<p>Hey, I'm starting freshman year at UF or FSU in the fall. Most people who start college at 17 have early birthdays and turn 18 that fall, but I'm a grade ahead so I won't turn 18 until April, basically the end of the year. There was another thread that died a long time ago about being 17 and in college, but that one was more about stuff like getting confidential medical care and other legal issues.
Right now my concern is about social life. Will my friends and peers treat me like a kid if they find out I'm only 17 and can't get into clubs with them? I'm the type of girl who will want to go out to clubs when I'm 18, and I don't want people to automatically shut me out of their party groups (not that I will be one of those people who party too much and get bad grades, but I do want to go to clubs on the weekend after I've studied hard and responsibly during the week, once I'm old enough to do so). Obviously you don't need an ID to get into frat parties and such, but do people even really go to those in college or do people just go clubbing now? Sorry, I've never been to college, I don't know these things!
Also, in FL, it is legal for 17 year olds to date 18 and 19 year olds. But will guys treat me like jailbait anyways?
I've learned not to make a point of my age because I don't want it to be a big deal -- being a 16 year old senior wasn't that bad, but being a 13 year old HS freshman was awful, people (esp. upperclassmen) treated me like a 10 year old. But, if someone asks me to a club or something I'd have to say I'm only 17, because otherwise they'd think I just don't want to hang out. But will I get treated like a kid?</p>
<p>Sorry if I sound lame. Does anyone know of anyone who was under 18 for a majority of their freshmen year, and what was it like for them? Thanks.</p>
<p>I don't know people under 18 for the majority of the freshmen year, but people were, and they were treated no differently. </p>
<p>Each college scene is different. Here, almost nobody goes at to clubs. Everyone goes to frats or house parties. However at my friend's friend's college, they all go to the club. So it depends. But even so, I imagine that some people wouldn't like clubs and would prefer house parties, so there will usually be that option.</p>
<p>Nobody cares if you're 17. The only issue is getting into clubs. If you want to get tobacco or anything (and the place you're getting it from cards), just ask anyone else to get it. It's just like getting alcohol, except 99% of the people around you can get it, instead of the ~50% who are 21 or over.</p>
<p>I have a few friends who are in the same situation as you, and they completely blend into the social scene here. The only way you'd know they're 17 is if you'd asked or it's directly mentioned.</p>
<p>Most of the good clubs are 21+, and the 18+ clubs are few and far between. They're usually not worth going to anyways. After all, you're going to have a lot more "fun" at a frat party.</p>
<p>If there's anything you should be worried about, it should be signing legal forms. Technically, if you're under 18, your signature isn't valid. However, even that doesn't pose much of an issue because most people/companies don't check.</p>
<p>You should be okay. I only foresee problems for when all of your friends turn 21, but you can always get a fake. This kid I knew turned 21 days after graduating from college. Sucked for him lol.</p>
<p>17yr old freshmen get treated exactly the same as 18yo frosh or 19yo frosh. Chill out already. And in most cases of partying and stuff it won't matter since you'll be going mostly to college parties not clubs.</p>
<p>I'm a 17 y/o freshman (I turn 18 in June) who entered my college under an Early Admission plan and I've had no problems whatsoever making friends and having an active social life. I attend off-campus house parties and fraternity/sorority parties just like other freshmen. In other words, people treat me just like anyone else.</p>
<p>What matters here is that you're ready for the jump from HS to college life and that you're mature enough to handle it, or at least as socially or emotionally mature as a typical 18 y/o freshman.</p>
<p>It won't really matter when you're a freshman because I doubt people would ask anyway but it will suck when all of your friends are turning 21 junior year and you won't be 21 until the end of senior year.</p>
<p>I agree, there is really no problem. I was 17 my entire freshman year and didn't turn 18 until the beginning of sophomore year and I had no problem making friends due to my age or anything like that (I used to be kind of shy, that was my only barrier to friends). But I have plenty of friends now that I have known since freshman year; they are all older than me, but now that I am 20 I have friends in lower years that are younger than me, which is nice. I have alot of friends who are 19/20, in addition to friends that are like, 21-25. No one ever treated me like I was a baby or anything.
The only thing that sucks is that I am 20 now and about to graduate so I won't be 21 while in college. So I can't go to bars really, or just like, buy my own alcohol if I want some, which is just lame. (I had so much fun in France last summer because I was 19 and I could buy alcohol in the grocery store or restaurant whenever I wanted... I finally felt like an adult for once!)
But basically it won't be a problem at parties or anything getting alcohol, someone will be around to get it for you. I have no problem getting it, I just think it's stupid I can't buy my own.</p>
<p>Thanks for the help!! I'm not too concerned about buying alchohol and I don't smoke or anything. I was just worried about people babying me or treating me like a loser kid becaues I can't go to clubs with the rest of them.
I will go to either FSU or UF, so there should be some decent frat parties there ;)</p>
<p>I was 17 when I entered college too. Nobody noticed, it's not like most people start a conversation with "how old are you?" As long as you don't look/act 12, you'll be fine.</p>
<p>On the opposite spectrum, due to repeatedly switching my major, transferring, studying abroad, double-majoring in science and engineering I won't graduate until I'm 24.
How ironic.</p>
<p>Wow, 7 years in undergrad?? Both my parents majored in chemical engineering, it's suppoesd to be hard. So good for you!! I want to be either an English prof, a shrink or a prosecutor, and write horror novels and satire on the side of whichever career I choose. I'll double major in English and Psych and figure out my exact plans in college.</p>
<p>I started college when I was 17 because I started early and skipped a grade (my birthday is in June). My experience was probably a lot different since I didn't value a social life and I had little communications with my peers. However, I did go clubbing with a few friends to clubs that only admitted adults 18+. No one treated my as their inferior and not one really suspected that I was 17 unless I told them. </p>
<p>Not many individuals really care about age. I'm only 20 and all my friends are over 25 so it's hard for me to enter bars and clubs that require ID. Everyone that I know is sympathetic about it and don't judge me as a "baby." Friends will enjoy you because of your personality and company you deliver, not your age. Being 17 is not that close off from 18. If you were under 16 then I could see it being a problem.</p>
<p>how did you get into the 18+ clubs if you were 17? or did you wait until after your birthday?
and I look/act pretty mature, after all, if I was an immature kid I wouldn't be up a grade (I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound obnoxious or braggy). People assume I'm 18. It just would suck to be with a bunch of friends and have someone say "hey let's go clubbing" and then i'd have to say "i can't I'm 17" and then get left out.</p>
<p>I love the writing horror novels idea. Now that sounds like a kickass job. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, it used to be 8 years undergrad, I'm beating myself up to finish early by taking 16 credits every summer and overloading during the school year.</p>
<p>Thanks, and wow, you must be stressed. I took one non-AP physics class last year and it made me cry nearly every night ;) But hey, to each her own
What exactly do you want to be?</p>
<p>Absurdly stressed but I figure, it'll be worth it (I hope).</p>
<p>I actually hate math and science classes so it's a little bit of hell, too. But I really want to do something in robotics, I'm not sure yet. Either medical robotics or developing those useless humanoid robots that some Japanese company spent millions making but only one person in the world can afford to buy. That sounds like fun.</p>
<p>If worse comes to worse, I'll settle for developing software. But now that I'm interning in web application development...I think it's kind of boring. I want to do something more hands-on.</p>
<p>Something like that, I'd kill for a job designing aircraft and robot machinery for NASA. Literally. I don't care if they don't even pay me, I'd love to do that.</p>