Hello, I live in a very liberal state and going to a more conservative state to attend college wouldn’t make sense financially according to my parents. I’m just afraid I won’t fit in, and will be socially out casted considering I joined a debate club there. Any tips?
From everything I’ve seen, conservative kids at liberal colleges tend to band together and form very deep friendships. So long as you’re not an unpleasant person to be around, I think you will be able to find your people and have a solid friend group.
So long as you don’t go in with the attitude of “I refuse to be nice to any liberal scum” you should be fine. You may be surprised and find yourself friends with people whose politics you disagree with but whose soul and morality you like and respect, and if you’re open to give and take you just may change people’s minds.
There aren’t that many public universities that are so overwhelmingly liberal that I would worry about a conservative student going there. Evergreen State College, yes. Some historically black colleges, maybe (they’d be overwhelmingly Democratic as opposed to liberal). But most of the public universities in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Illinois, Washington State, Maryland, etc. are big enough to keep the conversation interesting.
What was it like in high school for you?
My son is a conservative at a very liberal LAC. He joined the Republican club to meet others who have similar views but he has not limited himself to his friends from that club. He does sometimes whine about things that are said but he has generally been happy there. When we asked him if he wanted to transfer somewhere else because of the liberal vibe on campus and he said no.
He does not find himself shouted down or disrespected. He has had a few issues with professors. He has also chosen history as a major over political science, largely because of the liberal vibe on campus. There is a downside to being in a place where you are greatly outnumbered but my son has chosen to stay there, which tells me that the downside is an annoyance, not a major issue.
I know that despite being greatly outnumbered he does have friends. He also has a nice girlfriend.
You didn’t mention what area you are in but it is true, some are much more liberal than others. I happen to believe that there are many, many people in those liberal areas who are center, right of center, and even right. The thing is, the left is so loud, along with the media outlets, that it seems like the left is larger than it is.
As a student my advice would be to avoid certain types of conversations. It just isn’t wroth it. I am sorry to say this because college should be time to explore, think, debate, and discuss but that isn’t going very well in our culture right now. So for the sake of self-preservation, just avoid certain topics.
You will find like-minded friends and hopefully friends who are different too. We all really do have more in common than different from one another. I think if you don’t make it a big deal, it won’t be.
WhT does being conservative or liberal have to do with “making financial sense”?
You’re right. They both spend like drunken sailors. 
My advice to anyone would be to enter college with their mind open to different ideas, and to not pigeonhole oneself as “liberal” or "conservative ".
@nicolateslaxi: This may be a great opportunity to practice one’s listening skills & exhibiting one’s respect for the opinions of others.
Seems as though you have set yourself up for a period of substantial growth personally & intellectually. Does not mean that you have to sacrifice your values or beliefs, just that you will have the opportunity to learn to appreciate opposing viewpoints & how to express your opinions in a non-threatening and, hopefully, persuasive manner. (One technique is to use questions rather than make statements.)
A great education should encompass personal growth as well as academic and intellectual development.
I think that you will get substantial value out of your time & money invested in such an environment.
What kind of “conservative”?
Some issues are more possible to be civil with than others.
Those involving race, ethnicity, or their proxy issues like immigration tend to be less civil, because people feel like they are being attacked for who they are, not what they do.
@Publisher post #9 has a great point. Become a great listener and learner of other viewpoints. It will make you more interested, more interesting, and …a better debater.
I am fairly conservative and most of my closest friends are quite liberal. We have very stimulating conversations over wine frequently. At the end of the day , we agree to disagree, but I have learned much from their perspective and have a better understanding of their views.
I was the opposite, a liberal who went to a conservative school, in a conservative State, and joined a conservative fraternity. Lots of stimulating conversations at 3 am about politics and life philosophies, some when we were drunk and many more when we were sober.
I’m getting to the age where my contemporaries from college are starting to hold offices, still as “I’m more conservative than you are” type Republicans. If anything I’m more liberal than I was then.
Those guys are still some of my best friends, and they would say the same of me.
@thumper1 OP was talking about going to school in a more conservative state. Out of state schools are more expensive.
I’m quite liberal and two of my best friends in college were co-presidents of the Republican Club. I’m an atheist and my freshman roommate was a born-again Christian. We came to like each other very much. There’s no reason you can’t make friends with people who hold different viewpoints.
My advice would be:
As suggested above, join the college’s Republican Club or equivalent. It’s nice to have people to vent with when you want to discuss the news of the day,.
Debate with your friends but try to keep the debate factual and avoid emotion-driven topics like abortion and gay marriage which might make people feel personally attacked unless you are certain you can do it with a great deal of sensitivity. Avoid using disparaging language (“libtard”, “brainless”, “welfare queens”, etc.) at all costs. If a conversation seems to be getting too heated recognize that fact and end the discussion. You can simply say something like “I don’t want to fight about this. Let’s change the topic.”
Do a lot of listening. You may learn a great deal, even if it’s just how to better buttress your long-standing political positions. Show that you’re open to the opinions of others and they’ll be more open to yours.
^ good suggestions.
You’ll actually benefit from this approach greatly as you’ll gain a well rounded perspective on issues and you’ll learn to deal with others in a cooperative manner. Incredibly valuable skill to have in the workforce when you’re leading a project or team. They’ll be all types. You’ll need to be able to communicate with them all.
If you joined the debate club,that’s great. My D was on the debate team all through high school. If you are an experienced debater then you already know that, as part of the process, you must learn both sides of any topic you are addressing and be prepared with arguments for both sides. So not only would you be accustomed to that type of open thinking but I assume the other people in that club will be as well.
For personal interactions outside the club (and life in general) it’s really about giving respect and expecting respect. I agree that you should avoid using disparaging language at all costs. The flip side of that coin is you also should not accept disparaging language directed at you or your views. Unfortunately, there are insulting terms routinely used by both sides. If you experience that type of interaction, then I would seriously reflect on whether that person is someone you want to be friends with. Also agree to avoid emotion-driven topics like abortion and gay marriage, since people feel attacked on both sides of those particular issues. As a new student at college, it’s safest to avoid them altogether until a time when your friendships are closer and you have a greater level of intimacy/trust established with your friends.
I can imagine as a teen it must be daunting to watch the news and see people routinely “shouting down” the views and speech of the other side. Again, on both sides. I think those situations get a lot of news coverage, and some of them do occur on college campuses. But I sincerely hope it is not the case on most campuses and what gets the attention is the outliers, not the norm.
One of my best friends in college was fiscally conservative and generally voted Republican. She votes Democratic now though. I always found her perspective interesting. My younger son went to college feeling like he was quite liberal, but ended up feeling he was more conservative than he thought.
Agree with above. One guy in our circle was condescending whenever we talked about politics, he and I never really got along, and it ended up spilling to everything, not just politics. Be agreeable. I think my other friends and I probably both have slightly more nuanced positions that we did an a result of those conversations.
I had someone I hadn’t seen in a very long time introduce me to his wife and say that he never agreed with anything I said, but he always had a great time talking to me about it. Don’t be afraid to be friends with people who disagree with you
I thought I was conservative growing up because I was from a very liberal college town and went to college there. Found out differently when I encountered the rest of the country. So much is relative. In a more conservative area where we raised our son more liberal-Democrat teacher friends of a likewise gifted friend of son’s went to the same liberal U and was a student Republican party member.
The point- there is room for all kinds at large universities. The majority does not matter. Instead of looking for expensive conservative schools consider your cheaper instate public options. Your area may be liberal but there will be plenty of more conservative kids from other parts of your state.