Academics

The work is intense but I would say upwards of 90% of it is meaningful and contributes to understanding/growth. The professors are excellent. The courses offered will make you weep because they are so multifarious and interesting and you can only take so many.

You assigned so much to read that a lot of people don't even try to read some of it. Spark Notes, Cliff Notes, research papers, reviews, and academic journals can be your best friend. Or you can take a rice cooker to the library, a bag of rice, toiletries, change of clothes, and half of the books on reserve and live 4 years in Manhattan without ever having been to Times Square... up to you.

Keep in mind that I am a Neuroscience and Behavior major (junior) in Columbia College of Columbia University. I have mostly taken science courses, and some literature courses.
The coursework at Columbia is fairly difficult. The level of difficulty depends on the professor and class. Some professors teach at a fast pace, forcing the student to rely heavily on self-studying to catch up or understand concepts. Some professors are amazing at explaining concepts with such clarity, but their assignments/exams are difficult and require that the student not recite basics, but apply the concepts they learned in a different context. Some instructors are terrible and have difficult exams, thus making it twice as hard for the student. Some professors are great at teaching and administer exams that are not too difficult, nor too easy. One also has to keep in mind that most professors have teaching assistants (TAs), and those professors who are especially preoccupied with their research tend to rely heavily on their TAs to answer questions, hold office hours, and grade assignments/exams. Be wary of TAs who are power-hungry. Your grade may lie in their hands.
If there is anything you must remember, it is that you can see reviews by Columbia students for Columbia students of professors, instructors, and some TAs at www.culpa.info. There you'll see what makes a professor/class good or bad and how heavy the assignments and how many exams that class has.

There is no room at all for laziness and you will be graded in comparison to some of the best minds in the world by the best minds in the world.