Don’t fret Barnard, in the storm of Columbia housing coverage, Bwog hasn’t forgotten you! We will not be liveblogging Barnard housing selection because the powers that be across the street already provide excellent and efficient resources.

Matt Kingston, Associate Director for Housing Operations, explains two of the most important online tools for Barnard students in an email:

One of the most important things for students to know, but that a lot of people don’t seem to pick up on, is that our “Available Rooms” page updates instantaneously as rooms/suites are picked. That means that students can refresh the page before their appointment time (and even as they’re waiting in line at Room Selection, since the page is “mobile-friendly” for iPhone, Blackberries, etc.).

Our goal is for students to have realistic expectations about what they’ll be able to pick when their appointment time arrives. To that end, we also introduced a feature this year that shows students exactly how many individuals or groups by size that have not selected yet. If you log in (and are registered for Room Selection), the page also tells you who many individuals / groups haven’t selected who have an appointment time before your own. This hopefully helps students to have an idea of whether there are more groups ahead of them then the number of available suites for their group size.

That page also updates instantaneously as students select at Room Selection. However, because students can change their group membership up until they actually select (i.e. join, change, or drop from a group), these numbers can also change at any point.

Barnard’s housing website has a comprehensive collection of additional information, including a breakdown of different housing options, procedures, and a calendar of important dates. Jealous much?