, there are plenty of events on campus to keep you busy, and then there's everything else happening in Manhattan. Basically, if you're bored there must be something wrong with you.

The frat and heavy drinking scene is only for those who seek it out- the majority of students get involved in a club or group of friends who go out exploring Manhattan and the neighboring borroughs. A great way to meet people who share similar interests is to go to the Club Fair at the beginning of the year and attend the first meeting of any you're interested in. Barnard students don't sleep- if someone's in bed at 2am, it's either because they're deathly ill or they're avoiding someone. Relationships have the typical college shelf life of a few weeks to a couple of months, but hooking up is pretty common. Barnard's College Activities Board always has suggestions as to where to go or what to see, but students usually prefer to hang out on the Lowe Library steps and argue philosophy and whether Snickers Bars are heaven on earth- we're big on debate, and CU is even more so, but we rarely take our arguments seriously.

Popular organization: McAc- the programming arm of the SGA. I'm involved with Shalhevet the Israeli dance troupe--its a great campus to be a dancer on. frats/sors are kind of a joke. everyone goes to a party the week of orientation and that's about it. while people certainly drink its not over the top...my group of friends rarely drinks on saturday.

Typical college institutions, like athletic events and huge frat parties, certainly exist at Barnard, but given our location in New York City, it is more common for students to venture out in the city at all hours of the day and night. And it isn't true that you need loads of money to do anything in the City! There are lots of alternatives for the money-strapped college student. If I'm awake at 2am on Tuesday, I'm probably a.) studying in the huge, Harry Potter-esque Butler libarary, b.) hanging out with friends in someone's room, or c.) at a concert.

Not much campus life or parties. Also, the dating scene is great! There are guys in NYC as well as at Columbia's campus. All of the stuff that people say about a Barnard/Columbia girl rivalry is stuff that I've never heard - I've also never had guys assume that I was a ho/desperate because I went to Barnard. As a matter of fact, most of the time people don't really know which school you go to. However, if you don't make the effort, it is extremely easy to sit alone in your room on the weekend as, unlike other colleges, parties are generally smaller and invite only.