<p>I know Vanderbilt has a work hard, play hard code and that most of the student body is fairly active socially. I am not shy, but like all introverts, I like to have some time to myself, to read a good book and reflect on matters. While I'm not a social penguin, I'm not the school's most popular guy either and have a core group of friends whose company I enjoy. I participate in classes, I am not afraid to speak out, but I am not the kind of person who prefers such that kind of atmosphere all the time. I like balance in my life, but I tend to be more inclined towards books than sports.</p>
<p>Are any Vanderbilt students here introverts? If so, how has your experience been? Did you feel ostracized by the rest of the student body because to that? </p>
<p>I love all other aspects of Vanderbilt: the strong academics program, the opportunities, community service aspects, and its experienced teachers. The only thing holding me back is whether I will fit in with the student body there.</p>
<p>I'm not trying to be offensive here. If I've made any false generalizations, please realize that it is more due to ignorance than malice. That said, I would greatly appreciate advice from present students and alums. Thank you.</p>
<p>Like pretty much any other school, I think Vanderbilt includes a lot of different types of people. Most people are going to be social and take advantage of clubs/greek life/Nashville etc. but that doesn’t mean that they are doing those things all the time. Going to a party Friday night and then resting in your dorm Saturday watching a movie or something doesn’t seem that abnormal to me. There are definitely people who go out a lot more, but there’s also those who tend to stay inside. I don’t think there’s any “type” of person who couldn’t find their place in Vanderbilt’s student body… I mean there’s thousands of us.</p>
<p>It is really hard to survive if you are an introvert (from my experience.) I am also an introvert, and thought of transferring to another school after a month. I was kinda being looked down on by my roommate when I declined to go to party with him. A friend of mine transferred to a school (rank about 130 in US news) after the first semester as he could not stand the school (true story!) Even though the majority of Vandy students do not join Greeks, I still feel like Vandy is the school for extroverts.</p>
<p>I think it is a fair question. There is some interesting research on introversion and giftedness and it is fair to say that the majority of students at Vanderbilt are gifted and some are also very social and extroverted but there are plenty of introversion oriented kids at Vandy. If 60 percent plus of the boys are non Greek…and half the girls are non Greek…you know that half the student body has non Greek social lives.<br>
Wait till April and go to a couple accepted student days and factor in your social being when you make your final selection. Our son went from the beautiful freshman campus to a Mayfield Lodge with a theme. So read up on housing options that are different. He is also in another dorm now that is very non Greek.<br>
Vanderbilt is a school where rushing and freshman year are going to have a lot of buzz going on re Greek life. This is true at a lot of other great places like Dartmouth, UVA, UNC, Georgia etc. But you have choices. It is only four years of your life and many students at Vandy go abroad by their junior year. Take the long view on your four years at Vandy or at another fine college and go where you feel most comfortable. Our son is non Greek and simply joined many other organizations including doing Alternative Spring Break every year.</p>
<p>“I was kinda being looked down on by my roommate when I declined to go to party with him”</p>
<p>Idk, I think people should think long and hard when they try to find roommates. I had a few friends who disliked their roommates because their roommates never went out with them and were always in the dorm room just hanging out. The best piece of advice is to honestly assess yourself and your needs and try to find the best fit. If you’re introverted, make sure that your future roommate knows that, otherwise they’ll invite you to stuff and then resent you when you reject them.</p>
<p>“you know that half the student body has non Greek social lives”</p>
<p>A little misleading. Yes, roughly 40% of the student body is in pan/ifc, but I’d estimate that somewhere around maybe 60% of the student body regularly (2-3 times/month) attend greek social events, namely tailgating and parties. To add to that, it seems like a higher percentage of non-greek girls participate in these events than non-greek guys. The thing about greek life is that, while I would not go so far as to say it dominates the social life on campus, it definitely heavily influences many people’s social lives, especially when you don’t have a car, fake id or any other resources to give yourself more options.</p>
<p>My D graduated last year from Vandy. She was not interested in much of what many people think Vandy is all about socially. She was a leader in activities that interested her, she had friends who enjoyed the things she enjoyed, and she got an extremely fine education. She went to a small LAC freshman year, and she had a terrible (for her) roommate. When she transferred to Vandy, she roomed with a girl who was perfect for her … they lived together the remaining three years and are great friends today. Her social life was what she made it, as yours will be if you decide to attend Vandy. If you already march to the beat of your own drummer, I doubt that you will be bothered by the students who are marching to their own, different beat. Vandy is big enough that you will find people like you, if you just look around.</p>