Review of Columbia University in the City of New York
from Yonkers, NY
Do you feel you’re learning a lot?
Columbia is easily one of the most intellectually stimulating universities in the north! While the core may seem stifling and constricting at first, you'll undoubtedly learn quite a bit concerning the roots of the Western literary tradition and philosophy; there's also the wide array of tongues available, so if you’re tired of Romance languages give Arabic a try! I personally enjoy it when the different disciplines and schools of thought intersect: sociology, philosophy, and literature your main interests? Feel free to take a class concerning all three in conversation!
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
You might think that, being an Ivy, many of the students here would be snooty or rather pompous, but you'll find fairly quickly that that's not the case. Everyone here is generally rather laidback, amiable, and down to earth. It’s a strongly positive aspect of the Columbia community, as friendships tend to form fast and last long--and you can take my word for it that these friendships keep you afloat during the harrowing occurrence known as finals! The bonus, too, is that many share your value in intellectual pursuits!
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Columbia's pricey, there's no doubting it; at nearly 60k a year, it’d be fallacious to say that it isn’t. And, sometimes, as a result of the confusing grant packages, this might leave you in some awkward financial situations scrounging up money. Even given that, though, it's really an amazing institution to be for the sake of knowledge, genuinely interesting people, and a fantastic urban setting. People grow at college, it’s inevitable, but you’ll be surprised by how quickly you’ll grow as an individual here; not simply intellectually (though this, too, of course!), but pragmatically as well. It’s what the city teaches you.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
The most immediate bit of advice, I'd wager, is to visit the campus if you're able; this often gives students an idea of the ambiance of the place and whether they'd like to genuinely consider the option. (Also, as an aside: you'll hear people complain about the dining hall food quite a bit, but it's honestly exaggerated and more for the sake of Columbia tradition than anything else; and if just so happens that you don’t find the food to your liking, say hello to the cheap supermarkets down the street!) If you do choose Columbia, don't be shy to explore any possible adventures of the Big Apple--being in the heart of New York is part of the perk, after all.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Columbia's got a myriad of character types, from your bubbly extroverts to your timid introverts to your fanatic hair-dyers to your loud club hoppers to those happy enough to just quietly snuggle with a book--and often, people tend to be a mix of all these, depending on the day! As aforementioned, it's rather easy to find a niche here, even for the socially awkward (possibly because we’re all socially awkward are some inherent intermingling level somewhere?), and often these ‘niches’ overlap. As for personal and intellectual interests, be thankful that Columbia has a diverse community of organizations to cater to your curiosity!
Columbia is easily one of the most intellectually stimulating universities in the north! While the core may seem stifling and constricting at first, you'll undoubtedly learn quite a bit concerning the roots of the Western literary tradition and philosophy; there's also the wide array of tongues available, so if you’re tired of Romance languages give Arabic a try! I personally enjoy it when the different disciplines and schools of thought intersect: sociology, philosophy, and literature your main interests? Feel free to take a class concerning all three in conversation!
You might think that, being an Ivy, many of the students here would be snooty or rather pompous, but you'll find fairly quickly that that's not the case. Everyone here is generally rather laidback, amiable, and down to earth. It’s a strongly positive aspect of the Columbia community, as friendships tend to form fast and last long--and you can take my word for it that these friendships keep you afloat during the harrowing occurrence known as finals! The bonus, too, is that many share your value in intellectual pursuits!
Columbia's pricey, there's no doubting it; at nearly 60k a year, it’d be fallacious to say that it isn’t. And, sometimes, as a result of the confusing grant packages, this might leave you in some awkward financial situations scrounging up money. Even given that, though, it's really an amazing institution to be for the sake of knowledge, genuinely interesting people, and a fantastic urban setting. People grow at college, it’s inevitable, but you’ll be surprised by how quickly you’ll grow as an individual here; not simply intellectually (though this, too, of course!), but pragmatically as well. It’s what the city teaches you.
The most immediate bit of advice, I'd wager, is to visit the campus if you're able; this often gives students an idea of the ambiance of the place and whether they'd like to genuinely consider the option. (Also, as an aside: you'll hear people complain about the dining hall food quite a bit, but it's honestly exaggerated and more for the sake of Columbia tradition than anything else; and if just so happens that you don’t find the food to your liking, say hello to the cheap supermarkets down the street!) If you do choose Columbia, don't be shy to explore any possible adventures of the Big Apple--being in the heart of New York is part of the perk, after all.
Columbia's got a myriad of character types, from your bubbly extroverts to your timid introverts to your fanatic hair-dyers to your loud club hoppers to those happy enough to just quietly snuggle with a book--and often, people tend to be a mix of all these, depending on the day! As aforementioned, it's rather easy to find a niche here, even for the socially awkward (possibly because we’re all socially awkward are some inherent intermingling level somewhere?), and often these ‘niches’ overlap. As for personal and intellectual interests, be thankful that Columbia has a diverse community of organizations to cater to your curiosity!