<p>I have severe water phobia... if I take a class and I still can't swim, will they really not let me graduate? Have you heard of anyone getting an exception?</p>
<p>but… if you cant swim… what will you do if manhattan floods??? jkjk</p>
<p>you should call columbia and ask; im sure they have made exceptions before. if youre in seas (engineering) you dont have to take a swim test at all.</p>
<p>Well, you don’t have to take the swim test. You can take beginner’s swimming instead. If you had a truly legitimate health reason, I imagine they’d make an exception. In your case, though, I doubt it. Columbia is pretty serious about their swim test. You can get a doctorate at Columbia, teach at Columbia, and even help start LitHum at Columbia…but if you haven’t taken that swim test, they won’t give you your B.A! [Mortimer</a> Adler - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia](<a href=“http://www.wikicu.com/Mortimer_Adler]Mortimer”>Mortimer Adler - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia)</p>
<p>On the other hand, many of our most famous students never graduated, so you’ll be in good company: [Category:Drop</a> outs - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia](<a href=“http://www.wikicu.com/Category:Drop_outs]Category:Drop”>Category:Drop outs - WikiCU, the Columbia University wiki encyclopedia)</p>
<p>As long as I can take beginner’s swimming instead (without having to pass the test later) I’m fine. That’s for sure right?</p>
<p>I’m definitely going to woman up and try to learn to swim; it’s just that if the panic button kicks in and I end up spending most of my class flailing around without floating, I don’t want to not graduate.</p>
<p>That is correct. If you take beginner’s swimming to fulfill one of your two PE requirements, you do NOT have to take the swim test.</p>