<p>This may seem like a dumb question, but what, exactly, does it mean to "party?" I realize that college students at a party aren't playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, but what do they expect to happen at a party? Drinking, I realize. But what else? Dancing? Drugs? Conversation? Random hookups? Sex in the bathroom? Crowds of people standing around aimlessly while loud music plays? All of the above?</p>
<p>I ask this after reading a number of threads about the social life at various colleges. Maybe there is no clear answer.</p>
<p>I think it varies by campus, by dorm or social group and even by kid in those settings.</p>
<p>For example, my niece wound up on a dorm floor with a lot of other kids into comics and anime. They would “party” by dressing up as their favorite characters, drink minimal beer and play games. They were very, very proud of their status as “geeks”! When I went to “party” in college, it meant Animal House type frat parties with drinking, drinking, and more drinking being the point. Thank goodness the kids have turned out smarter than their mother/aunt!</p>
<p>This may seem like a dumb question, but what, exactly, does it mean to “party?”</p>
<p>Actually, it’s a good question.</p>
<p>When we hear about college kids partying or partying too much, images of big tubs filled with various alcohols or huge kegs of beer and a 100 wild kids chugging the contents til they puke. Sure, these more extreme events go on, but probably most of the partying (drinking) is either large frat parties with beer and mixed drinks and people are talking and dancing, or 10-20 kids at someone’s place and everyone is talking, drinking, maybe playing poker, or Wii games, or whatever.</p>
<h2>This may seem like a dumb question, but what, exactly, does it mean to “party?” I realize that college students at a party aren’t playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, but what do they expect to happen at a party? Drinking, I realize. But what else? Dancing? Drugs? Conversation? Random hookups? Sex in the bathroom? Crowds of people standing around aimlessly while loud music plays? All of the above? ~ Hunt</h2>
<p>Yep, all of the above. At least at the good parties.</p>
<p>It’s mostly guys trying to hook up with girls, lots of alcohol and some drugs.</p>
<p>It means drink, probably with some drinking games thrown in.</p>
<p>If your kid lives off campus, try to convince said kid not to host parties at his/her place. Your kid wants at least some of his/her security deposit back, right?</p>
<p>I always enjoyed strip “quarters” back in my day.
Where you try to bounce a quarter off the table up into a glass. If successful, you could pick on someone who had to take off an article of clothing.</p>
<p>Many college kids “party” without binging, doing drugs, or having quick and meaningless hookups. They may have a few drinks, mingle, flirt, dance, and go home with the friends they arrived with. It all depends on the individual, the school culture, the subset culture (frat, sorority, eating club, final club), and the way they’ve been raised.</p>
<p>Parents can do their part while the kids are in HS, emphasizing self-respect, respect for the opposite sex, consequences, and moderation.</p>
Maybe my memory has faded, but I don’t remember the term being used in that generic way. There were certainly lots of events with drinking–some with dancing, some without. But this was back when organized college events could have alcohol, so there were fewer room parties (at least, I didn’t go to many)–and there was no Greek scene at my school. I do remember that “party school” meant a school with a lot of drinking.</p>
<p>There was a frat scene at my large school, but I never went to a party at one. I just remember the party scene being as varied (from mild to wild) then, as it probably is today.
I was in the visual arts, so our parties had a heavy handed amount of pretentiousness to go along with the boozing. D says that that is still the case.</p>
<p>You are hilarious! Risk, OMG. I was planning on suggesting kiddo take the Risk and electronic Monopoly…</p>
<p>I guess it’s “better” than pong…??</p>
<p>Back in hs, we played quarters.
Sometimes we tried it with a dime and a shot glass…</p>
<p>By college, it was just drinking for the sake of drinking…and it was weird concotions with grain alcohol in them. Gosh that stuff is bad and you feel awful afterwards!</p>
<p>I heard that some play Super Mario Xbox driving games while chugging beer… :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Well mostly kids just get drunk and if you have a daughter, there will be tons of drunk horny loser pervert guys trying to grope her and have crazy butt sex with her to which she will probably happily oblige and then she’ll probably never see that guy again. Crazy random wild party hookup sex rocks!</p>
<p>I think it is interesting that “party” has become a verb, as in “Do you party?” From what I understand at my D’s college, it involves heavy drinking and whatever other “poor choices” stem from that. And, of course, my D seems to be “partying” quite a lot.</p>
<p>As a verb. As in, “wanna meet in Ann’s room to pre-party?” You’d drink, comment on each other’s outfits, revise as needed, put on some more make-up, and basically get ready for “the party” (noun, not verb).</p>