New Staffer Angelina takes you through what’s included in the first-year NSOP package.

I found my Barnard NSOP package crumpled up inside my mailbox. It sat right next to several angry political campaign ads, which should’ve been the first sign of what hell was to come. After pouring out and spreading the contents of the bag on my bed, I immediately formed some opinions.

The first and most noticeable piece of the NSOP package is a Barnard tote bag. If I had to give this bag a rating, even a 3 out of 10 would be generous. Not only is it smaller than every other tote bag I’ve ever seen, but its material is flimsier as well. Plus, the bag’s contents were not at all hidden by the completely see-through material. I definitely would not use this bag for anything. Maybe to put some towels in it for a day at the beach – although, I truly do not care if this bag lives or dies.

Inside of the original tote bag was… yet another bag! The drawstring backpack so generously included makes up for the shortcomings of the tote. It’s a thicker material, with a more striking logo and a better structure. I would rate this bag a 6 out of 10. The score would be higher if I still used drawstring bags and hadn’t stopped after middle school. 

Bags aside, most of the rest of the NSOP package is decently nice. For the tuition at this school, I’m glad we got a few quality items. My favorite part of the bag is a little stuffed Millie bear. As a Millie enthusiast, I have to give this item a solid 10 out of 10, for its cuteness and its constant reminder that Millie is always watching. 

Second to the bear in terms of quality and enjoyability is the Barnard logo baseball cap. I’m not a big hat person, but it can’t be denied that this item is pretty cool and makes up for the tragic loss of the Barnard dad hat. I’d give it a 9 out of 10.

And nothing screams college freshman more than “lanyard”, so its inclusion in the package makes perfect sense. I’ve put my keys on it already, and sometimes I wear it around my neck just to announce to the world that this is my first year of college. For its communicative properties, the lanyard comes in at a solid 8 out of 10, my only issue being that there’s a clasp at the top instead of continuous fabric.

The package also came with the infamous Barnard mask, which Bwog has already covered in our list of the various uses for the hilariously oversized mask, so I’ll spare commentary on that. It gets a 2 out of 10 for its complete and utter lack of function and the fact that of the two possible designs, I got the uglier one.

To top off the NSOP package, we received a plain blue t-shirt with a drawing of Millie on the pocket, a sticker sheet, and a temporary tattoo. The shirt is comfortable, but not the cutest for a school known for fashionable students. The sticker designs are not it. At all. I put one on the back of my laptop and I cannot get air bubbles out of it no matter how hard I try. I wish they would’ve given us a sticker with the design seen on our temporary tattoo (which I quickly tossed in a drawer), because that reminds me more of Barnard than the letter “B” in a light blue circle. All of these items get a 5 out of 10.

Last, but certainly not least, is a roll of washi tape with little bears on it. Though it doesn’t quite remind me of Millie, this was an excellent addition to appeal to bullet journalers among the new students at Barnard. Because I refuse to spend $3 on a roll of decorative tape and Barnard covered that expense for me, the washi tape gets an 8 out of 10.

As a whole, the NSOP package is just okay. I would’ve loved to see a better tote bag and a bumper sticker. Final rating: 6 out of 10.

image via me