Dear Barnard Class of 2024,
Congratulations on your acceptance to Barnard, the most amazing college on the face of the Earth.
It might feel weird right now, and you might feel like you shouldn’t be celebratory due to what is happening in the world right now. But I am here to tell you that you should be very happy. You have worked so hard for your acceptance. This is a huge achievement and you should be proud.
Barnard was once my dream, and then it became my reality. That is you now.
I remember being exhilarated by the thought of college, but also extremely nervous. I would imagine you feel the same. You will be coming into college at a time that is unprecedented, and that must be frightening; the world is a scary place right now. You’re missing out on an accepted students day, and maybe the end of your senior year, but I can assure you that you will still find your place when you arrive here. You will still make your memories.
And really, that’s what college is: making memories, time with friends, and other moments that will last for the rest of your life. Although the thought of that could be daunting. The thought of starting over, moving away from home, meeting new people can all be intense. When I came to college, I hadn’t really had the “making new friends” experience before, since I had the same two best friends since middle school. I was intimidated by the quickly forming friendships on our class Facebook page, and feared that since I wasn’t coming in with a full group of friends, I was falling behind. But I wasn’t.
Friendships come throughout your entire journey at Barnard. For most people, their NSOP friends don’t last long, I just happened to be really lucky. I met my best friend and now second-year roommate at an NYC hangout before we even started college; I liked her joke about Staten Island and the rest was history. I met some of my other really good friends eating chicken nuggets on the Butler lawns at midnight. These are the friends I go to talk out my problems, to push me academically, or encourage me to try something new. These are the friends I laugh with, I cry with, and the people I see with me for the rest of my life.
But there are still people who I originally thought I would become good friends with who I now only flash a smile at in passing. Cliques that I thought I would join disbanded. However, throughout all of it, I have made the most beautiful friendships throughout my time here.
I have learned that you’ll only be able to find “your people” if you push your boundaries a bit. Talk to your hallmates, join a dozen clubs. If you loved something in high school, try to continue it. College Model UN gave me an instant community on campus, but I also urge you to try something new if it sounds interesting to you. I came into college having basically no formal writing experience, and now I’m an editor for two campus publications, and I’m writing to you. Just find things on campus that make you happy to be a part of.
When I was accepted into Barnard, I felt a real sense of imposter syndrome. I just joined a community of women who were bold, beautiful, so … Barnard, and I felt inadequate. These were women who had done amazing things. What I learned when I came to Barnard is that everyone felt this way. The same people you felt intimidated by will become your peers, your hallmates, your friends. You got into Barnard, just like them. That is a major accomplishment. And imposter syndrome here takes a while to go away, I can tell you that. But throughout your freshman year, you will really begin to realize that you belong here.
So take NSOP slow. It’s intense, hard, terrifying — but it’s also time you’ll never be able to relive again. Sometimes you’ll just need to curl up on your bed to watch Netflix, and that’s okay. You don’t need to party every night, you don’t need to party at all if you don’t want to. Just take this amazing campus in. Remember how it feels to stroll down College Walk for the first time, or your first Hamilton 7 walk-up — these are the little things you’ll carry with you.
But also try not to get too caught up in the Columbia bubble. Force yourself to leave campus every once in a while. You are in the greatest city in the world. Barnard is phenomenal, but there are some things that you can only experience on the streets of New York. New York in the fall is the most magnificent sight in the world. Take advantage of the discount Broadway tickets that Barnard provides, walk through Central Park, go eat some Pierogies at Veselka. The 1 train will take you anywhere. Pick somewhere to go every week, because you’ll regret it by sophomore year if you don’t.
College is a major transition that is nerve-wracking at first, but from your first moment on campus, things will get easier. You’ll find clubs, friends, and register for classes. Soon this all will become your normal life. So I urge you to take each second to experience as much as you can. Take a course you would have never considered previously, speak to the person in front of you in line at the dining hall. Barnard is your campus now. Welcome to the best sisterhood in the world. We can’t wait to meet you in the fall.
You will have the best years of your life here at Barnard. I know I have.
Love,
Lizzie and All of Her Campus Columbia Barnard