From a current freshman in SEAS: a few misconceptions about Columbia

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
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<p>Hey isabelwhatx, I have a question! Is it true that everyone there is liberal?:</p>

<p>HELLO, NICOLE. Why were you awake at 2:50 AM? Oh wait, that was when you weren’t doing your FroSci. </p>

<p>BTW, everyone, that is Nicole :slight_smile: She’s a girl on my floor and is currently in my room as I kick her ass to do her LitHum work. Which she is not doing. We are simply eating. </p>

<p>She also affirms that it does look like a cat gave birth in her room.</p>

<p>And to answer her question, which she already knows the answer to, NO, not everyone here is liberal. In fact, me and Nicole are both obsessive Ayn Rand lovers who constantly quarrel with one of the liberals on our floor. It’s a daily occurrence. Happened today for an hour or two.</p>

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<p>FroSci :(</p>

<p>Eating is obviously the best and only thing to do when you’ve procrastinated with your work all day.</p>

<p>I would like to add that while it does look like a cat gave birth in my room, I am a germophobe and it doesn’t even bother me. Yeah JJ 5!</p>

<p>Yay for being obsessive Ayn Rand lovers! :D</p>

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<p>Why not join the Columbia libertarians? (I’m not a libertarian, but I know they’re always looking for new people.)</p>

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<p>I know Nicole has gone to a meeting or two, but I’ve actually got a lot on my plate right now in terms of academics and don’t have time to join another time. But I am not a libertarian, although I do share some of their views in theory. The club wouldn’t really be for me. I have been debating joining the group dedicated to Republicans.</p>

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<p>Isabelwhatx and Caelstor:</p>

<p>What do SEAS and CC students think about Barnard students? There’s a lot of discussion on this topic in the Barnard forum. It would be good to hear from a pair of SEAS and CC straightshooters.</p>

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<p>Ok this question has been asked before, but I am interested in something a bit different:</p>

<p>I understand there isn’t as large of community connection between students at Columbia than at other schools. And I also understand that like at any other college, I will be able to make friends if I reach out myself.</p>

<p>But really, why do you think there is a lack of community? Even if everyone is so involved in college work and ECs, don’t they have time to hang out and make friends? Isabel and Caelestor, are you guys only friends with people near your dorm? How do people normally socialize at Columbia - is there a popular hangout?</p>

<p>I am sorry if this has been asked before. But this is the only factor that is making me question whether Columbia would be a good place to study for 4 years.</p>

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<p>Hey Isabel and Caelestor,
My question is sort of similar to Free2Rhyme’s. As I continue learning more about Columbia I continually come across some pretty foreboding things such as the recent student’s suicide due to stress and some commenters on this forum (including yourself Isabel) who seem to be under so much pressure and have so much homework that you are unable to go out and party much if at all. There was a discussion on one of these threads about a month ago between students that are at Columbia right now speaking about how they are never able to go out and spend almost all of their time studying or doing homework, and as a result have made very few friends. Now, since I am an ED accepted applicant, these accusations make me slightly nervous about what life at Columbia really is like, and to add to those misgivings, someone posted this link in a chance thread today that caught my attention.
[Columbia</a> University is a horrible school | Herd My Cattle](<a href=“http://herdmycattle.com/columbia-university-is-a-horrible-school/]Columbia”>http://herdmycattle.com/columbia-university-is-a-horrible-school/)
Now obviously since this is the internet there are always going to be those people who hate everything and anything and that source isn’t very credible, but even bad news is still usually founded upon at least an inkling of truth. So my question to you guys is whether there is any truth to these claims? Is Columbia really so stressful and require so much work that the average student struggles so have a social life? Is it reasonable to hope to be able to go out on both Friday and Saturday nights and maybe even a Thursday every now and then (like some less prestigious more party oriented schools) while still maintaining a good (>3.4) GPA?
Thanks,
-Brandnew</p>

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<p>That link is kind of crazy, but also you have the person interviewed who clearly has it so out for that one person that she just has to refer to her by her first and last name over and over… on the one hand, it could be a sign of frustration, but it could also just be that these people were overreacting? I’m not sure what to believe. </p>

<p>I too sort of have the same question as brandnew, but as someone who doesn’t have much of what most people would call a “social life”, I was wondering if you’re seen as a “shut in” if you don’t take advantage of the limited opportunities to party. Sorry if my idea of a good time is buying pizza and having West Wing marathons… hah.</p>

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<p>“How do people normally socialize at Columbia - is there a popular hangout?”</p>

<p>Essentially, no, which is why there’s no built-in community. Instead, there are lots of parties and hanging out in dorms (which you find out about through student groups and networks of friends), bars around campus, and (especially earlier in the year) frat parties. People also go downtown, but you can’t really go downtown randomly and end up meeting people. You have to know what’s going on and either go with friends or crash a party that you’ve heard about.</p>

<p>If you just keep to yourself and don’t reach out and try to make friends, then you might not find out what’s going on each night, so you won’t really know where to go to hang out. But you’ll definitely meet people on your floor, in your classes, and in your student groups, so you’ll be able to hang out with them. You won’t be alone if you don’t want to be. The key is to be open to meeting people and making time to hang out with them. Especially when you’re a freshperson, don’t be afraid to ask someone you’ve just met (or a group of people) to get dinner in JJs or just hang out in one of your rooms all night and talk or study. </p>

<p>Columbia is social, but it’s a very decentralized social scene, which, to be fair, is the same way that New York is. There are no events that all New Yorkers go to; instead, there are thousands of bars and parties that go on in this city every night and people check out those they hear about from their friends. At Columbia, you can either find out what your friends are doing and just go along with them, or, if you’re more of a loner/adventurous, figure out what’s going on each weekend and show up at the parties you’ve heard about, where you can hopefully meet more people. </p>

<p>What you can’t do at Columbia, but can do at small liberal arts colleges in the middle of nowhere, is just show up alone at the student center on Friday night and expect that all your friends will also be there (unless you’ve called them in advance to meet up). This doesn’t mean you’ll never run into your friends and classmates; you’ll see them all the time in the library (especially during finals), walking to class, in the dining halls, and maybe randomly at big parties. But in general, you can’t count on there being one place where everyone goes to hang out, which is not necessarily a bad thing.</p>

<p>@neiro6: You might not get invited to crazy parties if you don’t associate with the kinds of people who attend crazy parties, but you won’t be seen as a shut-in because most people at Columbia aren’t crazy partiers. They just get together with their friends, figure out what’s going on, and then make plans to go out. The danger of this kind of decentralized social scene is if you don’t have a close group of friends and you don’t have connections to very social people. Then you could end up spending a lot of time alone, unsure what to do.</p>

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<p>Some of the things you read on this site can make a potential student question their choice, but remember it’s often the most disgruntled people that are the vocal ones. I did my graduate work at Columbia and I now have a daughter who is an undergrad there. I loved everything about being there, and it is a perfect fit for my daughter. Freshman orientation is a full week long. During that time, there are planned events with both your orientation group and with your floor. There are plenty of opportunities to connect with people before classes even start. My child, whom I would not consider to be a social butterfly (by choice), has had no problems making friends or getting involved. She lives in a single, but there are always kids in her room. They do study hard, but often together, taking breaks to go out for a late-night snack. Is there time to go out?- of course, you just have to manage your time well. My daughter is not a partier, but she knows there are parties going on if she wants to go. Are there unhapppy students that feel isolated at Columbia? I’m sure there are, but not because the climate makes it difficult to find a place where you feel you belong.</p>

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<p>Agreed. I got into Columbia ED, and a lot of things are making me question my choice. Are there parties going on that a lot of people go to? Do a lot of students hang around campus or go out into the city? If one is very social, will they be able to have a good social life?</p>

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<p>No one should worry about the social scene at Columbia. I’m being completely serious. To specifically answer some of the concerns I’ve seen so far, yes there are parties going on that “lots of people go to.” I know people here who go out and get drunk 3-4 times a week. In fact they are often the same ones who have >4.0 gpas and land some of the best internships at McKinsey, Boeing, Morgan Stanley, etc (I wish I knew their secrets…). </p>

<p>It is all about your ability to find a balanced routine between work, partying, clubs, fun in the city, and wasting time on facebook. What makes Columbia unique is that we have a hyper-customizable college experience. If you want to take 8 classes per semester and never see the light of day, you can do that here. If you want to party on campus, you can do that here from Thursday night - Sunday morning. If you want to spend all your time running events on campus with a student group, you can do that here. In these aspects Columbia is just like any other university. </p>

<p>What makes Columbia special in addition to these aspects are the literally boundless opportunities available because we are in NYC. For instance, just this semester I saw the NY Phil for $12.50 three times (all on school nights!), I went to see 2 theater/musical performances on broadway (only had to pay for the subway rides, thanks columbia!) and I won another free ticket to go see Billy Elliot tonight (not sure I even want to go though…). I’ve been to see 2 performances in Carnegie Hall, and I went to one bumpin concert at Terminal 5. I’ve wandered Chinatown and Flushing at least 8 times, i’ve gone to free ice skating in central park, I’ve gone on a hot salsa dancing date for free in midtown, and i’ve movie hopped at the Times Square movie theaters with my friends. I pulled an all-nighter on a school night once…to spend 9 straight hours playing catan with my floormates, i’ve been black-out drunk on multiple occasions, and i’ve played frisbee in Morningside park. All of this is completely in addition to the never-ending events and club meetings that happen on campus. I’m taking 6 classes (5 are 3/4000 level engineering, and one is chinese so they aren’t exactly joke classes either…), maintain a good gpa, and am doing 10-15 hours per week of research on top of that. I’m a verrrrry typical example of a Columbia student, and I love it here. There is so much going on on campus that it is honestly difficult to make room to do things downtown, but the option is always there. I can understand if going out into the city isn’t really your thing, but the last thing I feel is that I’ve been cheated out of a social scene by coming to Columbia… </p>

<p>Regarding other recent news, of course Columbia has problems as an institution, every one out there does. I guarantee students at other schools have had professors they don’t like. Personally, I’ve had a very good experience, especially in the core classes that I’ve taken (granted as an engineer I haven’t taken very many…). I can’t speak for the people in that article, but the professors I’ve had have all been insightful and helpful, nothing less than what I would have expected from Columbia.</p>

<p>To all you EDers, congratulations! You are in for an incredible 4 years full of opportunity and growth. Don’t look back, no regrets, the city is yours to conquer, now go enjoy your lack semester of HS. It’ll only get better in college.</p>

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<p>@figment thank you, that dispels much of my fears. One more thing: do you think you can still have as good a time as you have without partying/drinking? I’m very social, but I hate parties because everyone is drunk (I don’t drink and I don’t ever plan to). I’ve been to college parties (at a state school too), and they weren’t for me.</p>

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<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I got accepted to Columbia (SEAS) in ED. I will be joining in Columbia next fall. I am currently taking couple of courses in Economics & Physics from my current high school that are part of University of Connecticut (what is called Early College Experience). I need to take a test at the end of the year similar to AP test. Then I will get UConn transcript with grades for these courses.</p>

<p>Does Columbia accepts and give credit to such courses from other universities?. </p>

<p>My second question is regarding majors in SEAS. As of now, I have not decided about any major. Can I take what ever major I like in SEAS or is there any other selection process especially for some popular majors like Biomedical, Financial Engineering etc? During the past summer I visited several colleges including Duke, UPenn, Columbia and others. One of them informed us that during first year all Engineering students would be required to take some course/(s) that introduce them to all Engineering majors. This would help them in choosing the major they want in second year. I think it was either Duke or Columbia. Does anyone knows if Columbia offers first year Engineering students such course in first year?</p>

<p>Thank you Isabelwhatx, figment42 and other current Columbia students answering questions in this thread.</p>

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<p>figment42, are you a freshman? Because if so, you’re making me feel really bad about myself right now.</p>

<p>4thfloor, the Barnard-Columbia relationship is very complex and usually expressed only online by disgruntled trolls. I know a friend who always hangs out with this girl in Barnard, and they share a usually friendly relationship with each other.</p>

<p>arcfromconn, there is a preprofessional course taken during the freshman year that allows for major exploration. Other SEAS students will have more info on that. Regarding the AP-like test, AP is a sure way to get credit, but I’m not so sure if other substitutes can be accepted, especially in SEAS, which has strict guidelines as a certified engineering school.</p>

<p>columbiafan, don’t worry if you don’t drink. There actually are fewer parties here in comparison to other universities due to limited space. I don’t, and I’m not bored, because I know a lot of people who also don’t, and there’s always something you can do.</p>

<p>And to everybody regarding the social scene and stress on campus: it’s all what you want to make of it. There’s really no Columbia archetype due to the diversity here (look up the statistics); it’s the vocal people that establish these stereotypes. Of course, diversity is both good and bad; you will definitely encounter people that infuriate you, but your are also guaranteed to meet someone who shares your interests. If you really can’t find anything to do on campus, go out into the city and find your niche.</p>

<p>Regarding stress, all I can say is recognize your limitations and don’t overextend yourself. Here, taking “only” 4 classes is tantamount to slacking, but you need to do some research regarding your classes: some require a lot of effort (UWriting has one of the worst work-to-credits ratio I’ve seen). Always take breaks and get enough sleep, even if you feel pressed for time. Clearer and refreshed minds make you more efficient.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the replies, current students! You’re making me feel better. Another question: how much room is there in your freshman and sophomore years to “mess around” and take courses that may or may not apply to your eventual major? I’m looking at a variety of related majors right now, but I’m wondering if I should come in mostly committed or with more of an open mind.</p>

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<p>Quick question: I am a senior in high school applying to Columbia. I am very interested in math and science but am not sure about applying to SEAS. Which is harder to do: Be accepted directly into SEAS, or be accepted into CC and then try and transfer into SEAS?
Thanks!</p>

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<p>@TNT I’ve heard it’s very hard to do an internal transfer, and that SEAS acceptance rate is higher (9.9%) than CC (6.4%), so apply directly to SEAS</p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice, but there is still one thing worrying me: my subject test scores. For SEAS I know that you have to take the math and either the physics or the chemistry. I took the Math 2 (760), the Biology E (680), and the chemistry (630). My chemistry score, in my opinion, sucks, and although SEAS may have a higher acceptance rate than CC I am worried that the low score will hinder my chances of getting in. </p>

<p>Also, just out of curiosity, are you a Columbia student? If so what were your SAT scores and Subject test scores? (just for comparison)</p>

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<p>I want to emphasize that the Columbia community is almost non-existent. As pwoods said, there’s no central hangout spot so it’s on you to go out and meet different people and keep in contact with them. </p>

<p>You need to be mature enough to handle NYC, and it’s not a place where your social life is handed to you. Regardless of what happens, you’ll need a few of these qualifications to have friends and even more if you want a solid friend group:</p>

<p>1) Proximity during freshman year, i.e. floormates
2) Shared interest/activity that is done frequently
3) Shared club/extracurricular where you see people weekly
4) Fraternity or Sorority<br>
5) A couple really outgoing friends</p>

<p>Look, it’s not easy and a lot of students have a horrible social experience, because they’re not ready to handle adult relationships. This isn’t high school where you can sit in a class and strike up a conversation during classwork. You meet very few people just by going to lecture, you’ll need to start by doing homework together and then move ahead to other activities. </p>

<p>That said, there are quite a few impediments to a successful social life</p>

<p>1) Wanting to academically succeed in a competitive environment
2) Looking down on fraternities or sororities as boorish
3) There is a lack of space so there’s no central hangout spot. Seriously, what can you do on campus outside of dorm rooms? Pool (Hartley has 1 table)? Video Games? Football? Ultimate Frisbee? Basketball (Gym is closed fairly regularly)?
4) Lack of motivation</p>

<p>For all the seniors, finding friends and having a social life at Columbia is a serious matter. If you miss out on the “Hey, my name is [ ]” part of freshman year, it’s a huge uphill battle. </p>

<p>Guess what, nobody at Columbia needs you or gives a damn about you unless you have something to offer. It’s not a happy-go-lucky place where students reach out to one another in times of need and hang out for the sake of each other’s company. It can be an extremely cold and remote place, where students turn away from each other to avoid saying hello and condolences are spoken in the most exigent circumstances. Be prepared to spend most of your time alone, in your dormitory room. Regardless, good luck to all those accepted ED. </p>

<p>Just laugh it off when sophomores and seniors tell you that this place sucks. Keep telling yourself that Columbia is a great social place. Just keep chugging along and try not to do anything that would jeopardize yourself.</p>