I was recently accepted to Columbia and while extremely honored, I have some concerns. Mainly, as the title suggests, I worry Columbia is not a very social or cohesive college campus. The stereotype is that the typical Columbia student is independent and always has their nose in a book.
While I love to be intellectually challenged, I also enjoy having fun and hanging out with people. When I say “social life” I don’t mean drinking, I mean just genuinely nice people who want to go to a sports game or go out to dinner. Also, on the same line of thought is it true that Columbia doesn’t have enthusiasm for their athletics and an overall lack of spirit?
Here’s what I experienced at Columbia. While Columbia offers a quintessential urban college experience, students have the same – and, in my opinion, a more enriching – collegial experience than many students have at other colleges. The Morningside Heights campus is a central hub to virtually all undergraduates. In contrast to a sprawling campus at other colleges, Columbia’s campus is a bubbling tightly knit campus that radiates an intellectual vibe that invites engagement. I found that undergraduates of all walks relish the energy. In fact, even though the City is at Columbia’s doorstep, the vast majority of undergrads remain on campus to soak up what Columbia has to offer. The engaged environment also fosters deep and lasting friendships. As for athletics, what can I say? I think that Columbians have traditionally elevated intellectual engagement over sports. Having said that, the Lions have some very competitive teams, including a football team that came in 2nd in the Ivy League, w/ sell out crowds w/ a roaring sense of pride.
@Plato23 , Thank you for sharing your experience. In addition to social life, how is work load at Columbia? I heard Columbia is often described as cut throat. Is there any supporting resources out there?
That’s a difficult question. Depending upon the major and course load, the work can be challenging. But, that’s expected. There are a lot of high achievers who push themselves to excel and get the most out of what they are studying. That means that there is some general intensity. On the other end of the spectrum, there are a lot of folks who are just interested in learning (as opposed to achieving), and those students often possess a laissez fair attitude about grades, internships w/ financial institutions or professional schools. There’s also a healthy concentration of students who are artists and writers who see things through an unorthodox lens. And, of course, there are anti-establishment-types (at least while they are in school) who just buck the tide entirely. So, to sum it up, Columbia students fall all over the map, though there’s a common thread of engagement and curiosity that pervades the school. Don’t know if that helps, but I don’t think that there’s a singular answer.
I’m replying to this instead of going out tonight (I guess I have good reasons but anyway) - Columbia is definitely ‘social’. I was so scared when I came here that I wouldn’t have friends and whatnot, but I made friends, and I had a good time. Honestly, I am definitely one of the more introverted types, but I generally always have plans every weekend and we generally don’t drink. We go to dinner or concerts, or random spots in the city.
In fact, I don’t actually think there are many people who are the way that you described, if anything. People are definitely sociable and there’s a great diversity of people. For athletics - people go to homecoming but in a city where there are multiple professional sports teams, it makes sense that there’s less enthusiasm for college sports.
@Plato23 , @ecouter11 , thank you for your input!
It is easy to find alcohol at Columbia and sports are a low priority.
There’s a healthy social scene, including an expanding Greek life. Check out WikiCU for more info curated by Columbia students.