<p>Would any current or past students please comment on whether or not I should bring a tv? I have several shows that I love and there are a couple of channels that I have on at home all the time but I want to know if it is worth the expense and the hassle of moving out the TV. I'll be in a single in JJ.</p>
<p>TV? Yes or no?</p>
<p>YES. Do you want to have to fight w/ other people to watch what you want to watch when you want to watch it and/or hear other people talk and be annoying when you want to watch your shows?</p>
<p>do you want to pay the $$ each month for the cable hookup in your room is the better question</p>
<p>Odds are you'll be able to watch what you want in your lounge, at least now that the OC is off the air. And you can always go up or down a few floors to another lounge.</p>
<p>The cable subscription costs are rather substantial, similar to what your parents probably pay at home. In my opinion, it's not worth it.</p>
<p>And do you really want the distraction?</p>
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Odds are you'll be able to watch what you want in your lounge, at least now that the OC is off the air. And you can always go up or down a few floors to another lounge.
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<p>i agree with this....TV in your room will be a distraction both from your work and from socializing! You don't want to be locked in your room watching some show you can easily download later while everyone else is out making memories that'll last forever (sorry, that sounds corny but you know what i mean)...TV is a good way to waste time....if you're smart you won't need to waste your precious free time in college.</p>
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The cable subscription costs are rather substantial, similar to what your parents probably pay at home. In my opinion, it's not worth it.
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<p>Cable at columbia costs $27 (only reason i know is because i used to pay my suite's cable bill last year) and you get HBO and HBO2....I don't know where you are from but without HBO but with about 100 extra useless channels my folks pay $60 for cable in NYC.</p>
<p>But there's porn!</p>
<p>When you have a suite, and split the costs for a suite subscription for cable, it makes sense. But $27/month to have it in your room is just too darn much.</p>
<p>If you're going to be an incoming freshman, I can't emphasize the following enough:
** DO NOT LOAD UP WITH TONS OF ACTIVITIES, SIDE INTERESTS AND DAILY HABITS!!!! **</p>
<p>At least, don't enter school with them. Once you've gotten through midterms in the fall of your freshman year, then you'll pretty much know what you've gotten yourself into and what you're capable of, and you can start taking stuff on. </p>
<p>But my advice for the past 4 years to people has been, take 3 things besides academics and general socializing, and limit yourself to those 3 things. For me they were frisbee, a cappella, and a political cause (at the start... the latter changed quickly). I later added freelance software consulting, a job at housing, a long-term girlfriend (hooray barnard), karate, work with the ACLU, and so on. But during orientation, I resisted the urge to sign up for mock trial, debate, and other things that piqued my curiosity. I filed them away for later, but I'm VERY glad I didn't overload myself more right then and there. I would've tried to juggle all of it and grades would've suffered.</p>
<p>Most incoming freshmen don't realize the extent to which they're going from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond. There are very very few high schools around the country (and/or world) which are adequate comparisons to Columbia's level of intensity and number of distractions. Play it safe - at least to start!</p>
<p>I would say yes to a tv. At home I always just had it on in the background, and I had a few shows during the week that I liked but that weren't really popular, so my own tv helped--for example, Survivor was on the same time as the OC, so the lounge was always taken. Friends also came to my room to watch movies and such, so it wasn't necessarily an isolating thing either, as long as you don't let it become one.</p>
<p>About cable, I was pretty frugal about everything else and I had a job, so I didn't really mind the $27 a month--however, if you're in one of the dorms that doesn't have Columbia cable and you have to go to the local Time Warner or whatever, don't bother. It can run you over $60, and it's just a big hassle.</p>