<p>I've heard so much about frats at the University of Maryland. Are there students that don't do that kind of stuff? Do a lot of students stay on campus over the weekends? How do non-partying students fit at UMD?
Thanks!</p>
<p>Most students do stay on campus. Our DS is not in a frat and he still has fun. Most kids during the fall will be at the football games. In the winter they are at bball. They also go into DC quite often.</p>
<p>A lot of people stay on campus every weekend, including almost all OOS students. People who don’t go to frats party in dorms (if the RA is cool) or at off campus houses/apartments. If you don’t drink or party, you’ll find like minded people (especially if you’re in a living-learning program), but be warned, it may take a while.
Football games do not take up every weekend in the fall. Some people go to games, but it’s not like everyone’s there after the first one or two, and basketball games are often not even on the weekends.</p>
<p>There are also soccer games, dance clubs, intramural sports, service trips, getting cheap tickets to Nats or O’s games (in September), going to DC for dinner or other attractions…</p>
<p>S is a non-drinker in a traditional freshman dorm and he spends his weekends studying, walking to the town area to get stuff he needs, going to events. He’s been to a couple Redskins games, went to some of the museums in DC. His UNIV100 class has had a couple requirements that were off campus that he enjoyed including going to the Smithsonian this past weekend. Gina is right, it does take some time to connect with other non-drinkers, he’s still working at that. He went to the basketball opener with some friends this past weekend and he’'s been to the football games. He has mentioned that a LOT of ppl who are local go home for the weekend and I noticed that a lot of parents were picking up kids the one weekend I went up to get him.</p>
<p>D2’s experience has been very similar to Centh’s S. It took about 3 weeks for her to find like-minded people to hang out with. She is one of the most outgoing people you could find, who can strike up a conversation with anyone (she’s going to be working in the Orientation office next summer…imagine the types of talkataive people they look for when they hire OA’s). Since she had that personality, she wasn’t worried about it. Even now, most of the non-drinkers are local and go home. </p>
<p>She LOVES to go to DC, went to the zoo last weekend, was at the Museum of Natural History …or whatever it’s called, has gone to a couple of places in Georgetown. Yesterday, she called up a guy from her high school who goes to GW and they got together, along with her friends from the dorm. She found a Lebonese restaurant in DC that she said is amazing. She made friends with people in her classes (started out studying together), and has joined a few groups that she’s passionate about. She’s also in College Park Scholars, which has helped, but it wasn’t as open/welcoming/team building in the very beginning as I’d hoped.</p>
<p>When D1 was a freshman 2 years ago in Denton, she immediately found people to hang out with on her dorm floor who were not drinkers…day 1 she was off and running. That’s what made D2’s experience this year so strange. It really all comes down to the luck of the draw and the people on your floor, but within the first couple weeks, you’ll find people to do stuff with, that doesn’t include partying, if that’s not your thing.</p>
<p>Haha, early on when I posted about her beginning-of-the semester experiences, several CC’ers posted me and I gave D2 facebook addresses, etc. of students on campus who were also feeling frustrated by the lack of people who could still have fun while sober on weekends. My kids know I’m wierd, and think it’s particularly scary that I post on this board. She made a couple of contacts, but I think it was too uncomfortable to break the ice with someone you don’t know, especially someone your mom met on the internet!!! Ha, ha! Imagine that! I guess all those years of warning her about people you talk to on the internet really paid off!!! Of course, CC is much different!!!</p>
<p>LOL, Astro, I sometimes think that we should introduce our two…but then they would both think we are terribly creepy CC ■■■■■■! :p</p>
<p>The words my two kids use are “that creepy, stalkerish thing you do”.</p>
<p>Astro,</p>
<p>Tell D2 that there is an AMAZING Lebanese restaurant within walking distance of UMD. It’s called Mosaic Cafe. DS is addicted.</p>
<p>Great! Thanks. I’ve passed along the info, so I know she’ll try it out. D1 is addicted to the bubble tea at Ten Ren.</p>
<p>Totally agree with astrophysicsmom. </p>
<p>It is very much dependent on luck of the draw…your floor could have a lot of insane drinkers and 1 or 2 people who go home on weekends, or an alternative group of people who aren’t into that kind of thing.</p>
<p>But honestly, you really shouldn’t limit your friend circle to drinkers-non drinkers. Especially freshman year, a lot of people get crazed out because they are away from their parents. By sophomore year, students are partying less and settling into their campus activities and commitments. If you are willing to be friends with people who drink, suggest alternate activities during the day - ex. trip to DC, student event, etc. There is certainly no DEARTH of activities besides drinking, but sometimes it is about expanding people’s minds. Get involved in campus activities - I mean REALLY involved, not just a member of a club - run for office, join an activist group, etc. and you will find kids passionate about a lot of things. Most non-drinkers blend pretty seamlessly into the majority drinking crowd, by being friends with people who drink but just choosing to partake in other activities with them, leaving them to night owl on their own (or going out with them and just abstaining from drinking - though yeah, it is often stupid to be the only sober one).</p>
<p>Don’t want to give the impression that my kid is stuck-up about drinking. She just doesn’t see the appeal of getting so drunk that you are puking on the bus (she’s seen that one twice–ewww), or getting back to the dorm and passing out in the hallway, puking in the hallway trashcan, or slumped over the toilet. She has seen that some of the initial novelty has started to wear off, and I suspect the hard-core people who really don’t study at all won’t be sticking around much past freshman year anyway.</p>
<p>im a freshman @umd now livin in denton hall … see the thing with me is my group of friends is really diverse so im always out on the weekends doin all different kinds of things but the thing is whether or not your a drinker doesnt mean you cant have fun like me i do drink but ive never been drunk in my life because i got that self-control that other kids lack so i can get myself tipsy and “feel good” so i can have a good time … drinking once in a while just to have fun is never a bad thing !!!</p>
<p>but i stopped really goin to frat parties after maybe the 1st three weeks, if your like me and like to dance then going to the majority of white frat parties will get boring trust me … sittin around and just drinking beer was never my thing, DC clubbin is where its at !! and apartment parties are always cool too</p>
<p>&& BSU dance parties too of course</p>