<p>duke is probably my top choice but im getting kind of worried</p>
<p>is there a lot of drinking and partying and sex?</p>
<p>im pretty conservative....would i fit in??</p>
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<p>If you want to avoid this scene, it’s very possible. I have many friends who don’t drink or are abstinent, so no worries. :)</p>
<p>I’d be interested to hear some more about this if anyone has input.</p>
<p>Duke is like any other top-tier school. You have a fairly dominant party scene, but I would say that you could also find your own niche and group of friends and enjoy the experience just as much.</p>
<p>The experience, at Duke and any college, is what you make of it.</p>
<p>Princeton Review capsules aren’t statistically viable, but since we’re only getting individuals’ opinions on CCs, PR is like getting perhaps, a roomful of individuals’ opinions:</p>
<p>"The typical Duke student ‘is someone who cares a lot about his or her education but at the same time won’t sacrifice a social life for it. To go to school here is to find the perfect balance, even if that means some late-night cram sessions or last-minute papers. Everyone’s focused on success, but that includes social success as well.’ They tend to be ‘perfectionists, very involved in seeking out a ‘type A’ career (read: investment banking or consulting), and go out two to three times a week, always looking polished, even when wasted.’ </p>
<p>“Life at Duke ‘is very relaxed,’ with ‘a great balance between academics and fun. People typically work Monday through Thursday and then go out and enjoy themselves Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.’ Because ‘The student union and other organizations provide entertainment all the time, from movies to shows to campus wide parties,’ there ‘is always something to do on campus.’ Greek life ‘essentially runs the party scene, but almost all the parties are open so it definitely isn’t hard to get into a party.’ A solid contingent abjures the Greek scene; some turn to the ‘several very active selective living groups on campus, which are like a watered-down version of a fraternity or sorority. Several are co-ed, and some have special themes like service and foreign language, but many are just social groups to join.’”</p>
<p>It really depends on what you mean by “im pretty conservative”.</p>
<p>If you mean that you personally make choices not to drink or have sex, you’ll be fine. There are be plenty of people just like you here. </p>
<p>If you mean that you are uncomfortable with other people’s choices to drink and have sex, you won’t be happy at Duke, or really any other college that has a party scene. </p>
<p>Basically, people will respect your individual choices. People find themselves unhappy when they expect their choice to say no to the drinking culture be respected but they themselves aren’t willing to respect their peers’ decisions to embrace it.</p>
<p>^^^nicely stated, CC.</p>
<p>Regarding sex: compared to most colleges, Duke’s “dating” scene is mostly a “hook-up” scene. There are some relationships, but much fewer than you’d imagine. There’s a RollingStones article about the hook-up culture (that you can find easily on Google) which, although perhaps controversially exaggerating the greek influence here, does bring the point home on how (by default) guy + girl = one-night stand.</p>
<p>^ Dude, that’s not just Duke. That’s college. Unless we’re talking about tiny schools (not including Washington and Lee…crazy party scene) or religious ones (BYU…Bob Jones…etc.), the vast majority of colleges are hookup oriented. Let’s put it this way: as a horny, non-religious, college-age male, what incentive do you have to settle down with one girl when dozens of others are readily “available?” None. There’s no reason to date. Especially as the guy, it’s so expensive, and for both parties, it’s super time-consuming…</p>