<p>I've made every mistake a GS student can make. I'd be happy to steer you guys in the right direction. So, ask anything you'd like.</p>
<p>I am entering my final semester here at Columbia - I will need to complete 14 units in the fall. I will be taking 4 courses (1 of them being a seminar) for a total of 13 units. As such, I will be 1 unit shy of the 124 needed to graduate. What is the best way to satisfy the extra unit? Should I sign up for a phys ed. course?</p>
<p>I don’t recall your major, but if you know a programming language the CS department offers 1 point classes in random other languages. Like if you know Java you could learn Ruby or something.</p>
<p>You might consider dropping one of your classes and signing up for or applying to an additional 4-point seminar. It’d be a lot of work but it would meet your extra point requirement while reducing your per week in-class time.</p>
<p>Of course, this combo won’t work if all four classes you’re signed up for are required for your major. If you do need to add a point, campaigner’s advice is great. Adding a gym class would be a quick, easy way to get that point, too. But, the only thing that bothers me about PE classes is the cost - and it bothers me a lot. </p>
<p>For what you pay for a Columbia Phys. Ed. golf class, you could get hours and hours of private golf lessons anywhere in the New York metropolitan area, a new set of clubs, and seven or eight rounds with a caddy and a cart. Instead, you’ll get to play chip 'n putt in the blue gym.</p>
<p>They say the best way to avoid mistakes is to learn from those who have made them. What are some of the biggest ones you’ve made that you would caution GS students against?</p>
<p>It’s important that GSers try to do a better job of cultivating meaningful relationships with students across the schools - and, in the process, find a way to connect with alumni. The network at a good school is everything. It ends up being the legacy of your academic/extracurricular career and, one could argue, the only thing really worth paying for at a good school.</p>
<p>It took me a year to figure out that I was working too much and not making the sort of connections that would serve me best in my future professional life. Here are a few suggestions for how to build your network.</p>
<p>The best ways (in my very humble opinion):</p>
<ol>
<li>Play a varsity or club sport.</li>
</ol>
<p>This is a tough one. But, if you can make a team, well worth the effort. You’ll instantly have a way to connect with undergraduates - or, in the case of club sports, undergrads/grads - and alumni. Both varsity and club teams host alumni dinners where athletes have unparalleled access to bright people who sometimes have as much as a 20-30 year head start in the field you want to pursue.</p>
<p>CONS: Huge time commitment!</p>
<ol>
<li>Join a fraternity or sorority.</li>
</ol>
<p>Greek life gets a bad rap. Nonetheless, frats and sororities are great at taking people from different schools and regularly putting them in a room together, all the while creating memorable shared experiences. This is the route I chose and I’m very, very glad I did.</p>
<p>CONS: Paying dues. </p>
<p>Other great ways to cultivate your Columbia network:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Write for a campus publication.</p></li>
<li><p>Work on a team research project in your academic department.</p></li>
<li><p>Join a club.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>[One caveat: clubs come and go. Some organizations, like the Philolexian Society, have been around forever and aren’t going anywhere. Some clubs, like Columbia’s ill-fated FUN CLUB, collect hundreds and vanish as suddenly as they came.]</p>
<p>Best class/prof?</p>
<p>My most memorable class was probably the most mind-blowing. Diane Vaughan’s course Mistake, Misconduct, and Disaster, a lecture focused on organizational deviancy, gave me a practical framework to use when trying to analyze cases in job interviews.</p>
<p>I borrowed heavily from Vaughan’s methods during the last round of interviews for my first-choice job. I got the gig.</p>
<p>Hi,
Just wondering… does GS ever grant need-based scholarships for financially dependent students (just turned 20 and still live at home with my mom who can’t afford to pay for GS)…??</p>
<p>The short answer is no.</p>
<p>You could qualify for federal aid like Pell Grants. But, GS primarily creates aid packages around merit, not need.</p>
<p>Thanks for your willingness to provide some firsthand insight into Columbia life hellojan. </p>
<p>I’m curious to know if you transferred from a CC. If so, maybe you can help me and other CC transfers to gain an understanding of what to expect in terms of acclimating to the Columbia class structure. Presently, I’m accustomed to receiving a syllabus and itemized agenda at the start of each semester from my CC professors. They spell out exactly what they require, and rarely divert from the academic schedule. As such, if a student follows the professor’s directions, this process is failsafe for passing with an A. </p>
<p>I’m wondering if I can expect much of the same structure if I am admitted to Columbia. I know that the core class sizes are much smaller than a typical CC course, and as such centered around discussion and debate. How dose this shape learning outcomes and assignments during a semester? </p>
<p>Also, can you compare the dynamics specifically between core classes and those required to fulfill one’s major requirements?</p>
<p>My experience as a GS student has been quite different as my mistakes have been few. I’m graduating next month and would be happy to share my personal successes with you. Please feel free to post me a message on this thread or send me a private message.</p>
<p>My questions are similar to Fauves. I was accepted and will be transferring from a NJ cc in the fall. I am curious how different things are and exactly is so darn challenging about cu. In my mind, the amount of reading will be the hardest transition. I am not a fast reader and so I’m going to work on getting that up to speed. Other than that, what exactly is makes the curriculum rigorous? Too many papers, quizzes, and super long tests? Is it the level of perfection that’s expected more stressful?</p>
<p>Studies12, no mistakes? Did you take any risks - intellectual or otherwise? </p>
<p>To answer two of you, yes, I did transfer and I did come from a CC. And, sure, the transition was tough but, if and when you find yourself worrying, just remember that the admissions officers wouldn’t have admitted you if they didn’t think it was possible for you to make the same transition. </p>
<p>There’s three things that you’ll be regularly expected to do at Columbia. Two of them, I’d wager, you’ve been doing for some time. First, the amount of work you’re doing is bananas and you’ll be expected to DISTILL the main concepts, themes, etc., from a lot of material. Second, you’ll be expected to SYNTHESIZE these distilled concepts - often across media, too. Last, and this is the new one, you’ll be expected to regularly DISCOVER new things about the material. You’ll be amazed at how and how often, during a discussion, one of your peers will illicit this response from your professor:</p>
<p>“Wow, I hadn’t thought of that. That’s a great point.”</p>
<p>It’s really hard to teach a Dostoevski scholar something new about Dostoevski, right? But, imagine trying to do it - every single day for a couple of years - when you’re tired, overworked, and trying to transition to a new life in a new city. </p>
<hr>
<p>Fauves, depending on your course of study, structure might just go out the window. I’ve taken seminars where the professor has said things like, “Okay, before we get into discussion, let’s get this out of the way. Participation is worth 10% and your paper is worth 90%. Got it? Let’s begin.”</p>
<p>It’s then on YOU to go to that professor’s office hours, run ideas past him/her for the paper, and do all of the legwork that might be in a CC syllabus. That’s not the worst case scenario, either. I’ve had two professors refuse to discuss grading until about half the term had passed.</p>
<p>hellojan, no need to be snarky. It is a simple matter of forum members having the opportunity to gain two perspectives: from a student who admitted to making many mistakes and from myself who is stating that I made few mistakes. Additionally, there is the difference that you entered Columbia University with a community college degree. I entered the university with a master’s degree. There are no experts on this forum, just members who are willing to share experiences with those that have questions.</p>
<p>@hellojan or studies12: Do you know which groups/organizations are best to join with regards to IB and/or consulting networking?</p>
<p>I have a question regarding the rugby team. Is there a lot of GSers that are on the team? and how time consuming can it be?</p>
<p>There are GSers on the rugby team. At Columbia, Rugby is considered a club sport - varsity sports are funded by the school, clubs have to fundraise. As such, workouts are 2-3 nights a week, weekends and spring break are often booked, and raising money is a constant priority. </p>
<p>The Economics Society has a consulting arm. They do case competitions and stuff and, as of more recently, are doing a good job of reaching out to alumni working in consulting. But, the best way to get to Wall Street is through Greek life.</p>
<p>I recall that the Center for Career Education held a few career fairs and workshops throughout the year. Check out this link:
[Consulting</a> | Center for Career Education](<a href=“http://www.careereducation.columbia.edu/resources/industry/consulting]Consulting”>Career Resources | Columbia CCE)
As you scroll down to take a look at what’s available, there is also a good list of the campus organizations. I work with consultants so you might want to speak to the CCE about internships. My company has paid summer internships for students (typically ivy league) and many get hired upon graduation. The type of consulting that happens here is very different than what you are interested in but it’s worth taking a look at. Best wishes.</p>
<p>As far as Greek life goes, I know that it’s a wondeful way to network; however, are there a lot of GS’ers involved in that scene? And if so, are they typically the younger ones? To be more specific-- are the sororities and frats all young kids or what is they typical age range.</p>