Fresh start? Fresh year? Freshperson? Freshletter. Subscribe here. 

TLDR: If you’re scared about starting school, don’t worry, we get it! Subscribe to Freshletter and follow our Instagram for all things Barnumbia.

So it’s almost time for you to move into college. You’re about to begin your experience at Columbia or Barnard, and you’re wondering a lot of things: what do I bring for my dorm? How do I make friends? Literally what is a “Dodge” and why are there four different buildings with the same name? Honestly, we’ve been here a while and we’re still not sure. 

Let’s take a step back – what is this “Bwog” website, and why are we qualified to tell you anything? Bwog (and no that is not “blog” in a baby voice, and no, it doesn’t stand for anything), is the PREMIER undergraduate student run news organization at Barnard and Columbia (don’t search that up or anything just take our word for it). Bwog writes about all things Barnumbia, from News and Events to haiku about JJs (controversially the best dining hall on campus). And us, well we’re the Bwoggers that loved it so much we never left. We’ve been here a long, long time, and that means we know a thing or two, and want to share it with all of you!

This isn’t the random advice your dad gives you about his “good old days.” This is the real, hard-hitting stuff: on shopping period, getting along with your roommate, navigating New York City, and the Columbia dating scene. We’ve been haunting these halls for a long time, so we know what we’re talking about. There’s a lot out there to learn, but Freshletter is here to make sure you’re ready. 

For a few weeks before NSOP (New Student Orientation Program), Bwog will be posting articles about anything and everything about life at Columbia. We might talk about registering for classes, feeling homesick, dating, and which Halal truck is superior, to name a few. We may be ghosts, but in our opinion the scariest thing is not knowing how everything works. We want to make sure you know the important stuff, so you can tackle everything this school throws at you. You can find all the posts on our website, but let’s be honest, we both know you’re not going to have the Bwog tab open on your laptop for a month. 

So then, what’s Freshletter? FreshLetter is a weekly newsletter we’ll send out during the last four weeks of summer, compiling everything we’ve been posting to keep you in-the-know. All you have to do is subscribe, and you’ll have our personally curated Columbia survival guide in your inbox starting July 31st. 

If a weekly roundup isn’t enough for you, you can also follow Bwog on Instagram to get immediate updates on new posts! And not just that – our Instagram features all the fun the club has to offer! Don’t be surprised if you end up staying like we have…for years, and years, and years and…

Ok well it’s time for us to go haunt the tunnels below campus. People say they’re closed, but nothing’s really closed when you’re a transparent, paranormal being! 

See you in the fall!