<p>. . . that everyone at columbia is a douche bag.
how much truth is there in this statement?</p>
<p>its completely true.</p>
<p>i mean, are you serious?</p>
<p>I hear....</p>
<p>....that people have nothing better to do than ask pointless questions on an internet forum.
Why don't you come find out yourself?</p>
<p>I hear the bad moon's arising. Can I get verification of this? How much truth is there in this modified CCR lyric? Come on people, get me that verification.</p>
<p>You're probably a d-bag since you asked this question.</p>
<p>some people are d-bags. most are not. most of the people here are pretty damn cool. </p>
<p>there are d-bags at every school... keep that in mind.</p>
<p>haha wow this is hilarious.</p>
<p>i came to CC to get a wider sample of opinions on this because when i tell people im applying to columbia all they say is, "are you serious? everyone there sucks."</p>
<p>and then i get attacked for wanting to be cured of my naivety.</p>
<p>Well, what you did was kind of like someone walking into a synagogue and asking where the gold stash is. It wasn't the best method of approach.</p>
<p>Did you honestly think you'd get great answers by approaching the board like that? Your statement just put everyone on the defensive. A better to way to ask would have been "how would you characterize the student body?" or "can someone tell me a little bit about what Columbia students are like?"</p>
<p>By the way, people here definitely don't suck. that was by far the biggest surprise when I got here. I assumed that I had just lucked out with the people I had stayed with during my overnight but that was far from the truth. People are genuine, friendly, interesting, talented, and really just overall great people. I feel very fortunate to be in the current circle of friends I am in and couldn't ask to be in a better social environment.</p>
<p>Also, the term douche bag is quite subjective. I think the only one who can truly tell you who is or isn't a douche bag, is yourself.</p>
<p>i heard that too - it's a serious concern for me</p>
<p>could someone please actually answer this admittedly tactless question?</p>
<p>Anyone who asks a question about whether ANYTHING is true of "everyone at columbia" is a d-bag and not too bright. It's not that the question is tacky; it additionally reflects the questioner's lack of intelligence and ability to frame a good question that will elicit a meaningful answer.</p>
<p>How do you expect anybody to make a generalization about a group of 24,000 people?</p>
<p>okay, against my instincts (which were to mock the question), i'll try one particular tack:</p>
<p>On purely anecdotal evidence, from myself and my friends and everyone i've talked to at the various schools, there are "d-bags" at every elite private institution. We're talking about people with little to no social skills, way too much money, prone to bragging or insulting or generally being obnoxious. definitions may vary, but we all know what we're talking about here, we've all met (say) some prep school kid who thinks it's ok to harass the poor asian girl who "studies too much", etc. nuff said on that.</p>
<p>The % of jerks at peer schools varies considerably. At harvard law school, for example, the estimate i usually get is "about 50%", i.e. half the people are people you can talk to there, go out for a drink, are approachable - and the other half are just terrible human beings, for one reason or several. at the undergrad level, the estimates i've seen my friends at harvard and yale make are "about a third". i don't really have enough basis for judgment for dartmouth and princeton.</p>
<p>Based on knowing probably more than a thousand Columbia students well enough to decide one way or the other, i'd say about 10% of Columbia students are insufferable jerks on some level. Thus, lower than some snottier peer schools, but nonzero. Visit St. A's or certain frat parties (or work in a student-facing job in Student Services) and you'll meet enough of the people in that category to qualify.</p>
<p>I hope that provides some anecdotal evidence for you. Now, please, next time you go talk to a group of people and want to know if they're good people, don't phrase your question like, "hey guys, i'm hoping i could get an opinion on something - i hear you are all @ssholes, could you confirm that?"</p>
<p>that's just going to get a response of "go **** yourself". which is what it'll deserve. Try tact next time, it'll go farther.</p>
<p>Don't worry- saw your stats, and you'd never get in anyway.</p>
<p>schmohawk: that was a douche move, but hilarious nonetheless</p>
<p>Why, thank you.</p>