Student review [#10366] for English Literature
at Columbia University

Columbia University is a wonderful institution if you want to challenge yourself. The Core Curriculum pushes students to explore literature and courses outside of their major, inspiring them to be well-rounded. Although the canon is incredibly eurocentric, there are still benefits in its ability to create a foundation of knowledge which all students share. Further, there has been push to change the curriculum and students have been vocal on both sides—expanding the syllabus or keeping it as is. This goes to show Columbia’s open dialogue and the many opinions present on campus. In terms of specific courses, Columbia is renowned for many programs and has some leading scholars in their fields teaching here. Their classes are great but it’s at office hours that you get the most out of it, one-on-one dialogues about what is happening in class. In addition to academics, there are also many clubs on campus. Housing is incredibly nice (especially considering it’s in the city) albeit on the smaller side, and guaranteed all four years. The only thing I would complain about is that there is not the typical college community here. Being in the city, students are fairly scattered and often leave campus to explore downtown. They are also exceedingly ambition and are oftentimes busy. These are, of course, good things too because you are surrounded by bright individuals but it can create a feeling of loneliness sometimes. That being said, just because Columbia does not have one big community does not mean it is not made up of many smaller communities, where everyone can find their own niche with time.