Momofwildchild

lauras50
Sun, 06 Aug 2006 08:41:04 +0000

Funny you should ask. My son had a party last night, with his hometown friends and obviously the discussion turned to their first year of college (they’re rising sophomores). Most other schools don’t have residential colleges, but they do have fraternities and sororities. Many of his friends had been asked to join, but one particularly was dismayed with the culture of get girls drunk to have their way, so he wouldn’t join a fraternity and decided to stay on his own. He missed all the other good social aspects, because he didn’t want to join that culture. Rice is fabulous in the fact that with no fraternities and sororities allowed, the residential colleges substitute socially. There are no outcasts, it is very inclusive. What this means is that every college, offering many great social gatherings and a fraternity like closeness, has non drinkers, drinkers, shy people, outgoing people…all of society included in their “family” like group. It’s a wonderful way to make great friends, because somewhere in your group will be people just like you. My son had not been particularly social before college, but now is very happy with many many great friends. It is inclusive, not exclusive and really clever. My son noticed how people at Rice are far happier than at many other colleges