<p>You would be surprised at how many people are only your friends when you live on the same floor or in the same building as them. For many people the key to being their friend is location. </p>
<p>If you’ve found people where that is not the case, then congratulations, they are really your friend.</p>
<p>Um… okay… not all of my close friends are on my floor? In fact, only two of them are.</p>
<p>What is up with all of these negative Nancys? Seriously. Sorry you guys had a crap time at college, but maybe that’s YOUR fault and you should stop blaming the university/everyone else. </p>
<p>It’s true-- Columbia will not shove friends down your throat. I like that. I like their hands off attitude. It fosters independence that I find invaluable and enriching. If you don’t want to be an independent individual, well, maybe you should consider going back to high-school.</p>
<p>Hmm, an ad hominem attack and slippery slope logic. I’ll refrain from doing the same, as I’m sure that you’re stressed from midterms.</p>
<p>Independence is an essential skill that all individuals need to learn. I take responsibility for actions I could have taken to enjoy school more. There are always things that one can do better, especially in tough circumstances. </p>
<p>My issue is that Columbia is not supportive enough of it’s student body, which results from space or administrative nightmares. Add on the academic stress and lack of proper outlets and you have a volatile combination. I admit that there are students who enjoy their time and find balance, a way of venting the pressure that we can agree pervades NYC and the campus. However, the administration’s stance has been to use NYC not as an addendum to the undergraduate experience but as the only outlet. Lerner Hall is mini-convention center. Hartley lounge has 2 pool tables and 2 ping pong tables for 5000 undergraduates.
Student space and lounges are almost non-existent relative to the number of students.</p>
<p>Critics say that you should just go downtown rather than stay on campus. Barring time constraints, the fact remains that you don’t meet any Columbia students, people who are most likely to live around you, when you go to midtown or Chinatown. Students need to meet other students on campus, but the opportunity is not there, with most people staying in their singles, perpetuating a negative cycle of competitive academics and social isolation. </p>
<p>Critics also say that the onus is on students to grab coffee and arrange events. My question is where? My primary means of keeping in contact is not grabbing 1 on 1 coffee 10 times with 10 different people. Suite space is only available when you become an upperclassman, when cliques have formed and the social environment is less fluid. This is why joining a club or fraternity is so important, it opens up access to space and a consistent time to meet students with similar interests.</p>
<p>I’ve witnessed this destructive enviroment, an enviroment where the stresses and strains accumulate to a tipping point. Students who are older, such as GS student, may be better able to handle the simultaneous academic stress and lack of social interaction. However,
I find that most undergraduates cannot. </p>
<p>Columbia is not the typical American college. It’s located in the densest city in the Western world, for the worse I’d argue.</p>
<p>I couldn’t resist…but keep your ad hominem attacks to the CC paper you’re going to fail.</p>
<p>I agree that city colleges like Columbia and NYU and CUNY are definitely not your typical college experience and from what I’m hearing, the primary benefits of Columbia are it’s prestige and quality education.</p>
<p>Beardtax, you say some pretty salacious things on CC so I think you should cool it on the ad hominem attack. Are you a parli debater?</p>
<p>What is your comparison of support, that Columbia somehow doesn’t measure up? Again, we have the second highest retention rate in the country and the third graduation rate. Those are two pretty clear facts that indicate at least some support. We also now have the most comprehensive advising program in the country with folks who used to run the advising offices at some of our peer schools. </p>
<p>Um, how is the administration’s stance to use NYC as the only outlet? We have a beautiful student center that most schools would die for, lots of social spaces, and inspiring quads in the middle of the “densest city in the Western world.” Yes, there are more places that are more collegiate in the sense that they are removed from urban life and spread out. But find another urban university in the United States that truly offers both collegiate life and a world capital. </p>
<p>What critics say you should just go downtown? I am a critic, and I say just get involved. I meet new friends every week and I have made tremendous friendships on campus over my time at Columbia. I get that you feel socially isolated but that is not the normal feeling for most Columbians. </p>
<p>I would strongly recommend that lurkers on this board recognize that beardtax does not speak for most Columbians. I believe there are trolls who conveniently post on this board around admitted student season…</p>
<p>It’s highly ironic that you call me a “■■■■■” while telling me to “cool it on the ad hominem attack”. </p>
<p>1) Columbia is not a happy place. It may be the online forum on Bwog that brings out the worst in students, but I truly believe that there’s an undercurrent of unhappiness and despair. It doesn’t permeate throughout the entire student body, but enough of us been through periods of intense sadness that we consider taking time off of school or transferring out. The recent suicide of Tina Bu stoked the debate about student wellness again.</p>
<p>[Tian</a> Bu, CC 13, Has Passed Away Bwog](<a href=“Tian Bu, CC ’13, Has Passed Away - Bwog”>Tian Bu, CC ’13, Has Passed Away - Bwog)</p>
<p>[How</a> We’re Doing | The Eye](<a href=“http://eye.columbiaspectator.com/?q=article/2011/12/01/how-were-doing]How”>http://eye.columbiaspectator.com/?q=article/2011/12/01/how-were-doing)</p>
<p>2) Statistics on graduation and freshman year retention rate are great, but I’d argue that it’s a function of the quality of students that Columbia attracts. Advising is ATROCIOUS. I don’t know where you got the information from, but many advisers spend so much time worrying about paperwork that they have a tough time even knowing what the requirements for your major are. “Uhhh…let me check the bulletin on that.” </p>
<p>Columbia Spectator article about how horrible advising is (9/15/11)
[A</a> little advice](<a href=“http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2011/09/15/little-advice]A”>A little advice - Columbia Spectator)</p>
<p>3) Many students think Lerner is an eyesore on campus. Most schools would die for Lerner because it makes so much $$$$$ as a convention center. As for students, I’m pretty sure most think that Lerner doesn’t have enough space (the ramps are just awful). Almost all the tables and seats are taken in the public areas, and if you need a room for an event, book 2-4 weeks in advance (as someone who took care of room bookings and learned the hard way)</p>
<p>Check out the Student Space Initiative, which has been pushing the administration to open up more space in Lerner for students. (2/20/12)
[Student</a> Space Lounge: Coming Soon To A Glass House Near You! Bwog](<a href=“http://bwog.com/2012/02/20/student-space-lounge-coming-soon/]Student”>Student Space Lounge: Coming Soon To A Glass House Near You! - Bwog)</p>
<p>Bwog’s review of Lerner. (5/6/10)
[Lerner</a> 2010: A Place For Students! Bwog](<a href=“http://bwog.com/2010/05/06/lerner-2010-a-place-for-students/]Lerner”>Lerner 2010: A Place For Students! - Bwog)</p>
<p>4) There aren’t a lot of social spaces for undergraduates. Hamilton is the only official space designated as undergraduate only, and it’s most classrooms. There are over 27,000 students at Columbia and it’s NYC. It’s expected that space is limited, but let’s not try to fool everyone else into thinking that space is plenty. What do you mean by inspiring quads, the ones that are never opened unless prospective students come?</p>
<p>[South</a> Lawn - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia](<a href=“http://www.wikicu.com/South_Lawn]South”>South Lawn - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia)</p>
<p>That bwog article about Tina Bu was the one I was referring to earlier. Some of the comments on there are SHOCKING. </p>
<p>I also don’t understand why the people on this forum who love columbia feel the need to attack people who don’t love Columbia. All we do is present our experiences which are obviously different from yours. I don’t get offended when I read about how much you love Columbia. </p>
<p>Overall, I wouldn’t say that I hate Columbia, I’m just disappointed with the experience. Especially, since I came from a school I was genuinely happy at, and a school where the administration cared about its students. There was a sense of community and belonging, and great deal of pride. I would love to feel the same way about Columbia, but right now I just don’t. Who knows, maybe things will get better next year. </p>
<p>Also, to isabelwhatx, all I have to say is, you are only a freshmen (right?), wait until sophomore year or even junior year. People change. I am still friends with very few of the people I was friends with freshmen year. I myself have changed a lot since I was a freshmen.</p>
<p>I agree with you beautifulday. As a high school student, I would be leery of the information on College Confidential. Doesn’t it seem strange that admissions committees don’t check these forums each day and discredit all detractors? However, it’s just a little coincidental that so many of your comments sound like they come straight out of a brochure. It’s hard to take you seriously when you can spout more quotes and statistics than actual experiences at Columbia.</p>
<ul>
<li>No one calls Lerner a “beautiful student center that most schools would die for”</li>
<li>No one calls the lawns “inspiring quads”</li>
<li>No one defends advising by calling it “the most comprehensive advising program in the country” (Ctrl F “most comprehensive advising systems in the nation”) [Frequently</a> Asked Questions (for Parents & Families) | Columbia University Office of Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/families/faq.php]Frequently”>http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/families/faq.php) </li>
</ul>
<p>I’m not griping about Columbia for the sake of ■■■■■■■■ or complaining. I felt cheated and lied to by brochures, information sessions, visits, and by forums so populated by users who just don’t sound like Columbia students. I was duped as a high school student, but I want to make sure that the dirty laundry gets aired out. As some other users can attest, I’ve helped with decisions about classes, majors, and housing. I, however, will not stand idly by as administrators, posing as students, convince 18 year olds to sacrifice some of the best years of their life for a shadow of a college experience.</p>
<p>“We have a beautiful student center that most schools would die for, lots of social spaces”</p>
<p>Really? Where?</p>
<p>I like Columbia, but even the administration acknowledges that there’s not enough student space (in Lerner or anywhere else) and both Advising and Financial Aid have major problems.</p>
<p>By defending Columbia in the manner that he or she does, Beautifulday demonstrates the condescending and apathetic nature of the administration, one of the ugliest parts of the Columbia experience. The Center for Student Advising and Psychological Services are so inured to the constant stream of students “whining” about their experience that many cases are met with perfunctory patience. Administrators belittle students as if they were children whining in a grocery store for candy, biding their time until their energy drains.</p>
<p>Again, can we please reference the title of this post? Not that its not true or anything, because I don’t know, but it seems unnecessary in this specific place to he antagonistic.</p>
<p>Columbia’s a tough experience but you’ll grow a great deal. Compared to your peers who attend run-of-the-mill schools (not to be condescending), you’ll be more mature, capable, and aggressive when pursuing opportunities or politicking in the workplace.</p>
<p>The core is great. If you take it seriously, you’ll have a foundation to analyze and understand the history and development of Western thought. It’s not just a cocktail party topic; the classes have expanded my understanding of democracy, the arts, and history from the perspective of other cultures.</p>
<p>I suggest all prospective students listen to beard tax as I did not last year. Columbia is an experience, it’s not for everyone. I will say this, in the first few weeks of my Columbia experience, I was really lonely. I was lucky enough to move to John Jay and my floor is full of a great bunch of people, if I was stuck on my old floor, I have no doubt that I would be heavily depressed. Even now, I often feel crushed by Columbia 's workload, difficulty making friends and sheer frustration. I know you love the school you’ve chosen and I want you to be happy, but I can’t lie to you. Tina Bu wasn’t the only suicide at Columbia this year.</p>
<p>“Tina Bu wasn’t the only suicide at Columbia this year.”</p>
<p>Unless you count the School of Continuing Ed student who was fell off a building in midtown after a dispute with her boyfriend (which may have been a suicide, but wasn’t really Columbia-related), Tina Bu is the only one I was aware of.</p>
<p>According to bwog there have only been three deaths this year at Columbia. </p>
<p>Tina Bu and two GS students, one of them as pwoods said may have committed suicide. The other was battling cancer.</p>
<p>I was referring to this: [Continuing</a> Education student Samantha Kwek dies](<a href=“http://www.columbiaspectator.com/2012/02/01/continuing-education-student-samantha-kwek-dies]Continuing”>Continuing Education student Samantha Kwek dies - Columbia Spectator)
[SCE</a> Student Samantha Kwek Has Passed Away – Bwog](<a href=“http://bwog.com/2012/01/31/sce-student-samantha-kwek-has-passed-away/]SCE”>SCE Student Samantha Kwek Has Passed Away - Bwog)</p>
<p>She was in the School of Continuing Education, not GS.</p>