<p>I wish the GS students I met in my classes had been more of the type you two describe. If GS is selecting towards those kinds of personal life-stories, good for them, they may yet win the war to get socially accepted as peers on campus. But the vastness of the age differences is a major hurdle in terms of mingling with students you wish would treat you as equals.</p>
<p>I hear that. I am 24, which is not super old, but it is noticeable. I have not yet started classes, but I live with two CC students and have made many CC friends. I have yet to experience the infamous GS discrimination. I have also met CC alumni who seem more interested than demeaning. </p>
<p>I suppose they all could be talking behind my back...</p>
<p>^ i doubt it, you'd probably get a sense if they resent you, too many columbia students wear their indifference on their sleeve. I can see a normal 24 year old fitting in reasonably well with CC students. I've had friends' boyfriends who are as old, hang out with a group of us, they generally weren't misplaced.</p>
<p>i want to make an observation (one that i have discussed with other incoming GS students this week):</p>
<p>I keep hearing about this so-called animosity (whether it be obvious or not) towards GS students from the CC-kids (i make this distinction because, although they may be "adults" by age they are still very much kids in mind despite their intellects). I heard about it prior to applying and then continuously through (the hell that is) waiting for my acceptance/rejection. </p>
<p>I understand that everyone has different experiences but to be honest i really don't understand this notion of some sort of division. From my experience the last few weeks (orientation and now the first week of classes), if there is anything to sum up the so-called division it would be that instead of animosity towards me, most if not all my fellow classmates have been maybe more interested in me because i am older (i am twenty-seven). as i said, i discussed this with quite a few other GSers and we have all experienced the same thing. Instead of the "yuck, we have old dude in our class" it has been "wow that so cool". </p>
<p>My conclusion and you can take it or leave it is that the single defining factor that determines whether or not CC students will have animosity towards you is YOU and how you hold yourself and conduct yourself and most importantly how you treat them (CCers). If you treat the CC-kids as your peers rather than giving off a "this sucks, i have to be in a class with a bunch of kids" vibe then you'll have a great time. On the other hand if you don't then the CC-kids will pick up on it and, with reason, be standoffish to you. </p>
<p>The trick: Be friendly and talk to them and be willing answer their questions if they have any because, in the end, they want to know. And if they think they know everything (which there are more than flies to a piece of ****) than ignore them because life will teach them a lesson.</p>