Review of Columbia University in the City of New York
from Bowie, MD
Describe your college in three sentences.
The connections made with professors and instructors are great. The climate (in terms of the resources available) is perfect for the student who is itching to be independent and loves the city. However, it gets cold fast and stays cold for long periods of time - it snowed late April and was cold enough for coats in early May.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Try to go to office hours. Sometimes that is the difference between you receiving a B- and a B.
Don't get caught up in the hype during orientation week, also known as NSOP (New Student Orientation Program). Many students, afraid of not making enough friends, add the phone numbers of almost every student they meet. However, this causes one to lose focus because they become worried about keeping up with acquaintances and hanging out. I follow this rule of thumb: Only add their number after you've had three real conversations. An example of a real conversation is talking about what state/country you guys came from, your family, finding study partners, or a 1-hour non-awkward conversation at Starbucks, not a fake conversation about favorite colors or matching outfits. That way you won't end up with 50 numbers of classmates whom you briefly saw twice at the beginning of the semester. And yes, you will at least meet 50 new students during NSOP.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Keep in mind that I am a Neuroscience and Behavior major (junior) in Columbia College of Columbia University. I have mostly taken science courses, and some literature courses.
The coursework at Columbia is fairly difficult. The level of difficulty depends on the professor and class. Some professors teach at a fast pace, forcing the student to rely heavily on self-studying to catch up or understand concepts. Some professors are amazing at explaining concepts with such clarity, but their assignments/exams are difficult and require that the student not recite basics, but apply the concepts they learned in a different context. Some instructors are terrible and have difficult exams, thus making it twice as hard for the student. Some professors are great at teaching and administer exams that are not too difficult, nor too easy. One also has to keep in mind that most professors have teaching assistants (TAs), and those professors who are especially preoccupied with their research tend to rely heavily on their TAs to answer questions, hold office hours, and grade assignments/exams. Be wary of TAs who are power-hungry. Your grade may lie in their hands.
If there is anything you must remember, it is that you can see reviews by Columbia students for Columbia students of professors, instructors, and some TAs at www.culpa.info. There you'll see what makes a professor/class good or bad and how heavy the assignments and how many exams that class has.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
During my first year, I dormed in a single in John Jay. There are four options for first-year dorms: very sociable doubles and quads in Carmen; somewhat sociable and more substance-free singles and few doubles in John Jay; quiet singles and doubles in Furnald; and somewhat sociable singles and doubles in the Living and Learning Center (LLC). Most first-years prefer Carmen and John Jay for their social climates.
For upperclassmen, there are dorms located nearby, but off the main quad, as it is a bit harder to get housing as an upperclassmen conveniently on campus.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
The food is great. Anywhere you go will have better or worse amenities. Some students complain the food is not as good as what they eat at home, but the food is fine to me.
Columbia has three main places that offer food: for early morning breakfast, late brunch, pizza, salads, stir fries, and pastas head to Ferris; for late brunch and home-cooked dinners head to John Jay dining hall; and for late night/ after midnight snacks, pancakes, omelets, hamburgers, fries, etc. head to JJ's Place.
Columbia also has other cafes on campus that offer snacks and cold/hot drinks for purchase with Dining dollars, Flex dollars (both purchased from Columbia and only valid on campus and select locations, such as the 24/7 Morton Williams grocery and Chipotle), or cash/credit card.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
Student Organizations throw parties more so at the beginning of the semester and near the end of the semester. Students can go sight-seeing (at the Brooklyn Bridge, in the Met, etc.) or peruse through nearby Harlem (yes in Harlem, but during the daytime, as I did). Students (of legal age) can visit 1020 or Mel's for a drink and hangout.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
New York City, especially Manhattan, is known for being very expensive, but the benefits of being a Columbia student can be found at the TIC (Ticket and Information Center) and their website at artsinitiative.columbia.edu, where students can access discounts to museums, Broadway shows, and other attractions in the city.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
At the end of every semester Columbia's marching band follow a tradition called Orgo night. They play on campus on the way to Butler library on the Thursday before Finals at midnight and deliver a comedy show for students to unwind and laugh before finals begin.
Another tradition is Scream night. One night during Finals, students head over to the middle of campus (on Low Library's steps) or just open their windows to lean outside and at midnight, they scream as loud as they possibly can.
Both options are nice stress relievers ^_^
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Independent students: One thing I love about Columbia is her location. New York City is littered with train stations and buses. And although any public transportation system is not that reliable in terms of punctuality, I still value my ability to travel to various places and not have to rely on owning a car or begging for a ride. A trip one way, anywhere in NYC is $2.50 and Columbia has a train station (named after her) at 116th St & Broadway.
Students who want/love diversity: If there is one thing I was unprepared for before college, it was diversity. All of my schooling prior to college involved mostly interactions with other minorities like me. Upon coming to Columbia, I developed friendships with people of various backgrounds, both nationally and internationally. I've met students from Turkey, China, Florida, Ohio, and many other places, but also found other students with similar backgrounds as mine. It may take a while, but you will eventually find your niche here.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
Because of the diversity of the student body, there are hundreds of clubs and groups to join and Columbia encourages the creation of more student organizations for students who may feel that they aren't represented. There are dance groups, acapella groups, science organizations, engineering and math organizations, debate teams, ethnic organizations and much more. Like I said before, it may take a while, but you'll eventually find your niche here.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There are some fraternities and sororities here and some of them have housing near campus. For some students, rush week and pledging are easy ways to make very close friends for a lifetime but some students have had their share of disappointments in the process. It's hard to tell if a certain sorority or fraternity is worth joining, and I would suggest talking to an individual who may have left the one you want to join, but it may not be easy to find someone who has. So the best way to join a fraternity/sorority is by making sure your big brother/sister (assigned to you when you pledge) is truly someone you would count on as a close friend. Or you should join with another close friend whom you've known very well. Greek life can be a blessing, in so far as a student benefiting from relatable and dependable friendships, or a nightmare, in which misunderstandings can cause friendships to fall apart.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
The headquarters for Columbia's Public Safety are on the first floor of Low Library. In most dormitories, there is a guard at the desk to swipe IDs and sign in visitors. Each student is allowed a maximum of 5 guests. Each must provide a form of ID (e.g. school ID, driver's license, etc.), leave it at the desk during their visit, and pick it up when they leave.
If you are somewhere in Manhattan and feel unsafe heading home alone or with public transportation, you can call Public Safety and ask them to send an escort or you can catch a Public Safety bus, if you are near a pre-designated stop.
Usually during emergencies involving Columbia students, when someone calls 911, the emergency operator might transfer you to the Public Safety office because if something unfortunate happened to you on campus and you need help immediately, the police, who are less familiar with campus buildings/locations than Public Safety is, may take longer to get to you.
One assurance is that CAVA (Columbia Area Volunteer Ambulance) has several ambulances stationed on campus and various streets around campus to get to you as quickly as possible. Also, St. Luke's Hospital is literally in Columbia's backyard, right across the street from John Jay (a first-year dormitory) on 114th St & Amsterdam Ave.
The connections made with professors and instructors are great. The climate (in terms of the resources available) is perfect for the student who is itching to be independent and loves the city. However, it gets cold fast and stays cold for long periods of time - it snowed late April and was cold enough for coats in early May.
Try to go to office hours. Sometimes that is the difference between you receiving a B- and a B. Don't get caught up in the hype during orientation week, also known as NSOP (New Student Orientation Program). Many students, afraid of not making enough friends, add the phone numbers of almost every student they meet. However, this causes one to lose focus because they become worried about keeping up with acquaintances and hanging out. I follow this rule of thumb: Only add their number after you've had three real conversations. An example of a real conversation is talking about what state/country you guys came from, your family, finding study partners, or a 1-hour non-awkward conversation at Starbucks, not a fake conversation about favorite colors or matching outfits. That way you won't end up with 50 numbers of classmates whom you briefly saw twice at the beginning of the semester. And yes, you will at least meet 50 new students during NSOP.
Keep in mind that I am a Neuroscience and Behavior major (junior) in Columbia College of Columbia University. I have mostly taken science courses, and some literature courses. The coursework at Columbia is fairly difficult. The level of difficulty depends on the professor and class. Some professors teach at a fast pace, forcing the student to rely heavily on self-studying to catch up or understand concepts. Some professors are amazing at explaining concepts with such clarity, but their assignments/exams are difficult and require that the student not recite basics, but apply the concepts they learned in a different context. Some instructors are terrible and have difficult exams, thus making it twice as hard for the student. Some professors are great at teaching and administer exams that are not too difficult, nor too easy. One also has to keep in mind that most professors have teaching assistants (TAs), and those professors who are especially preoccupied with their research tend to rely heavily on their TAs to answer questions, hold office hours, and grade assignments/exams. Be wary of TAs who are power-hungry. Your grade may lie in their hands. If there is anything you must remember, it is that you can see reviews by Columbia students for Columbia students of professors, instructors, and some TAs at www.culpa.info. There you'll see what makes a professor/class good or bad and how heavy the assignments and how many exams that class has.
During my first year, I dormed in a single in John Jay. There are four options for first-year dorms: very sociable doubles and quads in Carmen; somewhat sociable and more substance-free singles and few doubles in John Jay; quiet singles and doubles in Furnald; and somewhat sociable singles and doubles in the Living and Learning Center (LLC). Most first-years prefer Carmen and John Jay for their social climates. For upperclassmen, there are dorms located nearby, but off the main quad, as it is a bit harder to get housing as an upperclassmen conveniently on campus.
The food is great. Anywhere you go will have better or worse amenities. Some students complain the food is not as good as what they eat at home, but the food is fine to me. Columbia has three main places that offer food: for early morning breakfast, late brunch, pizza, salads, stir fries, and pastas head to Ferris; for late brunch and home-cooked dinners head to John Jay dining hall; and for late night/ after midnight snacks, pancakes, omelets, hamburgers, fries, etc. head to JJ's Place. Columbia also has other cafes on campus that offer snacks and cold/hot drinks for purchase with Dining dollars, Flex dollars (both purchased from Columbia and only valid on campus and select locations, such as the 24/7 Morton Williams grocery and Chipotle), or cash/credit card.
Student Organizations throw parties more so at the beginning of the semester and near the end of the semester. Students can go sight-seeing (at the Brooklyn Bridge, in the Met, etc.) or peruse through nearby Harlem (yes in Harlem, but during the daytime, as I did). Students (of legal age) can visit 1020 or Mel's for a drink and hangout.
New York City, especially Manhattan, is known for being very expensive, but the benefits of being a Columbia student can be found at the TIC (Ticket and Information Center) and their website at artsinitiative.columbia.edu, where students can access discounts to museums, Broadway shows, and other attractions in the city.
At the end of every semester Columbia's marching band follow a tradition called Orgo night. They play on campus on the way to Butler library on the Thursday before Finals at midnight and deliver a comedy show for students to unwind and laugh before finals begin. Another tradition is Scream night. One night during Finals, students head over to the middle of campus (on Low Library's steps) or just open their windows to lean outside and at midnight, they scream as loud as they possibly can. Both options are nice stress relievers ^_^
Independent students: One thing I love about Columbia is her location. New York City is littered with train stations and buses. And although any public transportation system is not that reliable in terms of punctuality, I still value my ability to travel to various places and not have to rely on owning a car or begging for a ride. A trip one way, anywhere in NYC is $2.50 and Columbia has a train station (named after her) at 116th St & Broadway. Students who want/love diversity: If there is one thing I was unprepared for before college, it was diversity. All of my schooling prior to college involved mostly interactions with other minorities like me. Upon coming to Columbia, I developed friendships with people of various backgrounds, both nationally and internationally. I've met students from Turkey, China, Florida, Ohio, and many other places, but also found other students with similar backgrounds as mine. It may take a while, but you will eventually find your niche here.
Because of the diversity of the student body, there are hundreds of clubs and groups to join and Columbia encourages the creation of more student organizations for students who may feel that they aren't represented. There are dance groups, acapella groups, science organizations, engineering and math organizations, debate teams, ethnic organizations and much more. Like I said before, it may take a while, but you'll eventually find your niche here.
There are some fraternities and sororities here and some of them have housing near campus. For some students, rush week and pledging are easy ways to make very close friends for a lifetime but some students have had their share of disappointments in the process. It's hard to tell if a certain sorority or fraternity is worth joining, and I would suggest talking to an individual who may have left the one you want to join, but it may not be easy to find someone who has. So the best way to join a fraternity/sorority is by making sure your big brother/sister (assigned to you when you pledge) is truly someone you would count on as a close friend. Or you should join with another close friend whom you've known very well. Greek life can be a blessing, in so far as a student benefiting from relatable and dependable friendships, or a nightmare, in which misunderstandings can cause friendships to fall apart.
The headquarters for Columbia's Public Safety are on the first floor of Low Library. In most dormitories, there is a guard at the desk to swipe IDs and sign in visitors. Each student is allowed a maximum of 5 guests. Each must provide a form of ID (e.g. school ID, driver's license, etc.), leave it at the desk during their visit, and pick it up when they leave. If you are somewhere in Manhattan and feel unsafe heading home alone or with public transportation, you can call Public Safety and ask them to send an escort or you can catch a Public Safety bus, if you are near a pre-designated stop. Usually during emergencies involving Columbia students, when someone calls 911, the emergency operator might transfer you to the Public Safety office because if something unfortunate happened to you on campus and you need help immediately, the police, who are less familiar with campus buildings/locations than Public Safety is, may take longer to get to you. One assurance is that CAVA (Columbia Area Volunteer Ambulance) has several ambulances stationed on campus and various streets around campus to get to you as quickly as possible. Also, St. Luke's Hospital is literally in Columbia's backyard, right across the street from John Jay (a first-year dormitory) on 114th St & Amsterdam Ave.