<p>Current freshman here:</p>
<p>People definitely party here-- they drink, they hook up, and they occasionally do both to excess. Weed is also fairly prominent on campus, though I haven’t noticed evidence of any other drugs. If you’re looking for a party on the weekend, no matter your age, you’ll probably find it. </p>
<p>Parties can and do get out of hand, just like at any college. There are some infamous dorms and houses that can create unsavory situations. One kid this school year had to be taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning and it’s only third week. Carleton is definitely tamer than many schools, but it is not immune to dangerous overindulgence.</p>
<p>That said, there are definitely things to do other than drink and, for the most part, people are pretty respectful of their classmates who choose not to partake in the substances. There are clubs that meet on Friday and Saturday nights. There are sub-free floors with lots of non-drinkers who generally have events on the weekends. There are plenty of people who don’t drink every weekend and still have tons of fun. I live on what could be termed a party floor, yet we have some people who are non-drinkers and they are full, beloved members of floor social life. It’s really no big deal, unless one starts pontificating about how destructive alcohol is. </p>
<p>You honestly can mold your own social life here and the campus isn’t harshly divided across drinking and no-drinking lines. Carls are, from my impression during these past three weeks, friendly sorts and don’t care if you choose not to party wildly. But you can also find yourself in trouble with substances, drinking yourself silly every weekend. </p>
<p>The de facto alcohol policy:
Though the parties can spill into the hallways and between rooms, the cans/bottles/cups need to be kept in a room. Don’t go wandering campus beer can in hand. No one cares how old you are in terms of procuring alcohol. RAs do not generally intervene until things start to look dangerous. NO alcohol or drunkeness on sub-free floors. Parties do get broken up at 1am, but generally that involves splitting into smaller groups and shutting the door to a room. </p>
<p>My 2 cents.</p>