<p>I am a very studious person and love to learn. Lehigh seems wonderful. However, I don't drink at all and don't really plan to, even when I'm legal. I know the surrounding area has lots of fun things to do, and that's great. But how bad is the drinking? Everyone has a different opinion of the situation. When did the security tighten? Is that even truly enforced? </p>
<p>Also, how is the dating scene? I haven't seen any mention of it anywhere, except some professor who asked his students to ask people out... or something of that nature. Has anyone else heard about that?</p>
<p>You're gonna get unsatisfying answers to this around the internet and it is because nobody deals with the real issue. </p>
<p>The typical Lehigh student: Smart as hell. High achiever. Highly social. Devoid of angst. Not earnest. Likes to have fun. Is not an aspiring intellectual, does not view learning as something with which to impress peers and consequently doesn't lean on being thought of as smart as being that important to their self-esteem. In a nutshell, people do what they need to do schoolwise and then completely shut it off.</p>
<p>The typical miserable Lehigh student: Smart. High achiever. Earnest. Angsty. Has not only excelled in school to get to Lehigh - and undoubtedly aimed higher - but has been much more academic in their lifestyle choices. Someone who always read a lot on their own growing up and in a myriad of other ways optimized their intellectual potential outside of school. Someone who gets much - or all - of their self-esteem from being smart, being thought of as smart by others and feels rather smug towards other people about it.</p>
<p>This is basically the subtext of every overly negative commentary I've seen. Its kind of sad and funny in a way. It has to be a little deflating to arrive feeling really good about yourself intellectually only to discover that you're surrounded by people for whom their intelligence is almost incidental to their sense of self. That's why the drinking is overstated. I had a lot of friends - including in my fraternity - who didn't drink much if at all who were extremely happy. The partying is really just the most visible symbol of what makes certain people miserable at Lehigh while everyone else is busy having the best four years of their lives.</p>
<p>Thanks MrMountainHawk. My sister said, "Every school is a drinking school and every school has miserable students. It's all your attitude coming into the situation." Thanks for confirming that. </p>
<p>Is it true that there really isn't any dating? Or is that just the miserable lonely people complaining again?</p>
<p>Attitude is definitely key. </p>
<p>As far as dating, it is more of a hang out /hook up culture for sure. Lots of people have relationships or never-ending flings but they tend not to be as structured as anything you'd normally think of as dating.</p>
<p>On the other hand its like that because the girls allow it to be. You may need to lead a guy by the nose a little bit because nobody thinks in terms of dating, but ultimately a guy who is interested in you is going to try and meet the expectations you set.</p>
<p>Agreed, MMH. I have to say my S experience is similar. He didnt drink until beginning of Junior year. He would go to the parties and up on the hill but because he didn't stand around with that red cup...girls weren't really interested. He wondered why girls didn't take the time to get to know him unless they were all but inebriated - then he wasn't interested. Like you said - lots of hang outs and hook ups.</p>