Columbia University in the City of New York

Date: Jan 15 2005
Major: Philosophy (This Major's Salary over time)
I applied early to Columbia, having fallen in love with the core and the city. The core did not disappoint—I have worked closely with excellent professors and have read and thought and explored to my nerdy little heart's content.

The city did disappoint. My main problem is that it's so effin' expensive. Every time you think you just had a grand night on the town (maybe free passes to a comedy club or a few drinks and laughs with friends or a hip indie rock concert), you'll realize you burned through more cash than you could have ever expected. Oops, no food for the next week or two! And the school is extremely cliquey. You didn't want more than five friends, right? Anyway, I hide in the library many a weekend night, in an effort to save money more so than gpa, and I work throughout the year part-time and whenever school is out, full-time. It's an expensive place to live. I do realize, though, that I wouldn't have my wonderful job if I weren't in the city.

Speaking of the library: Butler is great. You'll love it, you'll hate it, you'll love it again. If you spend enough time there, you'll have an imaginary social life revolving around the recurring characters of your reading room.

anyway, i am frustrated by the lack of advising given to the students, as is everyone else i know. it's a general fact of columbian life that you'll plunge blindly into major decisions. i have thought about transferring, to u chicago or yale (schools i should have considered in the first place). but i'm not really sure either of those schools would be better. when it comes down to it, i'm deeply engaged in my academics, and i've met a handful of good folk. i'm a misanthrope in general, so i can't really be a good judge of how likable the student body is (shiver, student body is a terrible term). but the kids aren't all so bad, as far as people go. most of them are sad and confused, but the blame for this can't really be pinned on columbia. smart young people should be sad and confused, right? if you, poor soul, like me thrive on depression and intellectual angst, choose columbia. you'll regret your decision, but then, you were built to regret. it could be no other way.