<p>I don’t really like partying, and certainly not drinking. I would very much prefer to read a good book, watch a movie, hang around with boyfriend, chat with friends casually (or have a discussion about philosophy, math, history, etc.), workout at the gym, or just sleep. </p>
<p>Would I be able to have a comfortable experience at UChicago?</p>
<p>If it’s important to you, sure. There are plenty of people who do not frequent parties, and opportunities to socialize outside the party scene abound. In fact, it’s probably easier to avoid drinking than at most schools (excluding Notre Dame, Wheaton, and other religious-affiliated institutions). However, I will caution you that UCPD takes a pretty liberal eye towards drinking/drug use, so be prepared to accept that many others will be taking advantage of these opportunities in profusion.</p>
<p>Honestly, you could have a “comfortable experience” not drinking at almost any school. The exception might be smaller schools where enough of the population drinks that there aren’t many other things going on.</p>
<p>While many people here do to choose to drink, there are still enough other things going on that you should never feel completely isolated from the rest of the student body. You should know that most college drinking takes place after 11 pm on weekend nights, so it’s also entirely possible to explore the city, catch a movie, get dinner, hangout, go to the gym etc. with people who do drink, even on weekend nights.</p>
<p>shootastar-</p>
<p>If a crusty alum’s advice is worth anything…</p>
<p>… my first year I spent a lot of time doing all the things you mentioned. I don’t think I drank at all my first year.</p>
<p>… my second year I became friendly with another group of people, and I went to A LOT of parties and played A LOT of drinking games. </p>
<p>… my third and fourth year I found the happy balance of nightlife and intellectual social life for me.</p>
<p>It’s really easy if you don’t want to drink. Just politely say no. However, you probably won’t be able to completely avoid the drinking culture. You’re bound to have some friends that drink, see a few drunks in the hallways or walking between dorms/parties… As long as you’re ok with seeing drinking behavior, which is basically unavoidable on any campus and certainly more avoidable at UChicago, then you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>you just gave me a HUGE laugh at the end of a hard day…have you ever been to Notre Dame? you think there is less drinking/partying because it is a religious based school? Now, I am sure there are people who don’t drink, and probably they can avoid the pressure to drink, but be assured that the fact that it is a religious based school does not change the fact that there is partying! I am sure you were being sincere, but in this case, religious based does not mean the same as the Bob Jones University! Ever heard of Michael Floyd?</p>
<p>Haha sorry, shs1975. Most of my friends from high school that went to Notre Dame don’t really party, and I’ve read quite a bit about parietals and the strict standards on public drunkenness and substance use that the school enforces. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that nobody parties, and I’m sure your correct in saying that Notre Dame is at the liberal end of the religious-affiliated scale and should not be lumped in with Liberty/Bob Jones/etc. Glad I brightened your day, though! And I did look up Michael Floyd (I don’t follow football at all) … tsk tsk tsk. No big loss to him, though—he didn’t miss any games!</p>
<p>@apple1984
not to go off topic, but I just noticed your username, and I thought it was cool. We just watched Apple’s 1984 commercial in my English class, so it was funny to see the topic pop up a few weeks later.</p>
<p>When I visited for an overnight on a Friday night, I was put in the South dorm and it seemed like drinking was pretty prevalent there but I talked to some people who had previously been in the dorm but moved out this year because of they though there was excessive partying there and they said other dorms had much less drinking so maybe it depends on the dorm.</p>
<p>FWIW, I’m not into drinking either. So if you don’t like drinking, and I don’t like drinking, then I think we can safely assume that there are others like us who would enjoy just hanging out on Friday nights and not getting tipsy/wasted. Drunk or not, we’re all going to end up having late night conversations about Kant anyway, right?
(see UChicago Meme)----> [■■■■</a> Yeah UChicago! • nonesistepiu: oh okay, there?s a UChicago Meme,…](<a href=“■■■■ Yeah UChicago! • nonesistepiu: oh okay, there’s a UChicago Meme,...”>■■■■ Yeah UChicago! • nonesistepiu: oh okay, there’s a UChicago Meme,...)</p>
<p>The activities you listed sound fun! They sound like the things I would do.</p>
<p>South and Max are probably the more drinking/social night life oriented dorms.</p>
<p>Drinking happens, but it isn’t everywhere. There isn’t a drinking culture, per-say, just like there isn’t a strict non-drinking culture. I like to go out to apartments and parties on the weekends, but I also like to go to plays and concerts and out to dinner downtown. None of these things require alcohol. You’ll find students who have the same outlook as you very easily.</p>
<p>hahaha, from what i’ve read i expected drug and alcohol use to be a way to cope.</p>
<p>It’s possible. I’m doing it now.</p>
<p>As others have mentioned, avoiding the drinking culture doesn’t really seem possible to me. Then again, I am in Pierce.</p>
<p>Made it through college just fine without drugs or alcohol. My roommate freshman year was determined to get me to drink sometime. So as Spring Quarter came to a close, and he was drinking with some friends, I said, “O.K., I’ll have one sip.” It was a Michelob. I took one tiny sip. Worse than the worst cough syrup I have ever tried. That was my one encounter with alcohol during all of college. People told me it (alcohol, not college) was an acquired taste but I figured–why would I want to acquire a taste for drinking something that tastes like garbage?</p>
<p>I would say it may have morr to do with your group of friends than the dorm you are in. If your friends party, you may feel pressured to also. If your friends like going out and doing other things, you will be more likely to do that also. i definitely dont drink so heres another guy who, if he slips through admisions cracks, would hang out with you and never bring up alcohol.</p>