Drinking at Tulane

Colleges and Universities A-Z Tulane University
1

<p>Can people who know (students and parents) please provide some perspective on drinking at Tulane?</p>

<p>My son does not drink. Is he going to have to either start drinking, or tolerate a lot of it around him?</p>

<p>Others have commented that there's a lot of drinking, or that one has to watch a lot of drinking, or that one "can find groups" that don't drink. This suggests that one has to hunt for small pockets, or else join the binge?</p>

<p>Some reality (good/bad/otherwise) would be very much appreciated.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>no it really doesnt matter...after talking with many people they all hang together, usually they like a lot of kids who don't drink because they can be the designated driver or person in the group who helps keep things in check...i'm sure it wouldn't be a big deal, i know there is a lot of drinking going on but i don't think people would be like "don't talk to that kid, he doesn't drink!"...i'm sure he'd be fine</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the comment. Follow-up clarification:</p>

<p>It sounds like you're suggesting that there's a lot of drinking at Tulane, the rule rather than the exception, and he'll pretty much be hanging out with people drinking if he's socializing in a group, but they won't make fun of him for not participating?</p>

<p>Are there groups of students who find their recreation outside of drinking, or is this a rare secluded minority that he'd have to hunt down, who might perhaps be entirely focused on studies?</p>

<p>One student I know at Penn told me, "I have a choice. Either I can drink, or I can hang out with the Asian kids studying in their dorms." Not intended as a criticism of Asians, he was simpyl stating the choices as he saw them at Penn.</p>

<p>My son is a sociable guy, likes fun company, just doesn't get his kicks drinking.</p>

4

<p>An observation: I've seen several parents and students asking the same question, so maybe the incoming class will afford more opportunities for non-drinkers.</p>

<p>Hopefully not just wishful thinking. I think there is a lot of drinking at every school. I think it is magnified at Tulane because of NOLA and the 24/7 bar scene.</p>

<p>Like one Tulane alum said to us at a reception: the kids who want to drink all the time usually underestimate the academic side and end up on their parents couches come January.</p>

5

<p>My s doesn't drink at all and he has a bunch of friends (from here in Kentucky) who are all headed to Tulane who don't either. I, being a product of the late 60's early 70's excesses, fully expect that to change though (much to my wife's chagrin).
He's not at all worried about that part of NOLA's reputation mainly because he's spent virtually every summer for the last 10 years in Manhattan. Drinking and partying in general, are all a part of living in a 24/7 city. You could get accepted to any school in NYC and the same things apply. It's our kid's choice which is why we must let them go to begin making those choices so they can learn.
The best we can do is prime them and pick them up WHEN they fall, imo.</p>

6

<p>Why is a non-drinkers biggest fear that he will have to hang around with a bunch of boring uptight teetotalers. Is there some kind of projection going on there. I am sure you can have a blast playing Dungeon and Dragons until the wee hours with a few sober as churchmice friends even at a "party school" like Tulane. Go for it.</p>

7

<p>Charming, higherlead. People who don't drink--people of all ages, BTW, find a lot more to do than play fantasy games on video screens, and they find things to do with all kinds of people. It's just not a big deal either way, the sarcasm of limited imaginations aside.</p>

8

<p>Fine then nix the video screen and find three friends and play bridge or Truth or Dare or whatever makes for an excitinf saturday night. My only observation was that teatotalers seem to be haunted by the fear that someone somewhere might be having fun without them.</p>

9

<p>Thanks for all the comments that are on-topic.</p>

<p>Let's try and focus the discussion a little more. What I am asking is to what extent the drinking scene is pervasive at Tulane. The perception seems to be that this is such an integral part of the culture and social scene that, as someone put it somewhere else, "plan to either be drunk or be with people who are drunk."</p>

<p>I am looking for Tulane students, and perhaps parents, who can provide a realistic view of their experiences.</p>

<p>btw, I'm not preaching here. If Tulane is that way, so be it. I just want an accurate picture fro those who know.</p>

<p>My concern is that if he goes to Tulane, and finds that the drinking scene is, say, 70% of the social scene, and being sober on a Tuesday night is just out of step with most people around him, well, maybe he should find a place where drinking is only 49% of the social scene.</p>

<p>Thanks again for comments so far.</p>

10

<p>As a freshman parent, I have only heard of drinking on the weekends. I have not even heard that "everybody" drinks on Thursday, but I may be out of the loop on that one. (I have heard of the weekend activities starting on Thursdays at some schools.)</p>

11

<p>As a parent of a Tulane senior and a high school senior currently looking at colleges, I have yet to find a school that does not have a drinking culture. Maybe there are some out there - but I haven't seen them on our college visits. The reality is that drinking is a part of today's college culture. It's all a question of balance. Tulane has a reputation of work hard/play hard and I think that my son has found that to be true and loves the school and has done very well academically. But that's also the reputation at the big state schools and the small liberal arts schools that I've been looking at recently. I don't think Tulane's very different from most schools in that regard.</p>

12

<p>My son did not drink in high school. As a Tulane freshman living in a dorm, he was around a lot of kids who drank, but he and his large group of friends didn't. They always found plenty of stuff to do that didn't involve alcohol or other drugs.</p>

<p>After freshman year, he lived in dorms where most people were involved in sports, clubs, etc., and many had a heavy academic workload. At that point, whether you drank or not was not really part of anyone's identity like it had been for some of those freshmen. </p>

<p>I don't have experience as the parent of a big time partier so I can't say what that's like at Tulane. But being a non-partier doesn't seem to be a problem.</p>

13

<p>S went to Tulane as a relatively shy guy who had little experience partying.</p>

<p>Because his 1st semester was the Katrina semester, he found himself at a large state university. Drinking and partying was pervasive there and he began to indulge. </p>

<p>Upon arrival at Tulane the 1st semester it opened after Katrina, he commented that it was a "huge party every night", at least at the beginning.
Now that he's nearing the end of a full year as a sophomore, his observation was that the after-Katrina semester was an anomaly. He believes it's because of the tremendous adjustment ALL students had to make during that period.</p>

<p>He and his friends do drink (none have cars there), but not even close to "every night" and often not even on the weekends. Depends what's going on. He's into music and so attends frequent concerts in various venues where drinking is common. It is true that the surrounding community is quite lax about checking ID (different from the community surrounding the large state university which had a recent and severe crackdown). </p>

<p>Bottom line--he says the academics are MUCH harder and he learned the hard way that partying will impact his record longer term. It's absolutely true that the 24/7 partiers do exist at Tulane--but not for long. </p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

14

<p>This thread has given me a far more realistic picture of Tulane's drinking scene than I previously had. It reminds me a lot of my own college experience at a state U in the early 80s. Back then the legal drinking age was 18, and that small college town had a huge party reputation, with about 10 bars in a 4 block radius. There were numerous off campus parties. Despite all that, serious students thrived and the 24/7 partiers (most of whom I met as a freshman in the dorms) did not last long. I managed to graduate cum laude and have fun without going crazy.</p>

15

<p>Exploring-</p>

<p>I know this forum is a few weeks old, but I'm just getting around to see it. I've noticed there's not too many students posting on this topic, so I will. I've gone to Tulane for three years, and I have never been a drinker, nor have I been too involved in that "crowd". Let me share some observations:</p>

<p>First, I don't want to disenchant you, but a significant portion (maybe 75% or more) of the Tulane population drinks. Within that number, however, is quite a spectrum. There are recreational drinkers, who stick to the books, but occasionally let loose. There are those that may drink every weekend. And there are those that binge on weeknights, and if they show up to class at all the next day, they are very hung-over. The point is, don't look at that 75% and think that 3/4 of Tulane students are drunks.</p>

<p>Second, how your son handles Tulane very much depends on the type of person he is. In my time here I have seen people who openly professed to be non-drinkers when they first arrived at Tulane, and within a few months, realized that many nights in those months, they could not remember. But I have also seen people who started out as non-drinkers, and stayed that way, even to today. And they have many friends.</p>

<p>Third, those who don't drink have absolutely no problem in the social department. It is a sore misconception that says non-drinkers confine themselves to lonely existences cloistered in their dorms. Please. The majority of people realize that their drinking habits don't necessarily define who they are, and are perfectly capable and willing to associate with people who don't go to a bar with them on a Saturday night. Most people who drink, to whatever degree they do, don't do it everyday. And there are of course people who don't drink, who want to hang out with other people who don't drink. </p>

<p>I think you're probably reasonable enough to realize that your son may experiment. But if he doesn't want to drink, awesome, and he can say that without fear of being ostracized, and without fear of finding no one he can be friends with. He won't be alone, but it may take him a few months to sift through relationships to find the people he really clicks with.</p>

16

<p>Why is it that vegetarians never seem to worry if they will be socially ostracized? Admittedly some veggies do want everybody to avoid meat, but by and large they are a much more agreeable and less preachy lot than tea-totalers. Mind you I don't think there is anything wrong with avoiding alcohol, especially if you are an obnoxious drunk, but the churchlady moral superiority is a little wearing.</p>

17

<p>For those who want to drink, is it easy to get alcohol as a freshman? Are they strict about it in dorms?</p>

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<p>Banis - It's quite easy to get drinks as a freshman. The closest bars to campus (The Boot, Quills, Uptown Cajun) are 18+ to get in to and you're fine once you're inside. Maybe twice a semester they'll actually ID people, but that's just because they may be expecting a police raid or something.</p>

<p>As for dorms, some of the RAs can be pretty strict about it. My freshman year my buddies got caught drinking in the rooms during MARDI GRAS and everyone got written up and had to do community service and go to alcohol awareness classes. IMO, it's really not even worth it to keep it in the rooms because it's so accessible everywhere else.</p>

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<p>They do enforce the alcohol ban in the dormitories, but the city and state are notably nonchalant about vice of most kinds provided you don't make a nuisance of yourself in other ways i.e. don't pee in the shrubs unless you want to spend the night in jail and don't ever give a NOLA cop a hard time unless you want a wood shampoo.</p>

20

<p>
[quote]
Why is it that vegetarians never seem to worry if they will be socially ostracized? Admittedly some veggies do want everybody to avoid meat, but by and large they are a much more agreeable and less preachy lot than tea-totalers.Mind you I don't think there is anything wrong with avoiding alcohol, especially if you are an obnoxious drunk, but the churchlady moral superiority is a little wearing.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>People who don't drink usually have very good reasons - sometimes past alcohol problems, sometimes family alcohol problems, sometimes religious or health reasons - and they want to feel that they will be comfortable and accepted socially. Hardly "churchlady moral superiority." Many non-drinkers find themselves feeling uncomfortable in a heavy drinking environment. Unless you've walked a mile in their shoes, I'd be a little less judgmental. [courtesy edit - Mod JEM]</p>