<p>For any Colby students or alumni--how big of a drinking culture does Colby have? Is it a school where "pretty much everyone drinks"? Does it serve as one of the only forms of entertainment? (I know that Colby is rather isolated, but is there other types of entertainment--movies, clubs, dances, speakers, etc. on campus?)</p>
<p>I'm asking because I'm not planning on drinking (or doing drugs), before or after I turn 21 (I have a health related problem but I wouldn't drink anyway). Is it possible to find friends who choose not to drink or do you have to look really hard? I'm happy to be friends with those who do--but I'd also like some company if there's a big party on campus and I choose not to go.</p>
<p>Anything you can tell me about social aspect of Colby, pertaining to things to do on and around campus would be appreciated. Also, if you could address my concerns about the drinking/drug culture, I would greatly appreciate it! :)</p>
<p>Ill be a student there next year, and I don't drink or do drugs, and I hope not to in the future. I hear that it is pretty popular (at least the drinking), but there is still a bunch of us that don't do either. On facebook we have a thread uniting everyone who is staying alcohol free at Colby, and there is a surprisingly high amount of feedback.</p>
<p>Hi, I am reprinting here part of a private message to a parent about our daughter's experience (she is a sophomore). She started in a chem-free dorm, of which there are many at Colby.
"She no longer is in a chem-free dorm, but that hasn't changed the fact that drinking isn't a part of her life. Colby has a substantial number of students who don't partake, or partake very infrequently. This doesn't isolate them socially, because the school has so many chem-free dorms and so many activities.
When we were looking at her accepted schools, of which Colgate was one, we were quite taken aback by the fact that Colgate had very, very few chem-free rooms available. I think the no alcohool alternative culture can only be alive if there is a large enough part of the population not involved."
Hope that helps, and congratulations on your acceptance!</p>
<p>oreo and momofdd--thanks so much for the information! I actually haven't applied to colleges yet (next year). I'm sorry if it sounded like I had. But I will be visiting there soon and I didn't want to waste a visit if the social life was too drinking-centered. That's part of the reason why Colgate and Hamilton got marked off my list--it just seemed like that was a major, major part of the social life.
It's really great to know that there are those who don't drink and there are substance-free dorms and other activities. :)</p>
<p>Hey,
I am an international student and I also want to be free of alcohol. I feel that I am prone to peer influence and many a time I have consumed alcohol under peer pressure. However, I cannt digest alcohol and the smell makes me sick. Therefore, I would also be happy to join alchol and drugs free group. Hey poetrygirl, please show me the link to the group of substance free and alcohol free people.</p>
<p>I have also been accepted to COlby.</p>
<p>Just going to say that when I first visited, with my parents, there were kids sitting openly on the lawn smoking from a hookah.</p>
<p>Whats the big deal with hookah? Tobacco is legal...although I know people who smoke other things out of them...</p>
<p>That's what I suspected..</p>
<p>It's not going to be any worse than any other New England small rural college.</p>
<p>Poetrygirl, there is drinking, drugs, sex, and all that stuff at nearly all colleges. Perhaps the schools with strong religious affiliation do not have much of that going on. However, there are pockets within all colleges where kids do not partake. And many kids though they may indulge, do not hold it against anyone who does not. There are some schools that have more of a drug culture or binge drinking or other such activity, and are known for it. But having visited ever so many colleges in the past 10 years, I can tell you that every school I saw had a place for all kinds.</p>