<p>Are the classes extremely challenging? Is there a lot of homework? On weekends, is everyone studying or is there time for social life? Thanks!</p>
<p>what’s columbia like? it’s like a college with lots of students who’re different and have very different experiences. to answer your other, slightly less general questions, yes some of the classes are extremely challenging, like quantum physics, topology, and modern analysis, but any college will have some really challenging classes. There are also some really easy classes, though those may vary a bit on what subjects you’re strongest in, though many senior seminars (like a class I took last year called “Ignorance”) are known for being really easy.</p>
<p>Is there a lot of homework? Depends entirely on the class, most math classes have at least a few hours of homework every week, the required humanities courses I had to take (lit hum/cc/major cultures) had usually i guess between 100 and 300 pages of weekly reading and at times a reading response…art hum and music hum i think there was weekly reading or something, though I didn’t do it and still survived both. Also some kids choose not to do the hw and still do decently by just being really good at taking exams/a ton of cramming around midterms and finals.</p>
<p>Weekends are what you make them, and depend on your personality and courseload. I had friends who were out at bars wednesday through saturday nights most weeks who barely made it through columbia w/ a pretty easy major, another friend almost never went out and got by w/ a low 3-something in a really challenging major, i definitely know kids with really hard majors who i saw out maybe once or twice during columbia who graduated with highest honors in what’s supposedly the 2nd hardest major at columbia, and another girl i know comes off as a dumb ditsy sorority girl and from what i heard had a pretty active/crazy social/party life, yet still did a LOT better than I or any of my friends (many of whom are working at hedge funds and investment banks) did in the same classes w/ the same profs we took.</p>
<p>It’s certainly an experience, but it’s YOUR experience, and like any place else, Columbia is what you make it.</p>
<p>I completely agree with metsfan here.<br>
It really does depend on the person.
My floor was mainly Seas and we had LATE night studies b4 due dates and went out on the week ends once in a while. I found it pretty balanced. Looking back now I would say find a buddy that is in many of your classes, and help each other focus and get crap done.</p>