<p>As a prospective student of Columbia University, I am very anxious to learn about college life at Columbia. What are the advantages and disadvantages you encounter, or have encountered on campus, which have helped you choose Columbia as your school of choice? Any possible information would be appreaciated!</p>
<p>since most of the responses here will probably be positives, i’ll start with some disadvantages. Columbia has an absolutely <em>terrible</em> bureaucracy, one which increases the longer you are there. undergrads don’t have it too bad, grad students feel it to a certain extent, and employees get absolutely screwed (i know this from experience). Columbia will also do its absolute best to take your money from you whenever it possibly can (e.g. every hour you move out late at the end of the semester, columbia charges you $50).
other than that, columbia is a great school. you will get a great, well-rounded education, and that education will be provided by professors who really know what they are talking about. just try not to glamourize it to much – columbia is still just a school. it may be an extremely good school, but it is run by fallible human beings. it has its ups and downs.</p>