Please help!! questions for current students

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

<p>I'm somewhat scared of going to Columbia. I can't help but think that everyone there will be smarter than me, that I might fail. I don't know if I'm independent enough to go to a school on the other side of the world (it takes like 20 hrs to get there by plane). I love challenges but I wonder is this one too big? too soon? And I don't know Columbia very well...I know it's one of the best schools in the country, has a great poli sci program, and is full of boundless opportuntities. But this description could easily describe any other top college. This is stuff I have to figure out. But I would really appreciate it if you could answer some of my questions. </p>

<br>


<br>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>
[quote]
I can't help but think that everyone there will be smarter than me, that I might fail.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Nobody flunks out of Columbia. The hardest part if getting in, and you've done that. With 1,500 people in the class, the odds are against you being the dumbest person there. Chill.</p>

<p>
[quote]
>is columbia cut-throat competitive? i expect students at columbia to be competitive but will they be unnecesarily so? over the top competitive? will they refuse to help a lost lamb with a pset?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not at all. Save some of the premeds, the cut-throat types are pretty rare at Columbia. Most people are happy to be at Columbia and aren't worried about their life being ruined if they get a B+ rather than an A- on a midterm.</p>

<p>
[quote]
>how difficult is the core curriculum? could someone post an old hmwrk/project so I can gauge the difficulty for myself?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You'll mostly be writing papers in the humanities core classes. They aren't that hard.</p>

<p>
[quote]
>are the teachers really interested in you? does the administration care or is it a slow, apathetic machine wound tight w/ red tape?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Plenty of profs care greatly about their students and love teaching, but some aren't so into it. The administration is completely full of red tape.</p>

<p>
[quote]
>are the opportunities truly boundless? at one of the schools i was admitted to, the profs gave the impression that there were opportunties but you had to really really work to get them...like knock the door of every prof to see if they had research opportunities. Is Columbia like that or are these opportunities within reach? Is there a ton of competition for these opportunities?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I'm not sure what "truly boundless" means. No professor is going to come to the dorms begging for you to do research with them. There are plenty of opportunities to do research at Columbia, but you have to go out and talk to the professors and show them that you're interested. No, I wouldn't say there is competition for doing research. Professors are glad to have an interested undergrad working with them.</p>

<p>
[quote]
>what are you first semester like? what killed you? what was the thing that kept you going?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The work wasn't a problem for me, but living in close quarters with lots of annoying people was a challenge to deal with.</p>