How hard does Columbia throw down??

Colleges & Universities A-Z Columbia University
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<p>lax, there is nothing rude about calling someone out who deserves it. the panning that you have received clearly demonstrates that you are on the wrong side of this tale. </p>

<p>of course - you can try and make it seem like you are a victim, etc., but you’re not. it was a very useless and unproductive way to start a question. let alone the fact that this question has been asked before (in fact it is every year). </p>

<p>you lack social grace, and that is probably the reason above all you deserved a kick in the pants/face. doesn’t mean you aren’t a smart kid, or have nothing to contribute - i assume you do, and for most people (if you can see how i operate on this board) i start with the assumption that you aren’t dumb, you can just say dumb things.</p>

<p>and if you can’t wake up - and walk your statements back, a few things you’ve said here are well unproductive, like writing “go to MIT,” they got great CS, but what the hell does that mean? what if someone wants to go to a top school that will teach them probably the same, but isn’t ranked #1, or perhaps they don’t like the culture of MIT. </p>

<p>you are giving yourself a bad name on here as an instigator, so let it be your choice how you wish to correct that perception. either feed it by being a bigger jack, or realize that i will treat you civilly if you approach this situation with a degree of humility and understanding of how you communicate with others is important, how you present your question will drastically change and alter the responses you get.</p>

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<p>syf: your questions don’t make all that much sense to me…i think they are a bit on the vague side</p>

<p>1) the social scene is a broad concept - it is hard for me to explain it so what do you mean.
2) how are the girls there on average - what does this mean? in terms of looks? in terms of behavior? well as i mentioned you will find every permutation, hopefully there are enough of the permutation you like…but even so you’re gonna be an insatiable 18 yo, and what this means more than likely is that no matter how great the situation is (you are going to school with some rather attractive and also incredible smart people) you will **** on it and say how ugly people are, or how hard it is to date.</p>

<p>3) I will add to the discussion one thing i think is worth mentioning. there is this phenomena in new york, and i think mostly seen in new york (with it showing in san fran and la to an extent), of brutal dissatisfaction. in a place where you seriously can get anything and everything, you will feel this kind of malaise - in a sense you become complacent because you have so many things available you feel it appropriate to get picky, to rank things, and to minimize places and situations that in any other city or any town would be considered extraordinary. it sometimes manifests itself with feeling like you could never find the love of your life, or that going to your friend’s birthday party in the hall next door is too much of a trouble. i understand the psychology behind it - you just know better, so then you expect more. but it has a slippery slope.</p>

<p>i would say this is my biggest critique of new york. it is a weird thing, it often requires a trip away from the city, to come to at least some degree of appreciation for how wonderful the city is…so if you go to columbia and you get the sense folks are a bit jaded, well the city definitely does that to you. the girl that was hot in high school, is not so hot in new york cause she doesn’t compare to that model. you complain about not knowing where to eat, when a grocery store is open 24 hrs within blocks of you, where there are like 15,000 bars within a subway ride, but you can’t pick a place to go drink. </p>

<p>so my biggest suggestion to new columbians, or prospective ones - stay grounded, don’t let the city get to you too much, and if you think it is - do something, get out of the city, or do something you never would normally in the city, visit something different, eat at a restaurant that everyone says sucks, and enjoy how bad it could be. and as for meeting women (or women meeting men), realize that they are probably a more interesting and captivating person than the vast majority of the world - that they are indeed hot because of the urban and cosmopolitan perspective they have merely from living in new york. and particularly columbia and barnard girls for going to some of the best and most rigorous schools. so that girl might talk like she is from the valley, but she could probably kick your ass in calculus. there is depth worth enjoying.</p>

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<p>haha thanks admissionsgeek…u offer good insight</p>

<p>columbia2002 u kinda need to calm down…laxkid is trying to ask a legitimate question and address a legitimate concern…why are u ripping on him for trying to ask a question about the social scene @ columbia (i am certainly interested in this, as well)</p>

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<p>@admissionsgeek you are extraordinarily helpful. Although I never thought I could be bored in NYC. weird</p>

<p>@OP you’re pretty lame :/</p>

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<p>If I may add my own spin to admissionsgeek’s observations… I call this the “redundancy of riches” syndrome. If you live in the Swiss alps, you don’t think the breathtaking vistas and cowbells to be “special.” If you live in NYC, the wealth of urban gems becomes pedestrian. (I came to think that way when I lived in NYC many years ago, and I will keep urging my younger son not to fall into that trap as a Columbia student.) It’s essentially a mild case of “grass is greener” syndrome, and can be controlled by admissiongeek’s suggestion to get out of the city once in a while. As a fellow who lives in a pristine environment that vaguely suggests the Swiss alps, I miss New York.</p>