<p>I know that this "myth" has been combated repeatedly on these forums, but I'm a bit worried about the drinking situation at Cornell, especially given some reviews of the school (it only takes a few pages on this page to see what I mean: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/24z2b3o%5B/url%5D">http://tinyurl.com/24z2b3o</a> ). Some even go so far to say that if you don't drink, it will be virtually impossible to make friends.</p>
<p>Now, I know that the above example is an exaggeration, and I'm not giving much faith to it, but it does seem to me that it has to have some grain of truth to it since I haven't found many similar complaints on the comment boards of other Ivies.</p>
<p>I want to go to Cornell because of its stellar Physics program, but now I'm a bit worried that my social life would be inhibited if I chose to not binge drink. If you can dispel or confirm this model, it would be greatly appreciated, because I am somewhat confused concerning the fundamental disconnect between what Cornellians say here and what they say on other, more review-oriented, sites.</p>
<p>Thanks, and I hope I'm not being a nuisance.</p>
<p>I never drink. None of my friends ever drink. We don’t feel like we’re missing out on anything at all. I also know many people who go to parties and have fun without ever touching alcohol.</p>
<p>There are those who do and those who don’t. Your social life will be what you make of it, and Cornell’s size is great because you’ll be sure to find whatever kind of social scene you’re looking for. </p>
<p>If you’re a girl, I would consider living in Balch, as it’s generally more reserved than the other dorms.</p>
<p>i drink maybe twice a month, but i am not at all a heavy/binge drinker. i still have lots of friends. you can go to parties and not drink. in fact, i usually bring a bottle of vitamin water or gatorade with me (nothing mixed in…really gatorade or vitamin water lol), and no one says anything. i get an occasional question being like “haha so what do you have in there?”, but i just say that it’s really whatever it is and that’s it. so you can still go to parties and meet people; it’s not a problem. i also go out about as often as i drink to parties, and the rest of the time i hang out with people from my building or other friends. it’s really not a big deal. plus, there’s always tons of stuff going on on campus that you can do something every weekend without going to a party or drinking. </p>
<p>Though I’d be hard pressed to deny that drinking is a major part of the social scene at Cornell, it’s definitely possible to not drink and have a fine social life. </p>
<p>Even though I’m in a frat, I still only drink only a couple times a month, and majority of my social activities are centered around the various clubs I’ve joined and just hanging out in my friends’ dorms. </p>
<p>(I’m an (Engineering) Physics major too, btw)</p>
<p>I would say that the vast majority of my friends drink and I myself drink as well. I would feel like a liar telling you a lot of people don’t drink. Maybe it’s just the crowd I’m in and it’s not a fair sample (though nor is asking CC), but I see tons of people squeezing into frat parties to drink. </p>
<p>Although a lot of people drink, it rarely becomes a problem. Most people limit their drinking and do very well with school and other activities.</p>
<p>The few friends I have who never drink are very happy making friends through student organizations. If you can find a club you’re interested in, definitely get involved, because you will always have something productive to do and will find many friends with similar interests.</p>
<p>i drink, and a lot of my friends drink. but i also have a friend who doesnt drink, still goes out, has tons of friends, and is even in a sorority. there are also a ton of people who don’t drink or go out but still have friends. there’s also the people who just never leave their rooms.</p>
<p>this is a hugeeee place. talk to people during oweek, in your dorm, during class, join some clubs, there are tons of ways to meet people that don’t involve drinking, and nobody is going to judge you for not drinking. going out isn’t exactly the best way to make friends anyway</p>
<p>If however you don’t want to even associate with people who do drink then you might have some issues making friends, but even then Cornell is big enough that you would find like minded people. However in general people that do drink are usually respectful toward non drinkers.</p>
<p>I didn’t really drink, and I certainly didn’t binge drink during my first two years at Cornell. (Senior week was another story.) But there will be tons of students in the same boat.</p>
<p>The fundamental disconnect I think you are witnessing is the gap between two types of students – 1) the students who proactively sought to put themselves into the types of situations they wanted to be in and 2) the types of students who didn’t really do much to carve out their own place for themselves at Cornell and are stuck looking at just what so happens to be the most vocal (and obnoxious) part of Cornell’s social scene.</p>
<p>Cornell has an absolutely wonderful physics program and an incredibly diverse social scene. As long as you realize that a lot of kids will be drinking but that there will be lots of other avenues for you to explore, you will do fine.</p>
<p>I don’t think this question is overly common on the forum, actually, so it’s not a problem to ask. I don’t drink, though I know quite a few people who do. I don’t think it’s at all necessary, and it’s not like alcohol is all around me and I can’t avoid it. I wouldn’t worry about it.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your feedback. I want to clarify that I just wanted to make sure that not drinking was a viable way to take and still retain friends. I don’t mind at all having friends that drink, I’m just not sure that I would like to do a lot of drinking in college.</p>
<p>If you want to drink, there’s plenty of that here. If you don’t, you’ll find plenty of that here too. If you don’t drink, you just have to either go along for the ride to frat parties and just not drink (which is certainly possible) or just find something else to do which is also quite easy to do.</p>
<p>even though my post was trying to say drinking is prevalent, i just want to say that i have friends who don’t and are really happy and active on campus. i just enjoy the good fellowships that form, but you can have deeper more meaningful friendships through clubs. you don’t have to grab a beer and join in with the swing to be happy.</p>
<p>Really? lol. Didn’t do that on purpose. I just have some friends in other schools who have had a hard time avoiding a large party/drinking social scene, and one of my favorite things about Cornell is that you really do have a choice. It made my freshman year here easier, especially when it was something I was worried about, so I like reassuring prefrosh with the same concerns.</p>
<p>Monydad: I love the spin. So Hillel does not have Torah on Tap??? Son’s entire dorm was punished for tons of empty alchohol bottles found in the garbage cans there.</p>
I just have some friends in other schools who have had a hard time avoiding a large party/drinking social scene, and one of my favorite things about Cornell is that you really do have a choice. It made my freshman year here easier, especially when it was something I was worried about, so I like reassuring prefrosh with the same concerns.</p>