If you are sober and/or against drinking where would be a good fit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went through college without drinking and it was fine even at a school with heavy drinking. It's good to learn to function in the real world.

I found friends (my people) who liked doing things other than drinking, from hiking to games to attending campus events. They all drank too, it just wasn't how they spent the majority of their spare time.

I also found that I could go to parties and socialize where there was drinking as long as I was willing to leave before it got sloppy. No one ever cared what was in my cup. (Very few people even noticed that I didn't drink because I was always social.) I got good at reading the room and would depart before people were drunk and it stopped being fun for a sober person.

The choice not to drink actually had a positive impact on my social life. I'd hop from parties that were turning sloppy to other gatherings, ultimately extending my social circle. It wasn't odd for me to make an appearance at 3-4 parties in a single night. I also wouldn't be hung over so the next morning I'd get up early and go do something with other friends. I had tons of friends and ended up being elected student body president as a result.

Eh. Partying is synonymous with drinking in college. People notice if you’re not drinking, and it makes it harder to get into certain circles. Students who don’t drink will usually need to find friends who don’t party.

A few very popular kids can be accepted by people who drink without drinking themselves, but they’re rare.
-Teetotaler NP

Eh. Bad take and not at all true.

I went to JMU, which has a reputation as a party school. I drank, but of my half dozen closest friends, two did not (one for religous reasons, one because he was a serious athlete). We all hung out together, including at frat parties.

Agree that a non-drinker may have more luck finding his/her people at larger schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some SLACs might work, and a fair number of state schools have sober houses/wellness housing where your kid is more likely to find sober friends.

just toured Eckerd and they have a sober/wellness house.

Just be aware that at some schools the sober/wellness dorm/houses are requirements for students who went to rehab.

[Anonymous]

I think it's foolish to pick a school for only one reason.

I don't drink and didn't drink in college. I went to a very big party school. I didn't have a diminished college experience because of that. I also wasn't always stuck being the wrangler of drunks or DD for all my friends.

Every university has planned activities without drinking... movie nights, comedy shows, concerts, etc. There are also plenty of organizations and clubs to join to make friends and connections other than frats/sororities.

[Anonymous]

There was a non drinking floor in my door at Binghamton.

[Anonymous]

Meh, I think a kid doesn't know how they actually feel about alcohol until they are in college and see that others are drinking it and then try it or they turn 21. I just don't put any stock in kids and parents who make such pronouncements It's just silly.

of course the exception is someone has already been a drinker and attended rehab.

[Anonymous]

I went to University of Wisconsin-Madison- which is not known just as a party school but a very heavy drinking school. In a state that is obviously known for drinking. I found my tribe with no problem...the beauty of a big school is that there are so many different kinds of people and if you have an interest, chances are that someone else at the school probably shares it. And there were ALWAYS sober activities going on sponsored by the school- movies at the Union, trips to places like an ice rink or trampoline park sponsored by the dorm, craft nights, etc. Also possible to make your own sober fun, too...hiking around the lakes, great coffee shop culture in Madison, theater, restaurants etc.