<p>Are Barnard students allowed to register for Columbia’s Core classes? If so, is it difficult to get in?</p>
<p>From what i understand they can, but it is pretty difficult to get into them because of space issues. Since every Columbian is required to take the class, they obviously have precedence over Barnard students. But after that, I think the slots are up for grabs.</p>
<p>I would just point something out, since this question comes up fairly frequently.</p>
<p>As far as I know, the Columbia CORE classes small sections (20 or 21 students) generally taught by grad student TA’s. </p>
<p>Barnard’s first year seminar courses are smaller (15 or 16 students) - and are taught by regular faculty. In fact, my daughter’s first year seminar was co-taught by two accomplished Barnard profs who are currently the chairs of their respective departments. </p>
<p>The purpose of the Core is both to provide a smaller class experience to students and to give Columbia students a common foundation – but I don’t quite understand the core-envy that some Barnard student seem to have. I mean, to me, one of the most amazing thing about Barnard is the close relationship that students develop with a highly accomplished faculty. So why try to sign up for a class taught by some random TA? (I say “random” because I doubt that Barnard students trying to get permission to get into a Columbia core class have much of choice in the end – they probably have to take whatever spot in whatever section happens to be open).</p>
<p>I know that you might read the course description and think that it looks like something you are interested in studying, but a lot of the content is replicated in other courses. For example, I know that my d. ended up reading a lot of the same material in her political theory and religion classes at Barnard. </p>
<p>The best advice I can give a college student – and which I gave to both my kids – is to try to take professors, not classes. That is, figure out who the best profs are and sign up for their classes – don’t just peruse the catalog and sign up for what seems interesting. Obviously you can’t do that all the time, but the best profs will change your life-- and a good college education should give you the ability to read and integrate mere information on your own, with or without a formal course. The syllabi for Columbia’s core courses is published, and you can easily opt to do that reading on your own. </p>
<p>I’m not saying that the Core is a bad thing. I’m just saying that I don’t quite see the attraction for non-Columbia students. As a Barnard student you can easily sign up for almost anything else offered at Columbia, including advanced level classes and even graduate level courses. So why make a big effort to get into the partner’s school general ed courses?</p>
<p>I read this on Yahoo:</p>
<p>Yes. The previous answerer is wrong – you can take ALL classes, INCLUDING Columbia College Core classes: CC, Lit Hum, FroSci, etc, whatever pleases you. Columbia College Core classes, however, are the only classes between Barnard and Columbia for which Columbia College kids get first dibs and Barnard gets second,
Source(s):
I go to Barnard.</p>
<p>I’m emailing Barnard. I’ll post if I get a definitive reply.</p>
<p>Sheldonish – You are exactly right. In theory, a Barnard student who really really wanted to take a core class theoretically could as long as there was space left after all of the CC students registered. However, this happens pretty rarely, as a lot of the material covered can be learned in other courses. Plus, one of the many reasons a lot of Barnard students choose Barnard is the ability to participate in the Nine Ways of Knowing instead of the core.
Similarly, Columbia students don’t (though I don’t know if they can in the same way that Barnard students could try and get into the core after everyone else has registered) take Barnard First-Year Seminar/Writing courses.</p>
<p>Why do you think you might want to take core classes? I can assure you, there are quite a few Columbia students who wish they didn’t have to.</p>
<p>I’m with Calmom on this one… why do you want to take a core class to begin with? You can take it if you wish and there are spots open. All other classes between all the schools among Columbia (affiliated college or whatever) are open enrollment… be on top of your game and get in and go. Barnard’s classes are fabulous and small and taught by professors. In fact, when my D’s physics teacher was out – guess what, they found another professor to teach – no TA.</p>