<p>How much of a party school is McGill? I'm aware of the whole Playboy thing and I'm not sure whether the atmosphere there is right for me or not. It's not that I'm anti-social, but I'd just rather hang out with friends and have a couple of drinks than go clubbing and get wasted. </p>
<p>Is it possible to find a "group" that isn't obsessed with partying? Academics are my priority so I don't want TOO many distractions. Is the partying more on campus or off? What residences are better for people who aren't really into that scene? Thanks.</p>
<p>I have a lot of friends who are at McGill, and it definitely is a big party school with the legal drinking age as it is and the campus being in a big city - no argument there; but I do think that the majority of the students preserve the “study hard, play hard” sort of mentality and most still do well academically. It’s also a pretty big school, so much like elsewhere, you will most likely find people who are not always looking to get wasted and drunk. I have heard that a lot of the partying is off campus (you’re not guaranteed housing after first year, so most people go find a place in the city), and student activity (party or otherwise) on campus is not very prevalent. I think the MORE houses are very party heavy (think MTV Real World). I also have heard that Douglas is where most of the scholarship/academic kids end up, but that’s not to say that they don’t party.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard from my friends, I think you will have hard time avoiding party obsessed drunks, per se, but you will not have a hard time finding academically driven people, either.</p>
<p>it is a huge party school. If you live in Rez, then expect to go out thursday, friday and saturaday. The majority of the people you meet will drink and then party it up at bars later. Most activities in rez will revolve around drinking.</p>
<p>You can find people who don’t drink, but they will be on the minority. You probably won’t find enough in your rez to make it a group. You can find some really studious people in your classes though.</p>
<p>I think if you are not into the party scene then mcgill probably isn’t a good fit. You will eventually find your friends but you will have a pretty hard time adjusting, especially if you live in rez.</p>
<p>Try Greenbrier, there is very little partying there. But it is also very solitary. Avoid everything else, especially upper Rez (including Douglas)</p>
<p>Econgrad wrote: I think if you are not into the party scene then mcgill probably isn’t a good fit.</p>
<p>I really disagree with this type of sweeping statement. I know of many McGill students who had a great college experience without getting into the party scene or even drinking alcohol at all.</p>
<p>At the end of the day the life you decide to live at college (and later) is about personal choices. Yes there is a party culture amongst many students but thats a choice they have made. If its not your scene you will have no trouble finding like-minded people to share activities with.</p>
<p>To suggest to prospective students that they should not attend a particular university if they choose not to join the party/drinking scene is irresponsible in the extreme.</p>
<p>I’ll echo singers. When the Playboy thing came out, the more accurate comments were along the lines of “It’s not really McGill that is a party school as much as Montreal is a party city”. Yeah, you can find lots of parties or drinking holes if that is what you wish to do, but it’s not what McGill’s about. There are tons of students who don’t party so much, but they’re not as loud or visible as the partyers, especially on a Friday night… Still, they’re not hard to find.</p>
<p>You also have to realize that 2/3 of the students are from the province (though they only come in in U1) and they’ve been drinking for a few years already so most aren’t as party-crazy as a below-21 American student who gets to legally experience the forbidden fruit for the first time. It’s very useful in many ways to make older friends within your program. Consider visiting your departmental undergrad societies.</p>
<p>mcgill is a gigantic school, and you will find all sorts of people.
Residence is not so big, and the demographics is dominated by the partying. There is maybe 6 or 7 really studious people in a residence of 200 or so.</p>
<p>So, yes you will eventually find people who are like minded and have similar values. But if you choose to live in rez your first year, you will be making friends who go out every weekend. </p>
<p>Your second year, you get a flat with people who are like minded. And you go to class and you can usually find a lot more diverse people.</p>
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<p>The fact remains that the majority of mcgill folks will party. So you will have to find niches. They exist but it will be difficult to find when you first get here.</p>
<p>From all the students and relatives that I’ve known at McGill, none would put the proportion of really studious people in res at anywhere near as low 6 or 7 out of 200. As singers and Blobof mention, there are plenty of serious students (who also enjoy a good time, but don’t let their good times take priority over their reason for being in Montreal). Almost none the students that I have known have been hard partiers and yet they have all had very active social lives at McGill and have very quickly and easily found like-minded groups. </p>
<p>Because there are so many good clubs/bars so close to campus where all students can legally drink, a lot more of the partying takes place off-campus than at many American schools.</p>
<p>I agree with econgrad that Upper Res has a more pervasive partying atmosphere. I wouldn’t recommend Greenbriar either though, as it is the most difficult res to meet people and the OP clearly isn’t anti-social or a hermit.</p>