Itreally depends. It is nice in that if you don’t like one person, there are other options. And you have more human contact and community built into your living space. But it’s a matter of knowing yourself. I, for example, am not a social butterfly and don’t do super well without a good amount of alone time. Still, I know other folks who have loved their quads.

My floor’s was really clean. There will be the occasional puke-filled toilet or hair-filled shower, but there are folks who come and clean. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: clean up after yourself and encourage other folks to do the same. Yes, it is someone’s job to clean, but it is your floor’s job not to be a fucking asshole and make other people lives difficult.

The gym at Barnard is in the basement floor of barnard hall and relatively small. I’ve never been there when it is actually crowded (I’m sure it depends on the time of day) but the treadmills/ellipticals are usually taken. We do have access to Columbia’s gym, which has an indoor track and many more machines but is also much more crowded. I don’t know the procedures of the place very well so I mostly avoid it because it makes me anxious. If you want something lowkey but a bit more social, Well Woman sometimes has events (a once a week group run or yoga). I’ve never been but its a nice way to have some low pressure/low commitment motivation to do something and get outside.

There is guaranteed housing all four years so very few people live off campus. Some people do of course, but if you live off campus and get financial aid your reward will decrease because it will no longer consider housing a part of your “need” (which is incredibly frustrating). And apartments near campus are ridiculously expensive so I would say it is generally much cheaper and easier to live on campus. But if you do want to look for roommates or other housing options I would suggest finding the different Barnard class pages (Barnard class of 2018, 2017 etc) and posting there.