Current students - how much do you spend?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
21

<p>"...Or so she tells u....". :)</p>

<p>I won't deny that very few parents know the details of how their young adult progeny live but in this instance I would guess that I have a pretty good idea of her level of alcohol intake....a glass of wine when out to dinner with friends or a couple of drinks at the occasional party. She is a senior and a pre-med with a great deal going on. No time for hangovers. Her mother, on the other hand, drank herself stupid numerous times during her college career and would not recommend it.</p>

<p>Sorry to take the thread temporarily off topic.</p>

22

<p>Our experience with our son suggests that guys spend more as they get involved with dating/girl friends. Also, that math and science courses require large textbook investments. Not only are the books expensive, but they also tend to be things you want to hold onto, for a while at least, to reference for other classes. So, no money selling them back.</p>

<p>I'd say he spent about $300 a month first and second year, and is going through more this year. He is looking forward to suite living next year, so that he can do more cooking to save money.</p>

<p>The plus side is that Columbia seems like a pretty easy place to make money, between internships, tutoring gigs, bartending or other student-run enterprises, even if you're not on work study.</p>

23

<p>keepmesane - Great idea, but unfortunately, my parents are the type to blow over finances. They hate discussing it with me, so they say that they'll make everything work. When I tried to get more involved, my dad gets really annoyed, so I'm not sure how the 2/3 vs. 1/3 plan would work out, but thanks for the advice. (: My dad's thinking of making my bank account a joint account.</p>

<p>It sounds like cooking your own food saves quite a few bucks, so I guess I'll buy myself a couple of easy recipe books here (I'm the girl who manages to burn ramen - but it was only once!) and see if I can't learn to make edible food over the summer.</p>

24

<p>
[quote]
I would guess that I have a pretty good idea of her level of alcohol intake....a glass of wine when out to dinner with friends or a couple of drinks at the occasional party.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Substitute "glass" with "half a bottle", "couple" with "multitude", and "occasional" with "frequent." ;)</p>

25

<p>Maybe it's a dorm thing, but I've met a number of people that, like myself, tend not to drink much (though I had one drink during the AFC game on Sunday). Those that do (and drink often) seem to be dorm-laden underclassmen that choose to **** their weekends away with lined up 40s -- and eventually grow out of it.</p>

26

<p>
[quote]
It sounds like cooking your own food saves quite a few bucks, so I guess I'll buy myself a couple of easy recipe books here (I'm the girl who manages to burn ramen - but it was only once!) and see if I can't learn to make edible food over the summer.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>if you really plan on going through with this, it will influence your dorm choice. john jay is out automatically and really the kitchens in carmen dont tend to be places you want to hang out in for prolonged periods of time (tho that could just be the floors i've been to often)</p>

<p>also, there is a large cost involved with cooking. not to mention the massive one time cost of pots/pans/plates/utensils/etc, there is the massive repeating cost of buying food. none of the dorms have full-size refrigerators and therefore you will have to buy in small amounts at a time (maybe enough for 2 meals of 2 servings each?)</p>

<p>like i said above, cooking your freshman year will not do you much good, i would really go so far as to say you will spend more money than it's worth. only soph year and above will it really be any useful thing.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Substitute "glass" with "half a bottle", "couple" with "multitude", and "occasional" with "frequent."

[/quote]
</p>

<p>i agree, the drinking culture at columbia, as it is at most schools, is fairly pervasive. just because she is your daughter, dont let that cloud your judgement of what you know is really happening</p>

<p>
[quote]
Maybe it's a dorm thing, but I've met a number of people that, like myself, tend not to drink much[...]Those that do (and drink often) seem to be dorm-laden underclassmen that choose to **** their weekends away with lined up 40s -- and eventually grow out of it.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>i think non-drinkers gravitate towards each other. i wouldn't go so far as to say they exist in large numbers tho. i dont really understand what you mean by "dorm-laden underclassmen" tho..in my experience the heaviest drinkers are the bar hoppers....</p>

27

<p>I suppose I'm of the more upper end of things when it comes to all things spending at Columbia, but I know that I'm not alone. Please don't judge me based on the fact that my parents are rich and well connected, and decided to buy me a degree.</p>

<p>For housing, I own a 4-bedroom apartment on the 37th floor of the Trump Tower at Columbus Circle. I wake up each morning to the sounds of pleasant tranquility. Shortly before 11, as requested, my butler (not to be confused with cousin Nicholas Murray Butler) delivers breakfast. I tend to be simple in the morning hours. Nothing more than two eggs, hash browns, and toast will do. Of course, I settle for nothing less than freshly squeezed orange juice.</p>

<p>Realizing I still have over two hours before my first class (Physics for Poets), I generally take a seat in the personal imax home theatre my uncle got me over the break. After exercising to wii tennis and racing through three rounds of mariokart, I'll sit back for 30 minutes in the hot tub. My butler returns and reads to me the eleventh book of the Inferno and presents my completed homework for the day. It looks correct. I never settle for anything less, but as I've come to realize, every professor has his or her price.</p>

<p>While the 1 train and the urban peasantry await me underground, I naturally opt for the already waiting car service in the rotary. In fact, it turns out that Hans has been parked curbside all morning. At $500/hr, he doesn't mind. His refrigerator is always stocked with the finest imported wines. After a few sips turn into two whole glasses, I arrive at the 116th and Broadway gates. I usually slip security a few $20s so they'll allow Hans to drive onto College Walk.</p>

<p>I make it to 309 Havemayer a whole ten minutes before class. My reserved plush seat in the third row hasn't been touched since last class. As the other children enter, some ask for autographs and photos, while others want to know if they can be included in my weekly shin-dig downtown. The professor then walks in and shakes my hand, telling me "not to worry" if my homework wasn't done and that I have "nothing to worry about" when it comes to the midterm. After ten minutes, I subtly sneak out as my body-double takes my place via the trap-door that leads directly to a red carpeted portion of the tunnel system. There, I again fire up the wii that has been prepared for me and play through Zelda (with Hans) until the class is ready to end.</p>

<p>I usually don't make the evening class (History of Feminism). My grade (A+) was mysteriously posted to SSOL only days after registering last semester. To be fair, I signed up thinking of how great it would be to spend an entire semester with attractive, strong, independent, beautiful Barnard women. Unfortunately, I found only ugly loud-mouth lesbians. Are they representative of the school? Perhaps.</p>

<p>In the evening, I retreat back to the library at my apartment. My butler reads me the twelfth book of the Inferno. I wonder how low they can go. It's all so confusing, so I ask him to stop. I realize that this second semester of Literature Humanities won't be a problem now that my little pee-on grad instructor now has a season subscription to the Knicks. Courtside. Next to Spike.</p>

<p>It's only 10. The night is young. I ask Hans to drive me downtown where I'll spend a few hours in various VIP rooms. On this night, I ran into "Linds" (Lohan). After a few drinks, the sickly pale girl passed out on the bar. Not cool. I then found Marvelous Mikey (Mussina) at a sports bar nearby. We chatted up our disdain for the underclass and black people. It was grand. In all, about $2,500 was spent in those two hours downtown.</p>

<p>Shortly before 1, Hans dropped me off back home. The doorman (Marvin) informs me that my new iPhone arrived in the afternoon. While it won't be available to the public for another few months, "Brother SJ" hooked me up.</p>

<p>It's almost 3 in the morning, and I have to be up for class at 4 in the afternoon (Literature Humanities). It's been a long and typical day, and must come to an end.</p>

<p>Total money spent in one day: $14,952 (includes Hans, dining, clubbing, tipping, daily rent, and two classes attended).</p>

28

<p>FYI: WindowShopping had probably been up all night before he wrote that, 10:30 is not "first thing in the morning" for him. Just in case you're wondering what he was on.</p>

29

<p>Lately, I've been going to sleep at 11 and waking up around 7:30. That'll be thrown off tonight after getting home around 1 or 2 in the morning.</p>

<p>Plus, 10 Things I Hate About You is on TBS. So glad I'm up.</p>

30

<p>There isn't anything I hate most than when people don't trust me when I say I don't drink. I simply don't like the taste of alcohol, and have no inclination to spend the extra money on the booze, let alone get drunk.</p>

31

<p>yeah, i'm the same as mysteryflavored, and its really bothering me how everyone just assumes elleneast's daughter is lying to her parents and really does drink a lot. i'm not to drinking age yet, but i still have plenty of friend's who drink and it does not appeal to me at all. some people really don't drink very much and some parents really do know their children.</p>

32

<p>Whats the party scene at Columbia like?</p>

33

<p>If I go to Columbia, I will be living in Coney Island with my dad. I get into events for free because I'm a journalist. I like eating at cheap falafel places in the east village, which is where I hang out most of the time since that's where the comedy is.</p>

34

<p>Whats the party scene at Columbia like?</p>

<p>Anything you wnat it to be. Dorms, bars, clubs, even just sitting on the steps and going to poetry readings or costume parties at the Met.</p>

35

<p>viva already goes here. this thread is a year and a half old.</p>

<p>thread necromancy sux.</p>

36

<p>*** uhh ok I need to check dates next time I feel like sounding retarded.</p>