<p>Hi Freshman Columbians in CAS…How’s your uni life so far…Freshman…(boys/girls) when compared with high school?</p>
<li><p>Friends (more or less, easy to make friends? cranky or superfacial?)</p></li>
<li><p>Homesick…if any</p></li>
<li><p>During lessons, lecturers & friends…helpful, fake, bragging, cutthroat</p></li>
<li><p>Homework…stressful, heavy…copy cat…procastrination</p></li>
<li><p>Free-time…linger around…noone to talk to…or partying all the time…drugs…sex…</p></li>
<li><p>Interrelation…with human and environment…miserable or…</p></li>
<li><p>If given to choose again, is Columbia CAS still your first choice…WHY</p></li>
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<li><p>Really easy to make friends – in fact, I’m surprised that I’m still regularly making new good friends, mostly from dining in the John Jay Dining Hall, where all first years eat, as well as my extracurriculars. Nearly everyone I’ve met here is very down to earth and generally not snobby (for me, a huge contrast to Yale/Princeton, where many students just rubbed me the wrong way by flaunting their wealth and “intellectualism” – I’ve had to go to both campuses various times for competitions this year). I’m sorry for generalizing (I used to avoid it, but these Ivy stereotypes are constantly being reinforced for me by my own experiences).</p></li>
<li><p>Not homesick at all, but I live an hour away and go home at least once a month. I really love the city though.</p></li>
<li><p>Good teachers (Sunil Gulati, econ introductory course, is AWESOME). No cutthroat atmosphere here. Everyone helps each other out (esp with Core stuff, since we all go thru it). Real sense of community. People here sincerely really enjoy the core and I rarely, rarely encounter any superficial or fake intellectuals.</p></li>
<li><p>Homework – heavy at times, lighter at others. If you’re very into the humanities, essays are due all the time, hundreds of pages of reading a week. If you’re into math/science, at least 3 problem sets due weekly, 2 midterms. Really depends on your major and the way you work. I’m sure ppl copy/procrastinate everywhere. </p></li>
<li><p>There is a good amount of partying (I’m not a partier though, so this is just my impression). Friends hit the bars routinely, go downtown, etc. There’s always something for everyone though – I’m never bored. You only get bored if you’re passively waiting for something to fall into your lap. It’s the city!</p></li>
<li><p>Love the campus. Everyone’s friendly. Good sense of community (not as much school spirit though).</p></li>
<li><p>DEFINITELY – I love it here so much. My first choice was actually Princeton last year, but I am so glad I ended up getting deferred/rejected there coming here. My biggest reason is: I love the city. Secondly, I love the campus, I adore the core (facebook group), the amazing opportunities, the people, classes, etc.</p></li>
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<p>As you can see, I am really enjoying my experience. All your questions are fairly vague and general though, so I dunno if my praise of the school will influence people’s thoughts at all. I can be more specific if people have questions.</p>
<p>Read some of the previous threads - a whole discussion on Columbia likes and dislikes. I actually transferred out of columbia - there are negatives.</p>
<p>Here’s a description of Columbia I wrote once…</p>
<p>Columbia - Academically, Columbia is about the core first and foremost. Its a great academic experience (the ‘cocktail party education’ since you seem to study almost all the great western works). It also ends up forming a community since you take the same class with the same 20 students for the entire year. In other academic areas Columbia offers a broad range of classes (like Hindi for example), but in the feeder class areas (such as pre-med and calculus) the classes are huge and the operation is factory-like. For those going into very specific areas (fashion, music), and are willing to do part time internships (most aren’t) the NYC advantage is there. For everyone else (including most business jobs) Columbia recruiting is no better than the other Ivies.</p>
<p>Socially, Columbia is a city school. Most columbia students are a more intense, urban breed who are very willing to trade on campus parties for going out downtown or socializing in smaller groups. The West End is a decent college bar, but its nothing compared to the party scene at the social ivies (Dartmouth, Penn, Princeton, Brown). More than a few times a month Friday nights around morningside heights will be pretty silent. Columbia is great for an independent student who wants NYC culture though. Like any school there is some community - Carman Hall is a first year hall and John Jay is a first year dining hall, but after this the dorms and dining experience is much less social. Columbia students also don’t seem to be out to help everyone, its a much more cliquey scene. Columbia is strict about parties in the dorms and since it students don’t have houses, you miss out on the laid back house parties that are prevelant at almost every school. Its also a big university, so its not like you know everyone. The library is quiet, which is unlike the social libraries at the other ivies (it used to be very social until a few years ago). If you are a person seeking community, big festivals, and like to see a bunch of people you know on the weekends all the other Ivies are better options. If you don’t care about the community aspects as much and want to find amazingly talented people in a more intense environment Columbia is the perfect ivy.</p>