<p>Okay, I admit, I am a nerd. :B And I'm wondering which dorm to pick because I don't want to go to a dorm that has a huge party culture. Are the parties usually in the dorm or somewhere else? I'm trying to decide whether I like Max P because the actual rooms sound great but I'm not sure if I'd fit in with people who love to party. And I'm not sure what "party" would entail at Chicago - does that mean a lot of drinking? :S I don't even know what a party is, guys. (That is how nerdy I am!)</p>
<p>I want to make friends so I thought the social atmosphere would be conducive for that but now I'm getting leery of the party atmosphere I'm hearing about. Pray advise on the party atmosphere at Chicago. :)</p>
<p>In general, “party” does mean a lot of drinking. I know in the dorms a registered party is usually (although not necessarily) associated with alcohol. However, these parties are usually not very crazy. You just can’t fit that many people into a dorm room without the stench of BO and cheap vodka becoming more than its worth. I lived in BJ for two years and was an RA in a so-called “party dorm” for two years, and there really wasn’t a lot of difference. BJ parties were generally smaller and weirder, but they were just as drunken. In both places, though, you could easily live without ever having to deal too much with drunk people, if that’s what you desired.</p>
<p>Yes, people drink at parties.
This includes BJ and Snell-Hitchcock. </p>
<p>For someone like me, who doesn’t drink, there are times when I feel a little excluded. Even if invited to a party, it’s not a lot of fun to sit around and listen to people talk about what they’re drinking and what they’re had in the past (which is sadly the only thing people talk about when drunk in BJ). </p>
<p>Not everyone drinks, and parties don’t necessarily happen every weekend. (This is the BJ trend; parties are likely more common on South, Max and Pierce).</p>
<p>I’m in Pierce, in my house, it seems at least 20 people are drunk every Saturday; 40 on weeks without lots of homework.</p>
<p>Certain houses in South though apparently are even more intense then my peers here. Its the general concensus among my friends that South (and formerly the Shoreland) are full of people who like to pretend they go to a state school and have fun partying in that style. Not neccessarily a bad thing though cuz its kinda fun.</p>
<p>Oh, please. You have no idea. Nothing that happened in The Shoreland, and certainly nothing that happens in South where property destruction is not an option, bears any meaningful resemblance to big-time state u. partying. To suggest otherwise is to be insulting to everyone.</p>
<p>As my son said, three years ago, choosing between Chicago (and The Shoreland) and a state university: “I like to party. And I worry that at [State U.] I could fall down a deep, dark pit, because we know people who have done that. At Chicago, I’ve seen the bottom of the pit – it’s my sister and her friends in The Shoreland. Chicago has a really shallow pit.”</p>
<p>Those who party hard at UChicago (and there are about 5-10% of students who do) rival any state/party school I’ve been at. Friends from U of I, Madison, even some of the preppier Ivies (all of which I’ve visited) were consistently surprised at how crazy things could get on campus, even on a weeknight. The fact is you can be smart and still go out until 5 the morning before an exam; most of the people who land big jobs do.</p>
<p>Additionally, there is a somewhat elusive crew (mostly internationals, athletes in the off-season, and Greeks) that go downtown 2-4 days a week. Frisbee, circus crowd, and theater scene have their own unique cultures, if you know where (and when) to look. </p>
<p>My advice is to please not write off this (or any) university’s party scene based on the reports of people on these boards. With all due respect (cue Larry David), I’d eagerly wager that time spent on College Confidential is inversely proportional to being willing to commit to a party lifestyle.</p>
<p>Okay so I’m trying to decide between South and Max. I definitely like to party, and I’m also thinking of going Greek. Are there more Greeks in Max or South? Or is it evenly spread throughout campus? I was thinking that Max would be more convenient, especially since the frat houses are so close, but South is brand new and awesome too…I just can’t decide!</p>
<p>From what I’ve gathered, it seems like Max is most likely full already while South is larger and has rooms still empty.
In that case I doubt it matters what you put as 1 or 2.
Max is closer to the frats.</p>