The First Week

<p>Hello CC community! This is my first post on here, so bear with me. I moved into my school last Saturday, and classes started Monday. This is my dream school and for the most part, I love it-except a couple of things. First, I am the only kid from my hometown here, so you can imagine how awakward I feel when my roommate has 10 kids from his school here and 5-6 of my floormmates are from the same school. I don't really know how to handle my new roommate, he's fine, it's just that he always skypes his friends back home, and here I am feeling awkward. I know that you'll all say to make friends go to parties, join clubs, etc. I do plan on joining clubs but I am not a partier. I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't smoke, and I'm a single guy. I like girls and all but I'm not looking for a girl just so I can get laid (not saying I don't want to get laid. Lol) but I'd like a girl who's sober and just fun to talk too. So what should I do on a Friday night while everyone is out drinking? I know I'll fit in somewhere eventually but for right now I'm kinda stuck. I'd appreciate your thoughts.</p>

<p>My daughter just started college and is in a similar situation. Here is some advice I found on another thread and passed on to her. I hope it helps:</p>

<p>As a kid who did not drink or party it took me about a year to figure out this strategy. On weekend nights I often felt the most lonely as EVERYONE was having a blast as they headed out to parties to drink (usually to frat parties). This did not appeal to me at all. Eventually I figured out what felt like everyone, was really not everyone and in many ways was just a bunch of people I would not likely be very good friends with any way. So after <em>almost</em> everyone leaves to go out drinking and partying make a pass down the hall and see who is left. .These kids are likely other kids who are not drawn to drinking and partying … and see if they are interested in well almost anything; Going to a movie, going to see a dorm mate in a play/concert, going to game, taking a trip into town for pizza, playing a game of ultimate frisbee/soccer/touch football, playing a board/card game, etc. After initially feeling left out I eventually realized the migration to parties was one of the best ways for me to find my tribe (by avoiding the migration)!</p>

<p>You could still go to parties honestly, I have a friend who’s “straight-edge” and she still goes to parties. Usually has fun seeing the drunks doing drunk things, etc.</p>

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<p>That’s only fun for like 2 weeks, then it gets old because it’s like a tableau. Same old, same old.</p>

<p>Robinsongirl - I agree with you there!</p>

<p>To the OP, I’m going to a school all alone so I know how you feel; the awkwardness, the solidarity, etc. My school (Penn State) is also heavy in partying, which is not my scene what-so-ever. I went to “Late Night,” which is held at the student unions for people who don’t like to party. There, I met a ton of cool people! You just have to look hard!</p>

<p>Robinsongirl- That’s actually some really good advice. I think i’ll try that. I do go to parties and am involved in clubs, but some nights I just don’t wanna go out/don’t have the money and making a sweep of the halls a good way to see if anyones down for anything in the dorm.</p>

<p>OP, thats probably the best advice you could get on what to do. Also once you join some clubs you’ll find that you’ll have less free time as well and you can become friends with people in those clubs. Even if some of them do party, not all of them will party every weekend.</p>