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<li><p>When I think of Barnard, I imagine that all the people who go there are extremey confident of who they are and they’re active in what they believe in…but are there people who are still trying to find themselves? Those who are more timid and laid back? This is one thing I fear at Barnard. I’m afraid to be the only one who isn’t extremely active or confident and is shy…</p></li>
<li><p>Many people say Barnard (and Columbia) have a large party scene. Is this true? Do most people party in the weekends? What do non-party people do in their free time? </p></li>
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<p>Also do most ppl spend most of their time studying?</p>
<p>I absolutely do NOT think it’s necessary that you go into Barnard knowing exactly who you are and what you want to do. I know my daughter changed her path dramatically as a result of her Barnard experience.</p>
<p>What is, however, critical, will be your willingness to be open to new ideas and new experiences. Take classes you never considered (my dancer daughter fell in love with neuroscience!) and, above all, be willing to MEET people and be involved. You don’t have to be a big party person…but you do NOT need to lock yourself in your room and study. Be open to involvement in clubs and such, for example.</p>
<p>If there is a big party scene at Barnard & Columbia… my d. somehow missed it. I actually found my d’s dorms to be very quiet and the Columbia campus to be kind of stately and somber as compared to my public, state U. experience. </p>
<p>And, er, yes – my observation was that people spent a lot of time studying. There was room for some recreation – but my kid spent a whole lot more time studying at college than she ever did in high school. I’d note that, unlike high school, there’s not nearly as much time spent sitting in class-- it was very rare for my daughter to have classes more than 4 days a week, and sometimes her schedule gave her classes only 2 days a week. </p>
<p>I do think that if you are shy you might have a tough time both at Barnard and, more particularly, with the New York, urban lifestyle. New Yorkers tend to be assertive and loud, and to speak their minds. </p>
<p>But I’m not sure what you mean by “timid” or “shy” - because you posted your EC’s a while back and you seem to have been involved in a lot of interesting stuff (Model UN, Job with American Embassy in Syria, etc.) – so maybe you just mean that you on the quiet side, because the things you’ve done don’t sound “timid”. </p>
<p>My advice is to apply RD, see what your choices are in the spring, and definitely visit the campus if you are accepted to get a sense of whether it is a good fit for you or not. I think that because of the urban location, a good deal of socializing takes place of campus, and there are not the same level of organized social activities or interest in clubs on campus as there would be at a more suburban or rural school. There’s just too much else going on in the city. So if you are someone who really relies on that sort of thing for your social life – you may do better with a college that has more tightly knit community. But you might also be selling yourself short – you’ve lived, worked and studied abroad and when you arrive on campus, you may realize that you are actually more sophisticated and confident than some of your classmates simply because of your life experiences.</p>
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<li><p>My best friend found her calling halfway through junior year. Another friend has changed her major probably 5 times by now. Not everyone goes into college knowing exactly what they want, and Barnard is no exception. Regarding confidence, I was the shyest thing in high school. Barnard made me more sure of myself, a better leader, and a stronger individual.</p></li>
<li><p>There’s a party scene, but it isn’t crazy or huge. Again, coming out of high school I would have never dared attend a full-fledged “college party”. A group I’m active in throws pretty good parties every weekend, and I go to some of them, but mostly I do other fun things like cook, watch movies with friends, go to museums and parks, and generally hang out.</p></li>
<li><p>People study a lot, but not all the time. Some people live in the library, although I myself avoid it like the plague and get my studying done other places. I’ve never met anyone who is, so to say, all work and no play. Being in college means living on your own and making your own choices. You prioritize your schedule and do what works best for you.</p></li>
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