<p>Two of my main concerns about attending William and Mary are:</p>
<p>1) What is there to do in Williamsburg?</p>
<p>2) How prevalent are fraternities and sororities? (and whether it is necessary to join one to attend most parties)</p>
<p>If anyone could elaborate on these two things, as well as the typical Friday/Saturday night at W&M it would surely be appreciated...</p>
<p>1) What are your interests? I won’t list all the possibilities, because I don’t know what you are looking for - but I can mention some possibilities and some things I used to do before I graduated. You can get to Yorktown beach by simply driving down the colonial parkway. It is a great place to hang out with friends and catch some sun - it’s well maintained and a really cool spot in general. I participated in the sailing club and learned how to sail. You don’t have to know anything about sailing to get started. [William</a> & Mary Sailing](<a href=“Services | Information Technology | William & Mary”>Services | Information Technology | William & Mary)<br>
Of course you aren’t that far from VA Beach or Richmond. There are club sports teams and intramurals for pretty much whatever sport you might like. They just built NewTown right beside the college where you can catch a movie, play pool, find good dining etc. The Outlets aren’t too far from campus. During the semester you will likely be involved enough with school that you won’t be feeling like there isn’t enough to do. Alot of the things you do will revolve around the college and friends you make. If you are looking for an urban atmosphere, I’ll be the first to admit that Williamsburg isn’t the best place. However, once you get well acclimated to the area you will realize that you can do pretty much anything you would normally do anywhere else and there are plenty of different types of restaurants.</p>
<p>2) Nearly 30% of undergraduates are involved in greek life at William and Mary. So, while they are prevalent on campus there are still alot of people who don’t go Greek. I never went Greek. I went to some of the Greek parties, but I actually did more partying at off-campus houses. WM is certainly not JMU where there are kegs at virtually all apartment complexes. At the same time, you can definitely have a good time without getting involved with the Greek scene. As a freshman, it’s really going to be about meeting the kind of people you want to chill with. There are all types at WM just like everywhere else: I’ve hung out with the hippie types, the Frat/Sorority types, the club sports types, and types that really don’t attach themselves to any particular group. You don’t have to join any group to get into their parties. Alot of times people pre-game at their dorms and then go out. As I insinuated, the party scene may not be as overt as a JMU type school but lots of people go out on fri-sat nights and if you make some contacts you can get into whatever it is you are looking for.</p>
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<li><p>movies, outlets, billiards, gocarts, mini golf, delis (bars), beach, cycling, running, community service, sporting events, campus stuff (theater/concerts/movies/etc)… if you want to define your interests more, we might be able to help better.</p></li>
<li><p>About 1/3 of W&M students are involved in greek life. Generally anyone can attend their parties, but there isn’t as much alcohol free flowing as some other schools, which is an ongoing issue between greek life and the administration. I knew people in almost every greek organization, and they are pretty down to earth, in my opinion. I never encountered any greek v. non-greek sentiment. Once you go out, and meet people who are into the same types of things that you are, then you can find the things that are happening that you are into. You can definitely go out Thurs-Sunday if you want.</p></li>
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<p>a pretty fun place opened up a short drive from campus…it’s called the Spot. It’s pretty fun, it has a hookah bar, pool tables, darts, a bar, and is much more of a legit bar than any of the delis. I think they also provide free shuttles from campus to the place on weekends. Hookah isn’t too expensive either.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>It seems like the majority of the student body falls into the social category of “preppy”. Is this true? Is there a sizable hipster/hippie population as well?</p>
<p>Lastly, how is the music scene?</p>
<p>I’d say a minority is “preppy.” One thing I love about W&M is that there’s no one dominant group. There are tons of different types of people, and they can’t all be put in groups.</p>