Wondering about Columbia/NYC life

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
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<p>Hello,
I'm a HS Junior and I visited Columbia a couple weeks back. I really liked it while I was there. It seemed like a great place to be, and there seems to be so much going on- academically and socially- for students, especially with its NYC location and everything.
But I'm from a very average middle class family, and so while I was there a couple questions were constantly nagging, and have been since.
Basically, I'm worried that if I were at Columbia (any city school really, but I don't like NYU much or any of the others in NYC) I would have to miss out on tons of the stuff my peers would be doing and going out to see and do because of monetary worries. Now, my family's not poor, and we could probably swing the Columbia tuition with some financial aid which we would hopefully get. But not much more than that. I'd have money for the necessities, but I DEFINITELY couldn't go out two (or probably even one) night a weekend blowing 20-60 dollars on just drinks and fun. New york is really expensive, i don't think anyone would deny that. That may not seem like a lot to some people, but the reality is that I think I'd have to be really tight with money in the city. We just couldn't afford it, and it's not like I'd have time to work a serious job with school and all.
So have other people been in situations like this? How did you fare? Did you have a good time? What type of things did you do, and how did you save money doing them? Did you feel alienated from your peers because of stuff like this?</p>

<p>I basically want a genuine, honest evaluation/opinion on what it's like to be at columbia in shoes like mine.
Thanks</p>

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<p>This was written by a student in Columbia’s Class of 2014:</p>

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<p>Thanks, that was good to hear.
But my question has more to do with the means by which people can do all those great things. Am I going to be able to? I’ll just refer back to my original post; I’m wondering about all of that</p>

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<p>Current CC sophomore here. I come from a very similar background. I can ask my parents for money when it’s important, but I feel very bad asking too frequently, because I know that they have other financial responsibilities, such as paying my tuition.</p>

<p>That said, I have rarely felt a financial pinch. This year, being off of the meal plan, I have found that I have had to rely on my savings from work over the summer, but that’s more for food than for going out. I would say that you are rarely going to go out and spend that much money, and are much more likely to party in EC/Ruggles/Carman/McBain. Buying 40s/bottles of alcohol is far less expensive. </p>

<p>I would say that I go out to dinner with friends (like at a restaurant where I’m going to spend $15-25 dollars), probably three-four times a month, which is not that often.</p>

<p>Overall, I don’t think you’re going to be at all alienated for not having that much cash on hand. Certainly there are very wealthy students here who blow that kind of money and more on an average weekend. But the vast majority of people are broke college students who have a part job working public safety or something else, and maybe a little money socked away for emergencies. I would highly recommend having both an emergency fund and a fund of money that you use for non-emergency situations but things that are super fun (such as: all my friends are buying tickets to broadway show x and I really want to go). I mean, I recommend that for life, but especially for life at CU. But I certainly don’t think that having a basically middle-class amount of funds is at all going to be a social obstacle at Columbia. The vast, vast majority of people I’m friends with are very much middle-class and have the same budget woes as the rest of us.</p>

<p>So, to answer your questions:</p>

<p>For alternative, cheaper fun: drink in dorms with your friends. Offer to buy mixers; most people, especially upperclassmen are totally cool with you drinking their alcohol with them. For non-alcoholic fun, visit museums (many/most NYC museums are free for CU students), take advantage of discounted ticket prices to many Broadway and off-broadway shows, go out to dinner with friends in Brooklyn or the Bronx—it won’t be too expensive and it will still be a great night out with friends. Go to see CU students sing, play, and speak all over the city. Go see Slam Poetry, go hear a band at a club, go to a jazz club… stuff like that can costs anywhere from $5 to $20 dollars (and probably way more, but I’m just saying, you can spend a small amount of money and have a great time).</p>

<p>I have not felt alienated from my peers, and I DEFINITELY don’t spend anywhere near 60 bucks a week (much less a weekend) on anything but food, and I usually spend less than that, and I would spend WAY less than that if I were on a meal plan.</p>

<p>I’m having a <em>great</em> time here.</p>

<p>I have friends that are in more of a financial pinch that are definitely able to swing it and still have a great time, even though it’s always stressful at the beginning of the semester when time to buy books comes around. I don’t think that having a bunch of extra cash on hand is at all necessary to an enjoyable Columbia experience. Honestly, you’ll probably find more camaraderie being a college student with a modest amount of income than being really rich and being able to spend a hundred dollars every weekend going to bars downtown (and buying a super good expensive fake ID… not that Columbia students have fake IDs… of course).</p>

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<p>You needn’t worry, OP. Between dorms, apartments, Greek life, etc., cheap parties are regularly available. You’ll have a great time, I’m sure.</p>