Columbia University in the City of New York Top Questions

As I said before, the courseload is beyond ridiculous. The amount of reading is mindblowing and I am sure most of the professors could not even do it. Ya they could probably finish the readings for their individual class. But if they took an entire semester worth of classes and tried to keep up on the readings in every class simultaneously they would realize they are completely out of line with what they assign. No wonder Columbia used to have one of the highest suicide rates. And the core, is completely too big. It is more credits than most of the majors and the teachers expect more in Core classes than the major requirements. Not to mention since we have no choice in the classes it makes them that much crappier. The reading for these classes is beyond insane and there are way too many classes. The language requirement of 2 years is completely reidiculous and they manage to make the easiest subjects impossible.

Gooood - the core is hard but like makes you, I don't know, like you can say you've read a lot of stuff. Classes are good, but undergrads should not be able to talk.

Class size depends on what kind of class you take. Core classes are usually smaller (about 20 people) in order to stimulate discussion. Lecture classes are often much larger (ranging form 60 to 150ish). I personally enjoy the lectures better since I hate to speak in class. My favorite class right now is hands down 20th century art. Not only is the material intellectual stimulating and interesting, but the professor is a phenomenal speaker and effective lecturer.

Challenging. Professors do know my name. Good variety of classes.

Classes can be large or small and intimate. It can be hard to make connections with professors.

Academics at Columbia are great-professors do know your name, even if it is a large lecture they will learn your name if you go to their office hours once. Students do study a lot, it is often hard to find a spot in Butler Library at times of exams. Students are pretty competitive, but it depends on the class and on the year (freshman vs. senior). Columbia requirements are overall good.

The majority of my classes have been science lectures, so they haven't been small. However, all sections break down once a week with a TA and lectures are all done by professors. My core classes have been great; the teachers are from different departments and bring their own take on classic books. It's also great that all the other freshman and/or sophomores are reading the same things and going through the same class intensity.

There is a lot of work. Period. It is Columbia and the Ivy League, and some studying must be done in order to do well.

Can't really get much better than an Ivy school in the City. Sometimes the Core Curriculum can seem very Euro-centric.

ACADEMICS AT COLUMBIA= CORE CURRICULUM. If you don't like writing papers and speaking in class and reading then this is probably not the school for you. CC and Lit Hum can be amazing if you have a great teacher. Students aren't amazingly competitive, but they can be in certain majors (not to the point of stealing books or anything as i've heard of in other schools). Education is geared toward getting the best liberal arts education with the notion that there is a core of knowledge that every undergrad should amass; they believe that you can worry about getting a job later, just learn how to think now.

The professors here love too see you at their office hours and they are extremely helpful. Meeting with them before a big essay helps a lot. or if your struggling they will take the time out to explain the material too you. Some professors are more boring that the others but I've definitely had some amazing professors here.

My favorite class that I have taken in my time at Columbia was called Sex and Gender in Ancient Greece. We studied the different ways both sex and gender were seen in the society in ancient Greece through the use of medical texts, legal documents, novels, poetry, and artifacts, among other resources. My final paper compared the story of the Immaculate Conception to the stories of the Greek gods raping mortal women who would then have "hero" children.

My professors all know me by name. My favorite class this term is my French Poetry class. We are 5 students in the class and the teacher is amazing. Students study, depending on the student of course, all the time. One of my upper classmen friends told em that "the coolest thign about columbia is that everyone hangs out at the library, and it's great", which i think is really very true. Students are very competitive, but more because they have high standards for themselves, not because they're trying to win against others. INtellectual discussions are also extremely prevalent all around campus, all times of day and night. politics are a hige favorite right now. Columbia certainly encourages its students to learn everywhere they can, especially outside the classroom. One of the places ive learnt most is talking and debating with my own friends and listening to them argue and philosophize. I believe though that the very fact that columbia enforces learning for the sake of learning is appealing to jobs seeking weel rounded intelligent students, because what kind of employer wans an employee who doesn't like to learn?

Students are wayyy too competitive here! But it is an Ivy League, so I guess that's understandable.

Columbia's core curriculum dominates a large portion of your course schedule. It is incredibly time consuming and there are a few courses I would remove (Frontiers of Science, a Major Cultures course), but students graduate from Columbia well rounded in all areas of study. Professors for large lecture classes rarely know your name, but professors in smaller seminars and the T.A.s for the large lectures always do. Class participation is common and often weighed into your final grade. Many students leave class and continue discussing what they left behind. Students are competitive, but not in an unpleasant way that I have encountered. They are more than willing to work together and often do. The most unique class I've taken so far is Environmental Risks and Disasters. It falls under my major requirements for Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Sustainable Development. With the Earth Institute led by Jeffrey Sachs right on campus, and the Earth Observatory as a satellite campus in NYC, Columbia is a prime spot for the forefront of environmental studies today. There are also internships available through the institute as well as through other campus organizations. As a freshman I feel as though I am learning for the sake of learning, though I don't doubt that will change as I approach my senior year. There are constantly workshops on campus about how to write resumes and cover letters and how to interview successfully or where to job-hunt, so the university definitely prepares its students for life after college.

Because of the Core Curriculum, it is a classical education rooted in the classics and philosophy. Kids and professors often complain about the "dead-white man curriculum." But the topics in classes get kids going, and because we're all taking some of the same classes, yes, we debate about religion when we're sitting around hanging out. But only sometimes. More often than not, students have to take the initiative themselves to get to know their professors. No one here is babying you. Well, maybe a little babying; there is a nice Ivy League curve...

Not that many professors know my name. My least favorite class is economics because it is at 9 in the morning and we always have to be worried about a quiz, which I don't think learning should focus on.

my profs all know me by name and have no problem chating after class. my advisors are great too, they always know whats up and help you when you need it the most.

Professors do know my name, and especially in the smaller-sized classes in more advanced courses, class participation is quite frequent and encouraged. Students are competitive, and occasionally have intellectual conversations outside of class. The education at Columbia is geared for learning for its own sake.

Columbia University has the best of all worlds in terms of academics. The University itself includes not just four undergraduate institutions but a wide variety of post-grad schools ranging from the law school, to the school of journalism, of business, of international and public affairs, medical school, or to the school of social work. As an undergrad you develop a close relationship with your advisers and professors-- it is common to be invited to dine at your professor's apartment. Classes range from large lectures to small seminars depending on major, and general preference. The best part is that an education at Columbia is about combining the quest for knowledge with applicable skills for the "real world." I am not worried about finding employment after graduation.