<p>I got into Bowdoin and am now deciding between a couple of places.</p>
<p>My major issue with Bowdoin is the frat-ish drinking culture. I guess I’m fine if it exists as long as it’s not the only thing to do! I want to be able to make good friends and enjoy myself, but I’m worried that that’ll be hard at Bowdoin if I don’t go to the social house parties and get completely wasted… Again… I’m ok with alcohol, but the culture of getting completely trashed grosses me out a bit… especially as a female it can perpetuate a nasty culture among the guys. Any thoughts? Especially from Bowdoin students!</p>
<p>From what I have heard, Bowdoin’s drinking scene is not nearly as bad as you think it is. I had a similar concern. But it turns out that there are a lot of people at Bowdoin who choose not to drink, and people respect that choice. There’s also the chem-free option for housing, meaning that students do not consume alcohol or drugs in the dorms. Most chem-free students do not go to social house parties to get drunk. So, you will definitely not be alone.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply, I definetley hope that’s the case. I’m sort of thinking about the chem-free dorms, but a couple of posters have said those kids are isolated and have a hard time making friends which worries me… I’ve also heard that there are dorm parties which are much more relaxed without the crazy amounts of alcohol consumption. </p>
<p>I am an incoming first year, but I did spend a fair amount of time on campus and talked to many current Bowdoin students. I don’t think there’s much of a social stigma for chem-free students. And there are certainly dorm parties that do not involve alcohol! When I was at Bowdoin, there was a mini stroke-light dance party in a dorm on the floor I stayed at. It was super fun. You can seriously have a party with apple cider in your own dorm and invite your friends to come! It would be a lot of fun! Also, join the facebook group if you haven’t already. That might help you make the decision easier.</p>
<p>Former chem-free kid and future RA here. Yes, it is possible for chem-free kids to feel a little isolated from the rest of the dorms but that should change for the better next year. Residential Life is trying out a new system of “floating chem-free floors” where only a single floor out of each freshman dorm is chem-free (or a system similar to it). A couple of my friends live in an experimental floating chem-free floor this year and they say they get along great with the rest of the dorm despite their different lifestyle choices.</p>
<p>That being said, your social experiences at Bowdoin are what you make of it and do not by any means need to only involve alcohol. Many people do choose to drink, but according to a Peer Health survey, there are far more people who only do so moderately/occasionally than there are ones who get wasted every weekend. I guarantee you will almost NEVER feel peer pressured to drink and will always have fun alternatives. There are always events going on around campus, in town, or in dorms that aren’t parties, and I’ve never found there to be a problem finding “age-appropriate” things to do with friends. You can hit up a movie, take advantage of free bowling on Thursdays, and even take a shuttle to Portland on the weekends! </p>
<p>Congrats on your acceptances!! I hope I was helpful, and feel free to PM me with any other questions!</p>
<p>I have lived in chem-free housing during my first two years at Bowdoin. I specifically chose Bowdoin because they guaranteed chem-free housing. The other small LACs I looked at it did not have it for freshmen or could not guarantee it. Living in chem-free housing has been one of the best decisions I have made at Bowdoin.</p>
<p>I have plenty of friends who did not live in chem-free housing their first year, but I appreciated the sense of safety I felt in chem-free housing. I did not drink in high school and I will not drink until I am 21. I believe that almost all colleges have a pretty heavy drinking culture, and I was nervous that I about that culture. I don’t think chem-free housing is at all isolated, and I have as many friends who don’t live in it as friends who do.</p>
<p>I disagree with AnonymousAsian, though, about floating floors. I think they are an awful idea and they are contradictory with the purpose of chem-free housing. I hope Bowdoin goes back to having a full chem-free dorm ASAP.</p>
<p>Both sara and anonymousasian thanks for your replies… It’s nice to get feedback from someone who actually lived in the chem-free dorms. Just curious though, what kinds of things do you guys do on the weekend. I’m really into the outdoors and the BOC is a major draw. I was kind of hoping that BOC trips would be a good thing to do on the weekends. Thoughts?</p>
<p>catkid23, check out the Bowdoin orient and search for stories on the outing club. They have stuff happening most weekends and run leadership training each semester. I don’t think you can actually see their schedule though unless you are a student. Plus they have a fabulous gear house with a wonderful fireplace for hanging out.</p>
<p>catkid: I’m not a member of the BOC, but many of my friends are very active members. They go about every other weekend on some small trip. They love it.</p>
<p>There’s so much to do on the weekends if you don’t drink. There are usually lectures on Friday afternoons, movie showings on Friday and Saturday evenings, and free bowling on Thursday evenings. However, most of what I’ve done with my weekends has been with my friends, not through the college. I went to Freeport for the Christmas Tree lighting, I’ve done a few 5k’s with friends, I’ve gone to Portland for dinner, and I frequently just relax with my friends. The last is definitely my favorite. I love walking down to the river and talking with my friends on a weekend evening. The social houses usually have something going on, like Howell’s Red Carpet Party or Storytime with Randy Nichols (this guy is a legend! You have to look him up). I don’t drink and I rarely am bored.</p>
<p>You don’t have to get completely wasted. You can just stand there with a cup of diet soda and watch other people become completely wasted, and then help them find their way back to their dorm. </p>
<p>But seriously, socially grouping by sports team or extracurriculars also assures the types of parties you’ll get involved in. The drinking culture has been regulated in many positive ways since the destruction of the clannish fraternity traditions. Just avoid Crack House, 'natch.</p>
<p>i didn’t go to a social house party once at bowdoin because i wasn’t interested in it. my life was rich and varied, probably BECAUSE i didn’t go. there is a way through bowdoin that excludes that culture completely, a way that indulges regularly, and everything in between. i never felt pressure to drink. ever.</p>