April 2012
8 posts
theater tickets can be gotten for cheaper than normal NYC prices, but how often does this actually happen. I was also wondering how much living in the city takes away from aspects of a more traditional campus experience - for example, are there many parties on campus, or do people usually just go out to bars and the like? Lastly, I've heard bad things about Columbia professors not caring about students and career advising being not so great. Do you find this to be true? Have you had some
Hey, no problem. I need some distraction. (:
As a freshman you’re required to get a meal plan and you have housing on campus, so it’s not that expensive. Now, if you’re into shopping and all of that, money flies. I had a good amount of extra scholarship money my first semester, and I spent it all in a matter of months which forced me to completely stop spending this semester. It’s just a matter of spending wisely. I’m not sure which school you got into, but i’m in the engineering school, which means I rarely find time to explore the city. I really only go out during breaks and sometimes on the weekends for groceries, etc. Columbia has a program called CUArts that offers free admission to almost every NYC museum and discount tickets to concerts/broadway shows. I know this year I got free tickets to see Daniel Radcliffe on “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”, “Phantom of the Opera”, and “Spiderman” and I got to visit the MoMA. Also, I got discount tickets to see a classical music show at the Lincoln Center. Columbia is great in finding discount tickets.
I’m not much of a party person, but people do tend to do both. A lot of people have fake ID’s and what not. Most of the parties on campus consist of mostly drinking, but there is the occasional fun dancing party.
In terms of professors, it’s just like any other school. Some professors care, others do not. I took classes at UT before coming to Columbia, and I can say that the quality of the education offered here is much better than any state school. The difficulty and competition is insane. Advising is okay. There are a lot of majors and not all the advisors are knowledgeable about every class. Most of the time you have to do your own research with other students. It’s what has become the easiest for me.
I don’t know what your financial aid package is like, but I know that I haven’t had to waste a lot of money or take out any loans. Congrats and I hoped this helped!
I just read a lot of stories from people who didn’t get into their dream schools. I wish I could pity them, but I don’t…
For some reason, it just makes me angry.
Yesterday I watched the documentary, “First Generation”. All I have got to say is that I’m extremely lucky to be where I am now. I could see a little piece of myself reflected in each of the students featured in the film. It was eye opening to see how many students are so much worse than I was. I’m glad I took the time and dedication to do it all right. I could have easily gotten a rejection letter like so many others. I thank Columbia for seeing something in me….
http://firstgenerationfilm.com/
I got all the classes I wanted. I got a good dorm room. Sophomore year is coming.
There’s a lot of people that claim to have “class”. I guess everyone has their own idealized images of themselves… yet I really don’t find it classy when people say they are “classy” but still end up getting into millions of cat fights… then they post indirect stuff on other sites about the people they’re fighting with. There’s a couple people that I’ve noticed do this on FB all the time. It’s kind of annoying. I don’t care about your personal bitch problems. Keep them to yourself… that’s much more classy. When you don’t acknowledge them they will just go away…….
I haven’t taken the time to appreciate what has happened within the last week. Just two weeks ago I was depressed from all these sudden deaths, and then completely bummed out because of my midterms. However, it all seemed to get much better this past weekend. My birthday came up, and I was very excited to go out to dinner with my friends. We ended up going to Little Italy, and I didn’t pay for anything. It was the first time since coming here that I realized how much of a bond I’ve created with some people here, even though sometimes I feel like I’m alone. I was disappointed when I found out that the bill wasn’t split fairly…. Also, the plan was to visit Top of the Rock afterwards; however, one of us didn’t have enough money for that… which I don’t understand. If you knew we were going to top of the rock, why come along in the first place and ruin it for the rest?
Before leaving, I found out that I got matched with an INROADS internships at Pfizer… PFIZER!!! :DDD It’s like the largest pharmaceutical company in America. I couldn’t stop smiling of excitement and joy. Now, I’m still in the process of getting the internship, but even if I didn’t get it for whatever reason, the fact that they showed interest in me is overwhelming.
The weird thing is though, that despite all this, I still felt tired. So tired of not sleeping in three days, my head hurt… and I slept, I think. But it was still there. I think I’m no longer cut out for all nighters…. Yet, I didn’t let any of this put me down. It made me go back to last years birthday….
Last March 30th, when I was turning 18, I received my acceptance letter to Columbia. I remember being so nervous throughout the entire day. How could I possibly enjoy my day when I knew my future was on the line. It’s been a year and a couple of days since then, and I’ve been through so much since.
I’ve met some awesome people, and seen things I would have never been able to see back in Brownsville. I can only look forward for what is to come in the next three years. Hoorahhh!
