<p>So I'm wondering about how the Core actually applies in terms of being a student (the website only gives course descripitons)</p>
<p>So, how many Core classes are you supposed to take overall? I understand they can be spread out over 4 years but most people do it in the first 2 years before declaring a major. Thus, in a given semester, how many classes would be core courses and how many would be elective? </p>
<p>I like humanities (i.e. History, World issues, economics) but I'm not a big fan of English and Creative Writing etc. Alot of the Core seems to be based on reading tons of books, writing a lot of essays, looking at things from a creative standpoint. Nor am i too keen on science and math. I kinda just like doing a little of both rather than being intensivley focussed on either one. Is the Core a bad thing for me? or is there a lot of room to take courses I find more interesting?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>(PS: whats the deal with a swimming test??)</p>
<p>all of those things that you mentioned you don’t like definitely make it seem like the core, and perhaps columbia, is not for you. but if you really think that columbia IS for you, but you don’t want too much of the core, maybe you should consider SEAS. then again, you said that you aren’t too keen on science and math so…sorry to say but columbia just doesn’t seem like a good fit for you at all</p>
<p>and as for the swim test, basically you have to be able to swim the length of the swimming pool they have 3 times. it’s a legit graduation requirement. no kidding. if you don’t do the swim test, you don’t graduate. no questions asked.</p>
<p>This is roughly what it’s going to look like for your first two years:</p>
<p>Literature Humanities (20 people discussing books)
Writing (20 people writing different kinds of essays)
Language
Elective
Elective</p>
<p>LitHum
Frontiers of Science (you learn about what science is and how it works through lectures by important professors and small group sessions)
Language
Elective
Elective</p>
<p>Contemporary Civilization (20 people discussing philosophical books)
ArtHum (20 people discussing art and its relationship to history/philosophy/literature)
Language
Elective
Elective</p>
<p>CC
MusicHum (I think you get the idea)
Language
Elective
Elective</p>
<p>The focus of the Core is very interdisciplinary and very much about critically analyzing culture/literature/philosophy. The next two years are almost all electives, but remember that two of those electives must be science classes and three must be anthro/history/philosophy courses dealing with a non-Western culture.</p>
<p>You also have to take two PE classes at some point and swim three lengths of a pool to graduate.</p>
<p>PrincetonDreams - the answer of course changes for each student and each student’s strengths. For most of the writing intensive courses I would say they certainly become individualized, and most professors or instructors will note that they grade each paper not on an absolute scale but based on what they sense is a student’s personal aptitude. In the end this normally means generous grading. The more quantitative classes, especially the courses that are not frontiers, may indeed grade on a curve, and so your performance is keyed into your placement within the class, so this becomes relatively important to know when selecting classes.</p>
<p>If you do the readings, participate in class, do the work on time, you should see this as a GPA stabilizer or booster for the most part. It is when you slack off, or do not participate that you will regret it - because as far as grading this is not the biggest obstacle of the core because its purpose is more experiential - it is meant to have you engage these important topics, so the grades themselves tend to only go far down when you’ve done something particularly egregious.</p>