Life in Morningside

Introduction
If you're big into sports, and think that either club or varsity level athletics is going to be a big part of your college experience, don't come to Columbia. It's really that simple. Unless of course you're a fencer, in which case Columbia is a top-notch choice, but if you're like 99.9% who have never even seen fencing, you must realize that in coming to Columbia you are sacrificing the athletic spirit and fan enthusiasm that is so pervasive in American universities for the privilege of being in what many would argue is the most exciting city in the world. You wont find endless football fields, crazy fans, or winning teams at Columbia, but you will find an almost infinite amount of clubs, bars, speakers, concerts, restaurants, internships, and events in the jungle that is Manhattan, and this is what people here care about. Opening the school paper will reveal well-written articles with one common theme: the apathy of Columbia students towards everything athletic. The pride of Columbia students and their investment in the community is centered on theatre, dance groups, publications, exploring the city, and most evidently, getting trashed. Basically, if you like the city, come to Columbia, unless you're obsessed with indie rock and drama and are clinging to the notion that at 18 you're ready for the cold world of a campusless urban undergraduate experience...in which case NYU is the way to go.

Campus Life and Social Life
Inevitably, as a Freshman at Columbia, you will make your way over to frat row and embark on the travesty that is known as a Columbia frat party. Don't get me wrong: I've been to some good ones and had myself some good, sweaty, hazy times. The beauty of life in Morningside Heights is that, unlike most schools, frats are only a small part of the party scene. Once you get over the frat party concept and recognize it as something somewhat disgusting and often lame, you'll get your underage hands on a solid fake ID from Nevada or New Mexico and it will get you into basically all the bars in Morningside. Not to say the bars are amazing or anything, but there is definitely a nice community vibe of running into people you know at these places and developing a familiarity with the bartenders. Columbia is the heart and soul of Morningside Heights so all the local businesses revolve around the school and often cater to students. For example, frats and certain bars have good enough relationships for frats to actually throw parties in the bars. The school is also fairly relaxed on its drinking policy. Parties in rooms are not broken up often unless they're really loud and someone complains. Drinking in rooms is never stopped, and drinking in hallways depends on the Residential Advisor on that particular hall. Advertisement
Academics
The nice thing about Columbia is that the vast majority of the undergraduate programs are pretty solid. Columbia isn't really known for specific undergraduate programs. Proffessors in large lectures are for the most part pretty intimidating, but they all have office hours and you can go bother them as much as you want. The TAs are pretty chill and most of them care about you actually learning although the enthusiasm varies. The workload, like the social life, is entirely up to your discretion. If you want to go Pre-Med you will work your butt off. If you feel being an English Major is the way to go, you will probably be going out on week nights and you will consider "exploring the city" (drinking and having a good time) an essential part of your education. People who attend the engineering school (SEAS) will probably be in the same boat as the pre-med people.

Student Body
The typical student at Columbia is hardworking and involved in at least one group (clubs, teams). Students are mostly from the Northeast but there is a large contingent of kids from around the country as well as other countries (Korea, Japan, Latin America, Europe). Black and Hispanic minority groups are not that large. People are into every kind of activity. It is almost impossible to label a "typical" student because the school is so diverse.

In Closing...
New York City and Columbia combine to make one of the richest undergraduate experiences in the country, but it is only as valuable as you make it by taking interest in something and getting involved.