From Mountain Views to Skyscrapers: Transitioning from the Pacific Northwest to New York City

For many first year students, transitioning to college can be stressful, especially when you’ve moved far away from home. Between making new friends, taking on academic work, and living on your own, you’ll probably feel overloaded at some point. However, Barnard offers lots of resources to support first year students in this transition, and the community at Barnard makes it even easier to stay connected to your home, make friends, and keep up on your academic work. 

Coming from the Pacific Northwest, I was really nervous about transitioning to college and living in New York City. When I first came to Barnard, I was worried about whether or not I would know people who came from similar backgrounds and interests. While I knew of people coming from Oregon, I wasn’t sure if Barnard and New York City would provide an environment that truly felt like home. In Eugene, I was used to wearing Birkenstocks year-round, having multiple vegetarian and vegan options at every restaurant, and being able to step into nature from my doorstep. I worried that I would miss the endless green spaces, Dutch Bros coffee stands, and most importantly, my family and home. Luckily, Barnard is quite geographically diverse and there are plenty of ways to get involved on campus and give students a sense of home, even if they don’t call New York their home. For me, Barnard and New York have become like a second home, and while I appreciate Eugene, I always feel a sense of relief when I arrive back to New York after an academic break.

Barnard made living in New York City, and furthermore, being a six-hour flight away from the West Coast, my family, and my home, pretty easy! During my first week, I had met plenty of students from the West Coast, and even some from Oregon. During NSOP (New Student Orientation Program), through a Barnard BLUE chat, I had the opportunity to talk with another student from Portland about diversity (or the lack of it) in Oregon, and issues in our communities that come from it. While the discussion might’ve been heavy, it felt comforting to know that other people were navigating New York City through a similar lens to me. Because Barnard draws from so many different states and countries (this year, students hail from 51 states and territories, as well as 32 countries), you’re bound to find other students to bond with over the uniqueness of growing up in the Pacific Northwest and the West Coast. Besides first year students, you also have access to more than 2,000 upper class students who can help you along your way too! As a Sophomore, I got coffee and lunch with the first year student from Eugene, Oregon; she even brought me Café Yumm sauce when she came back from Thanksgiving break! Barnard has absolutely been a place of growth, new friends, and academic challenges, but it’s also been really fun to have someone to talk over the latest hometown gossip or bond over the newest op-ed in our local newspaper. And, upper class students can offer great advice on classes, internships, and how to take advantage of the city — I know that having a senior from my hometown during my first year was super helpful when it came to advice that was catered to me and my experiences. 

Apart from the fear of homesickness, I was also worried about my transition to the city and the lack of green spaces. However, it turned out to be an easy adjustment! Just a five minute walk away is Riverside Park, a huge green space with lots of trails (both paved and forested — I personally love Forever Wild, a small dirt trail surrounded by forest). Additionally, Barnard and Columbia both have huge lawns, where many students study and hang out on sunny days. Because Barnard is in a quieter neighborhood (Morningside Heights, where we’re located, is often called a college town within Manhattan), and we have our own campus along with Columbia, there are lots of outdoor spaces and a calmer environment. Having a campus makes it a lot easier to feel at home — after a day in the city, it always feels like coming home when I get to the Barnard quad, get dinner from Hewitt dining hall, or study in Milstein. At Barnard, you’re truly getting the best of both worlds in every possible sense. While working an internship downtown (and commuting on the 1 subway line, located right outside Barnard’s gates), you can return to campus and participate in clubs, extracurriculars, and classes. No matter where you’re from, you find a sense of home on Barnard’s campus. The supportive community of students, faculty, and professors made my homesickness fade, and through Barnard, I’ve been able to find bits of Oregon no matter where I go.  

-Maya Corral