<p>Since his junior year, my son has been planning on attending Loyola since he toured it and loved it. However, he is starting to change his mind as he is hearing that the social life revolves entirely around the bars.
It is not that he is against partying--and truthfully, as a parent, I know it is going to happen within reason. But, he does want a campus that offers some alternatives on weekends -- programming such as concerts, comediens, movies, etc. Plus, he won't have a lot of money to be going to the bars constantly. He is going to be needing things to do that don't cost a lot of $.
A few have mentioned a program called Options - but those only happen once a month or so and seem to have a large fee sometimes.
The current freshmen he has spoke to have said the whole social scene revolves around jumping in cabs and heading to the bars usually 3 nights a week-- they list around 8 they frequent. Or, they may try to get into a frat party at Hopkins.
Is there really nothing going on at Loyola--social events, dances, music, room parties??????
Please answer honestly and provide feedback as it is important to him. He wants a social life, and doesn't want to be sitting in his room alone because he cant afford the bars.</p>
<p>My s is deciding between Nova and Loyola. Both have “party” reputations but from what I have read you can find other kids that do not do the bar scene. I am not too worried about it.</p>
<p>Hopefully someone who goes there will reply back. The one thing I have noticed that there is not a lot of activity on the Loyola board on CC.</p>
<p>My son is completing his first year at Loyola. He is in an Honors housing situation. He reports to us that several kids stagger in on the weekends, very drunk. Others complain because the bars will not serve them. My boy has found a large circle of people who do not drink. The school provides plenty to do during down time. My son also reports that he has not seen or smelled any controlled substances.</p>
<p>Let’s face facts: kids who want to drink or drug will find a way to do it. Based on our son’s reports, Loyola is a serious place with serious students. My son is ending his year without a roommate because said roommate did not take his studies seriously.</p>
<p>the honors wing in flan lives in its own little bubble.</p>
<p>Majority of kids go out on weekends and weekdays. </p>
<p>the entire social life is bars most of which are very easy to get into for underage people.</p>
<p>But people with serious majors in the sciences mostly have no time to go out. Its a very academically challenging institution.</p>
<p>also, the bars are only expensive if a student doesnt know how to work the system.</p>
<p>Most students will “pre-game” so that they only need to buy one or two drinks at a bar.</p>
<p>Normal night would be about</p>
<p>3-4 dollar cab there, 8$ on two beers assuming there are no specials just like any bar, then another 3-4 dollars to go home.</p>
<p>But your son wont be alone if he cant afford to go to the bar every weekend. Alot of kids support themselves here and become broke so they will chill in the dorms.</p>
<p>escobar8 is right about the ‘bubble’ the honors students live in and that bars are the primary off-campus social scene. However, my son reports a good deal of frustration among freshmen who found it difficult to get served due to carding issues. There is ‘pre-gaming,’ but I gotta tell you, as somebody who has four university degrees and has worked at several other colleges/universities, Loyola Baltimore is a lightweight school when it comes to partying (and freshmen who can hold their liquor). It is a challenging school. As I mentioned previously, my son’s roommate didn’t take it seriously and was out midway through the spring semester.</p>
<p>Bars are a big part of the social life and can be expensive if you do not plan it out right. I am a current freshman, I maintain a 3.5 and go out anywhere from 3-4 times a week usually either wednesday or thursday, and then friday and saturday. Friday nights are the most expensive because freshman go downtown, its gonna run a 5 dollar per head cab rate down and back, 3 dollar cover, and then beers are 2.50. Most people will get cheaper beer or vodka and drink that in the dorm before they go out. I usually don’t get more than one beer downtown when i go out. Wednesdays and Thursdays have specials wednesday has a 10 dollar open bar and thursday is 15 dollar open bar and its only two dollars to get to the bar. Some people walk home but its not 100 percent safe. Options is a program that promotes alcohol free fun, some of the events included white water rafting, paintball, dances, movie nights, and amusement parks. Alot of kids will go to Hopkins frats in the beginning of the year until the get a fake id. If you decide to come to Loyola and you know you need to get an on campus job and you do not have work study APPLY THE FIRST DAY YOU ARE HERE. Otherwise you will never get a job that you want. I can tell you that from experience the only thing that will be left is Event Services shifts where you set up tents and move foldable chairs around at 7 AM on saturday mornings. No fun. Loyola is a great school, great professors, buildings, dorms, and fun with or with out alcohol.</p>
<p>I remember when i visited that there was a big screen television in the living room for the dorms. Are students aloud to hook up a gaming console? Or possibly play a movie or something? You don’t need to go out and drink to have fun. Think about it this way, how did you have fun during your time in high school. Anyway I don’t care about any party’s, I’m going to try to double major and keep a 4.0 grade average. Going into college it would be nice to have people who are into tech. Making a pod cast or something would be awesome for the weekends.</p>
<p>Anyway in the city you could go to the harbor, Towson town mall , and some other places. Anyway maryland has great places outside Baltimore city.</p>
<p>When oldest dau was writing her college apps her model UN spent a day at an event at Princeton. The Pr student took them on a tour of the campus & was encouraging them to apply. She came home nearly in tears because she was horrified that Princeton students drank their a…es off, at least according to this young man.</p>
<p>We told her --A–don’t believe everything some idiot tells you, and B–if you want to go to a school where there is no drinking, try BYU. And even there they are drinking, but hiding it. </p>
<p>Don’t worry; there are things to do in Balltimore besides sneak into bars.</p>
<p>obxboy–My younger D likes Loyola very much. Wd be class of '15 if she goes there. Tell your son she will be looking for him & his circle of non-drinking friends!</p>
<p>Are fake id’s needed to get into the more popular bars? I’m really not much of a drinker but if my friends are gonna be going to these bars I don’t wanna be on campus alone and bored…</p>
<p>My DS is a senior at Loyola and loves it! He truly has enjoyed his last two years the most. Loyola has the reputation of a bar school, but there is a lot to do for non-drinkers. My DS is not a big drinker, but will go out. Fake IDs were common for underclassmen. The IDs I would stumble upon looked pretty bad (McLovin?). I was not thrilled, and we had our talk. In the end, I trusted he would make good decisions. Good Luck to you. You cannot go wrong if you choose Loyola. It’s a special place.</p>
<p>alright thanks for the advice, like I said I’m not a big drinker myself I just don’t wanna be in my dorm alone on a friday night, but I’ll definitely look into some of the other options. Thanks again!</p>
<p>Haha, you won’t be in your dorm alone on a Fri night if you choose not to drink. That said, I wish the univ would plan more stuff for kids on the weekends because I think that is part of what encourages them to drink. Although it is plain they land on campus with every intention of doing so. </p>
<p>My D is in Cork right now on her semester abroad. Several kids were thrown out of the program before the plane even took off this summer, for drinking issues.</p>
<p>They were all male, btw. </p>
<p>The school is >60% female and a lot of the girls are exasperated at the attitudes of many of the guys. Particularly related to drinking. And, some of the girls have attitudes that are not any better.</p>