<p>What are the pros and cons of substance free housing at Brown?</p>
<p>I am an incoming freshman and I don’t plan on smoking and drinking while in college.</p>
<p>I plan to choose substance free housing but I’ve heard some people say that the ones who opt for substance free are “antisocial”?</p>
<p>Thoughts/opinions are appreciated!</p>
<p>PS- I prefer a quiet, clean living environment.</p>
<p>I never found the sub-free people to be antisocial at all. I didn’t live there, but I lived a floor below one of the sub-free floors my freshman year and had a bunch of friends who lived there. It’s simply a place where you know that people on your floor will not be intoxicated. No guarantees that people will be quiet or clean, though :)</p>
<p>My son has no interest in smoking or drinking at all (I couldn’t even get him to sample wine or alcohol in a family social setting), and he is in a standard dorm with no issues.</p>
<p>I don’t have any direct experience with substance free housing, but I would expect that the natural group dynamic changes significantly when you gather together a group that makes its choice based on what it is against. This will tend to concentrate 3 types of students together: 1) ones from very conservative families, where the parents insisted; 2) those who have struggled with addictive behavior in high school; and 3) those who are highly judgmental. </p>
<p>As an an example of the last, consider the person who has never smoked because he never saw the personal appeal. Contrast that with the strident anti-smoker who will launch into a lengthy lecture anytime he sees someone light up. People will not hold your own personal decisions against you as long as you remain open-minded about their decisions.</p>
<p>Part of growing up is being able to hold on to (or adapt) your principles in the face of a variety of environments. You could, for example, simply avoid attending any party where alcohol is served. Or you could attend and be the DD (“designated driver”) who doesn’t partake. Even in those situations where driving home is not necessary, your drinking friends would appreciate a watchful eye who stops them when are starting to get sick or about to do something stupid. As one who was on essentially-permanent DD duty, I have to say I usually had a great time without drinking: nothing is quite so hilarious as listening to two drunks having an intense conversation.</p>
<p>@bruno14: So are there any pros and cons to sub-free vs non sub free at all?
Also, I’ve had this impression that most people on the sub free floors tend to be more from conservative, from stricter families - hence more “well-behaved” and neat HAHA</p>
<p>@LoremIpsum I really don’t like drinking even though a lot of my friends get drunk all the time. However, I do like smoking (occasionally). </p>
<p>I don’t plan to do either while in college though - that’s why substance free housing appeals to me. I’m just worried that the people in sub free won’t be as “fun”</p>
<p>Bruno,</p>
<p>I thought sub free only requires that the housing be sub free, not the people.</p>
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<p>In my experience, people who are highly judgmental and prone to preconceived notions of what is right and wrong are more annoying and less willing to try new things – thus, less fun. Which would annoy you more: to see a rare drunk stumbling down the dorm hallway (it is technically illegal, so you wouldn’t see it on public display often) or to regularly hear monologues about how drinking is wrong; drugs are wrong; homosexuality is wrong; pre-marital sex is wrong; and interracial dating is wrong?</p>
<p>Of course, not everyone in substance free housing will be like that, but a very small but vocal hardcore minority could make your life miserable. You can bet this group will always self-select for substance free housing.</p>
<p>@I<em>wanna</em>be_Brown: as long as it’s the same that it was in fall 2010, they sign a contract at the beginning of the year stating that they will not be under the influence when they’re on the floor.</p>
<p>@RemyCC: there will definitely be people from that conservative type of upbringing, but I definitely met people who were very liberal and just chose to make this decision as well. Honestly, if you’re unsure about it, you should be just fine on a regular freshman floor. I knew plenty of people who didn’t drink who lived on regular floors. It’s just about whether you’re ok with other people drinking around you.</p>
<p>Bruno,</p>
<p>thanks for the clarification. Might have just been the rumor mill (or there might have been a change in the contract) but I thought I heard that there were issues with people who would choose sub free so that they would never have to be the host of a party but still would go out and get drunk. Glad to hear it’s truly sub free housing.</p>
<p>I mean, there are people who live in sub-free housing who do go out and imbibe, and there’s no rule against that. It’s just that they’re not supposed to return unless they’re sober. How strictly that gets enforced would depend on the RA, etc.</p>
<p>Please be careful re applying for substance free if you are an occasional smoker, or might be. My student is very allergic to cigarette smoke and indicated that on housing application. (did not apply for Sub Free). Got a roommate who had indicated the same thing or something to the effect of not okay w/ smoking as roommate “wanted to quit”. Well, you guessed it, roommate was back to smoking (almost chain smoking) within a few weeks. Although roommate only tried to smoke once in the room, the clothes etc bringing in the clinging cigarette smoke made my kid sick more than necessary. (and didn’t want to go through the whole “complaining to change roommate”) If you might smoke at all, better not to be on sub free floor for those kids who might be allergic who might pick it for that. (Sub-free otherwise gets same type of floors, rooms as everyone else so don’t pick thinking it is “better” housing, also. )</p>
<p>@BrownAlumParent No worries. I really don’t plan on smoking while in college. I just don’t want to smell booze in my living environment, and I want a good social atmosphere (hence my concern whether to go sub free or not)</p>
<p>My experience is if you have to ask this question you probably should choose sub-free.</p>
<p>Personally, I thought about living in sub-free housing for most of my second semester in high school. I worried that I would run into the expected antisocial people that lived there or that they would generally be “strange”. </p>
<p>Looking back, that’s not really the case at all. I know plenty of people who live on sub-free floors, but I chose not to live on one. Honestly, the floors don’t gate off people that drink or smoke. Many of the dorms and floors overlap (Keeney, for example). You will run into people that recreationally use these substances anywhere and that’s why I didn’t worry too much about applying to sub-free housing.</p>