So I am an incoming freshman at Oxford College, and at first I was really focused on the academic side of the school, but am just now realizing that i want an emphasis on the social aspect as well, and its worrying me that i made a wrong decision choosing this school. I really now know I DO want to attend parties during the college years, so what is the real party scene at Oxford and also, do alot of Oxford people go to main Emory campus for frat parties? Is it easy to get into frat parties as an Oxford student? How do people travel back and forth from main campus, usually if they are going to parties. Basically, is there any easy way that I can still have a fun college social party experience despite being in a small town and small school.
@123iii Why does it have to be frat parties? My Oxford friends tell me that they actually have dorm parties, which in my opinion are often better or more interesting than frat parties and are less common on main (except clairmont which is mostly juniors and seniors). You need to also realize that social scene does not exclusively=party scene. There are always traditions and other events that add to that and it seems Oxford has plenty. I don’t like when people use party and social scene interchangeably. It makes it seem like anything in between or outside of partying just does not contribute to a vibrant social scene and that just isn’t true. Either way, I would check out the social functions at Oxford first. At least since it has more dorm parties, you don’t have to worry about things like the blackout period/“social freeze” (how immature and dull of main campus students to now equate less access to frat parties as a social freeze when there is this thing called a reshall where all sorts of fun things can happen and I would know because I was on a party floor as a freshman. Again, it was honestly way funner than the frat parties IMHO). If you get tired of that, then come on over to main.
Also, realize, that you go to a place like Oxford that “emphasizes” the academics. Ideally people should want to have a rich social life, but I don’t think that it should necessarily be “emphasized” or equivalent to the party scene (which about all colleges have). Places that “emphasize” social scene in that way tend to have intellectual and academic quality struggles (how many instructors are going to want to challenge students or put their best foot forward when they believe that the students value their “social” lives more?). Needless to say, a place that is actually academically rigorous will appear “duller” on the surface, but the students will often want to let loose. I think that’s why there are a solid amount of dorm parties at Oxford. The fact that frat parties and that scene starts on Thursday on main and many freshmen try to participate every week indicates that maybe they didn’t choose enough or the right courses that pack a wallop. There is also the other cases where I have seen too many folks get way into the frat party scene to the point where they simply forgot they were taking challenging courses that they needed a decent performance in (because they were pre-med or pre-bus). And again, not having tons of frats on campus doesn’t kill the party scene, but more so redistributes it. I don’t think that is a bad thing necessarily. Makes the party scene less monotonous (sure you’ve heard about how monotonous having main students go to Maggies).
And on top of my critique: Plenty of Oxford folks do know people on main (especially those from Georgia), so maybe make friends with them. These are the ones that tend to go to main to party or meet people outside their bubble (like some on main may go to the AUC or Georgia Tech).
Thank you for your reply (: Just know, I totally understand that parties aren’t the only social aspect of college, and it was never something I was interested into exploring until recently. After hearing stories of the fun and adventures of my friends at college parties, I just really didn’t want to miss out on that because I definitely did not participate in that during high school. I didn’t realize dorm parties were really possible, just because I imagined they would be shut down by RA’s really easily. I was only really inquiring about frat parties because I would be interested in attending one just to see how they are, once again, I just don’t want to feel like I am missing out or being limited. I am EXTREMELY excited about the academic aspect of Oxford, that’s the reason I chose to go to here, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t limiting myself in other aspects. I will definitely take what you said to heart and consider everything. Knowing there are parties at Oxford and Main that I have the option of attending is comforting and nice to know.
@123iii Yeah, keep in mind that many RA’s are not tough and usually will not intervene unless the behavior is becoming disruptive or blatantly disturbing others. That’s how my freshman floor in complex on main became a huge party floor Complex had 2 co-ed parts and 1 all-women part. I was in the co-ed on a floor with all guys separated from the all girls dorm by a lounge. Needless to say, we partied and even when we didn’t, the community feel of that floor was excellent with serious movie nights, games being played (whether video or pre-party games like poker), and whatnot. Sometimes we would go out to the frats but it wasn’t really necessary. We only maybe went when they were having something cool like a hall-crawl or something. Also, sometimes the parties don’t create the adventures…a little drinking and an adventurous spirit usually are ripe for “adventures”.
Again, in my experience, the “adventures” tend to spur from dorm and house parties (or a strong dorm community) and lesser so frat parties because frat parties are fun but are with a very “stereotypical” crowd. If the “event” is taking place on your hall or with some tight friends or peers, then something random is more likely to happen (such as people getting a hold of the Emory golf-carts and riding them through Lullwater…that used to happen often when I was at Emory or drinking a little and chilling on top of the Carlos Museum, perhaps even climbing the Ziggurat…going under the library tunnel and into Baker Woods is a timeless classic). Both Emory and Oxford have lots of natural spaces (I think Oxford has a pond nearby for example which I guess is analogous to the Lullwater area of main) that will naturally make for interesting adventures, especially when a little drinks go into the system. It isn’t usually frat parties that lead to this sort of randomness (often people just go to those and stumble their way back home…outside of the potential sexcapades or hookups, nothing is too special about them-some of the resulting drunkeness can be fun, especially from an observers point of view).
One thing to be aware of at Oxford is that predominately all students are below the legal age for purchasing or consuming alcohol. Some Oxford RAs feel duty bound to intervene. My son got written up for being “present” during alcohol consumption. No such concerns seem to apply at Main, or at least at the Clairmont Campus, where the presence of older students, i.e. those 21+, seems to make this less of an issue.
Nevertheless, where there is a will, there is a way. Hence, parties will be had where alcohol is present, in dorms and off campus, e.g., in the woods behind campus. And Oxford students will go to main campus for rush, though their social outlets are more focused on the Oxford campus, through social clubs and loose aggregations of friends.
Also, to show how ridiculous the alcohol thing got, one of my son’s friends, a guy know to carry a flask, a lot, was on the student court, or whatever they call it, sitting in judgment of his fellow malefactors who were foolish enough to get caught. It was a bit of a campus joke.
Anyway, if you want a party, you will find it. Enjoy your first year.