<p>I know this has been addressed somewhat in other threads, but I read them all and didn’t find as complete answers as I’d like, plus this might get new people to notice.</p>
<p>To current Brown students:
I’m coming to Brown in the fall and I have only a few days to decide whether to request substance-free housing. I don’t drink or do any drugs, none of my close friends do, and–though my views and tolerance might change in college–I would really prefer not to be around the smells and remains of alcohol and pot, intoxicated people acting strangely or vomit in my bathroom. I don’t want my social life to be focused even partly on loud drunken parties or smoking pot. However, I do want an extensive and fun social life and would not enjoy encountering negative, antisocial stereotypes. I understand the idea of getting the full college experience, but if that means always being around people who are doing things that I don’t enjoy or see any point in, then I’m not sure getting the full college experience is a good thing.</p>
<p>I am also a little concerned about the prospect of living with high concentrations of closed-minded religious fundamentalists, but this being Brown, I tend to doubt this would be an issue.</p>
<p>Should I request sub-free housing? Any perspective on this is much appreciated.</p>
<p>I would definitely recommend sub-free to you. I had a ton of friends in the sub-free dorm this year, and while a couple of them were there for religious or simply socially conservative reasons, I'd say the majority (at least the cool ones I hung out with) were like you -- they don't think drugs and alcohol are evil, they just don't want it to play a major part in their social lives, or they just don't want it around where they live.</p>
<p>Also, your friends don't all have to be in your unit if you don't want them to be. I lived in Littlefield, and by the end of the year some of my closest friends were in Perkins, Keeney, King House, Goddard, etc. If you find that you just don't click with your unit-mates for whatever reason, that won't be a big deal. You'll make lots of friends through activities, socializing and partying (in a chill way -- don't worry, you'll figure out where and with whom if that's what you want), classes, etc. So even if for some reason sub-free housing doesn't work out as well as you'd hoped, you won't be socially limited by it.</p>
<p>ILoveBrown, do I know you? I lived on the Perkins SubFree floor this year, so I must've seen you around.</p>
<p>But yeah. What ILoveBrown said. I was worried when signing up for sub free that i'd be stuck with a bunch of "closed-minded religious fundamentalists", as you put it, but that really wasn't the case at all.</p>
<p>I also agree. Some of my best friends were on the Emery sub-free floor. Although not all of them opted to be there on their housing app (I guess reslife needed fillers for the rooms), they were entirely willing to respect everyone on the floor and find other places to party. You'll definitely get a mix of people, including those who may drink, but just don't want it around their living space.</p>
<p>hey, thisisliz -- yes, you probably know me, then. I'll pm you :)</p>