<p>Contemporary Civilization is focused much more on philosophical ideas than literary or rhetorical devices, and even Literature Humanities is more about the themes of the texts than specific rhetorical devices (though this will depend to some degree on who’s teaching your specific section). The pre-med people I’ve spoken to at Columbia have tended to enjoy the Core—though it wasn’t necessarily their favorite class—and not really shy away from the humanities. They seem fairly well-rounded.</p>
<p>If you want to Yale, on the other hand, you’d still have the option of partaking in great humanities and social sciences classes, but it wouldn’t be forced.</p>
<p>That said, if you really hate the humanities, you should not come to Columbia College. The Core Curriculum consists of a year-long philosophy class and literature class and semester-long classes in art history, music history, analytical and argumentative writing, and scientific/logical analysis. While I doubt you’d be miserable at Columbia, it sounds like it might not be an ideal fit for you.</p>