The Fed

Welcome to Barnard: Where Are All the Boys?
Daria Masullo
S
o here you are.  After a longer summer wondering what college would be like you have finally arrived.  To be honest I don’t envy you.  I remember my first day; I was a nervous wreck.  Going from activity to activity, meeting loads of news people, and constantly wondering if I had made the right decision.  Is this really the right place for me?  When I arrived at Barnard, I was worried by the prospect of attending an all-female college.  Could I possibly stand living in the midst of all these girls, with not a single guy in sight?

In high school, most of my closest friends were male.  The thought of trading that in for a bunch of girls wasn’t thrilling.  But it wasn’t long before I adjusted.  Just about everyone does.  Barnard is a community of girls that truly do care about each other.  There is always something ready to listen to you, ready to give you a shoulder to lean on, or maybe just someone to go downstairs and smoke cigarettes with you in the Quad.  The truth is, you can hang around with guys at any other time.  The city’s full of them.  But there is definitely something special about coming home to a group of people that feel the same things you are felling, and are always willing to help you out.

I used to love going into the lounges my freshman year and finding groups of women gathered around the TV watching Dawson’s Creek or Ally McBeal.  Or going to breakfast on a weekend morning in pajamas and slippers, and seeing everyone else dressed in the same gear.  It was like no other place I have lived, and I found that it sort of grows on you.

Everyone finds their niche at Barnard, because most people here are open and friendly.  Sure, it’s a little off-putting at first to move into a place without any guys, especially if you’re like most Barnard students and went to a co-ed high school.  But a unique experience emerges, and it will stay with you for a long time.

They say that girls unequivocally learn best in a single-sex environment.  I disagree; like everything else in life, single-sex education has benefits and drawbacks.  But it is refreshing to sit in a class made up entirely of girls, and see even the shyest girl offer her opinion.  Barnard provides its students with extra support, both in the residence halls, and academically.  Sure, women’s education is not for everyone, but Barnard offers a unique atmosphere that helps its student grow into incredible women.

So, get ready!  The next couple of weeks will be some of the most exciting of your life; enjoy and have fun.  Barnard will be your home for the next four years, and that is definitely something to be excited about.

August 30, 1999