<p>I'm about to be a freshman in college, and I'm not really planning on drinking and partying. And it's not that I don't like to have fun, because I've heard that said about people who don't drink. My mindset is that I don't need alcohol to have a good time, and it's just an unnecessary risk. I don't want one night to ruin my college experience and lose my scholarship or get me kicked out. Plus I think beer is disgusting. Anyway, when I was at orientation, it seemed like all everyone talked about was drinking and partying and not getting caught. And I don't really fit in with those types of people. My question is, will people judge me? And how hard is it to find other non-drinkers, generally?</p>
<p>You’ll be fine. Plenty of people don’t drink and the ones that do won’t care. Just don’t go grinding on some drunk girl at a party</p>
<p>I’m a girl btw</p>
<p>No, you won’t be judged. My roommates occasionally drink (they’re not the partying type, and their parents had let them drink before under close supervision, so they know their limit and how NOT to get drunk) and sometimes I join them (and even then, I only drink a very, very small amount of alcohol–about the amount that it would take to fill up half a tiny shot glass–and that isn’t even enough to make me drunk or anything), but most of the times I don’t, and they don’t judge me for it. I didn’t even try a drink until this past winter of my junior year of college.</p>
<p>If you’re wondering if there are other people who don’t drink to hang out with, there are people like that at every school. Most of the time though they’re a minority so you’ll have to look a little for them.</p>
<p>If you’re worried about not being able to go out partying with people without being forced to drink, don’t worry. People offer to be nice, but if you refuse they won’t be upset (unless they’re one of those annoying drunks!) and they’ll probably be too busy drinking themselves to notice that you’re staying sober. As long as you have a good time and don’t judge - just like you don’t want to be judged for not drinking, people who do drink don’t want to be judged for it!</p>
<p>Have you ever been drunk before? You make it seem like drinking equals an uncontrolled blackout. I don’t think drinking is really bad in college. Obviously not excessively but on the weekends it’s fine if you are smart and know how to manage yourself. If you’re completely against it though there are definitely people at your college like that. The reason you never saw them at orientation was because no one was going to say “I’m not going to drink. Drinking is bad”, because to an “average” person about to enter college, that’s not the case. In any case though, you’ll be fine. Even if you go out to a party no one (hopefully) is going to force you to drink. Good luck</p>
<p>No, I’ve never been drunk because, like I said, that doesn’t appeal to me. I’m not asking whether or not I should drink. I’m also not saying that I’m never going to drink throughout my college career. I just want to have a good college experience and make friends, something that I’ve struggled with in high school (albeit not for the same reason we’re talking about).</p>
<p>Thanks, Lily and sopranokitty! Thank makes me feel a little better!</p>
<p>You’ll be fine. I didn’t drink my freshman year and all of my friends did, and I still had plenty of fun. Now I do drink, I just made sure I tested my limits in a safe environment first.</p>
<p>Nobody will judge you if you choose not to drink. In my fraternity we have a religious guy who has never had a drop of alcohol, everybody loves him and nobody would pressure him to drink because it’s not his thing.</p>
<p>That being said though don’t isolate yourself from people who do drink. I’m sure that you can have plenty of fun sober and everything but don’t intentionally avoid everybody who does drink or who does party. It’s not really that hard to find non-drinkers imo. Just head to the common room in a dorm on a friday night and look for the sober ones lol.</p>
<p>I’m not pressuring you to do anything here, but also don’t rule out trying drinking for yourself because it can enhance a social situation (ie there is a reason a lot of college students drink in the first place).</p>
<p>Additionally, at most colleges alcohol offences, especially for the first time, are treated with a relatively minor punishment. Colleges accept that even some of the brightest students will drink, and get caught. The only college I can think out that would throw you out after getting caught drinking is BYU.</p>
<p>For example, I got caught drinking in the dorms once during freshman year. My punishment was “housing probation”. What that meant was don’t get caught again, and if I did <em>gulp</em> I would have to write an essay. You get the point?</p>
<p>There are plenty of people who either don’t drink, nor plan to, in college. Not everyone views partying as a way of life. Even if you do go, you don’t have to drink 
I’m only a week into my freshman year and I’ve only been to 3 parties, so it’s not like I have a ton of experience, but it seems that none of the people really cared if you had any – in fact, the hosts at this one house let you in/stay for free if you didn’t drink. Even if you don’t go to parties, there’s plenty to do on campus. I remember visiting my school on Sunday at 3 pm, and there were kids running around dressed like zombies and shooting at each other with Nerf guns! Zombies vs humans, they called it… There’s pretty much always something going on, so there’s really no need to worry.</p>