<p>I don't think that getting drunk often equals high quality of life, but I mean...it is college. So from what Marsden said, are there not any like..."crazy" parties? I'm not saying that I wouldn't consider a school where people don't get trashed multiple times in one weekend, but...I don't know. This is very shallow and lame, but I'm just curious about the "party life" in general.</p>
<p>I probably just run with a lame crowd :)</p>
<p>About Harvard's perceived lack of attention to undergrads, it was received wisdom for decades, and the university administration made a big deal of addressing it in the 80s and 90s. But old stereotypes have tremendous staying power, particularly since some people are always looking for an excuse to knock someone (or some college) off a pedestal. That said, anyone who says Harvard is like a typical state school is kidding or incredibly ignorant.</p>
<p>There probably were some people at Harvard who got drunk multiple times in weekends, but when I was going there, I didn't see them, and I didn't know anyone who would have thought such behavior was cool or fun. </p>
<p>It wasn't until I was a grad student at a second tier that I heard of things like drinking games and people who apparently think it's hilarious to drink until one vomits. I heard about those things because I worked at the counseling center, not because the grad students were partying like that.</p>
<p>When I went to the Harvard-Yale game a couple of years ago, I didn't see a lot of Havard (or Yale) students wandering around obviously intoxicated. I can't say the same on game days , however, about the university town where I live where there's a big party school. </p>
<p>If you really think that college is the time in your life to drink to drunkenness a great deal, then I suggest that you go to a party school, not Harvard. I think that what you think is fun, normal, collegiate behavior is what many Harvard students would think is asinine.</p>
<p>Haha, i watched the video and i know for a fact that one of the students in the video who was bashing Yale actually originally picked Yale as his top choice. I guess getting deferred and then rejected suddenly made him realize how much the college really does "suck."</p>
<p>Keep in mind that the article is 3 years old -- published On Thursday, November 20, 2003 --
so I don't think finals inspired it.</p>
<p>That article is a joke. First of all, it comes from FM, and it's called a scrutiny. They always try to write about crazy controversial things and stir up trouble. So definitely take the article with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>As a current Harvard student, I couldn't disagree more with the things that were said in this article. I know absolutely NO ONE that hates it here. I mean, sure, some people have bad days when they're stressed out. But even this usually isn't the case.</p>
<p>For the most part, the people who I've met absolutely LOVE it here, including myself. There are actually really good parties every weekend. Harvard students aren't a bunch of competitive nerds. We go out. We have fun.</p>
<p>And this talk about complaining? Sure, we may complain about all the work we have to do, but it's less of a whining thing and more of a "hey we're all in this together" thing. We work hard but we work together. Ec10, the introductory economics course literally half of the freshmen take, assigns problem sets and I work on them with 5 of my friends. I honestly haven't noticed any negative competition and my public high school was much more competitive.</p>
<p>I'm sure it's possible some Harvard students don't like Harvard. Why? I don't know. But for the most part, everyone loves it here.</p>
<p>And in relation to Yale and Princeton? It's a complete stereotype that Harvard has inferior parties. All of Harvard's parties are funded by the school, which means never having to buy food/drinks/alcohol yourself. All parties are open to all students. People go CRAZY here. I have friends at Yale who definitely are not having as much fun as I am. </p>
<p>Yale and Princeton are NOT better party schools. I will fight anyone who says they are. haha</p>
<p>That's kind of the whole point, all4thesport. The fact that you have parties with alcohol doesn't make a social life. It's not about being a "party school." It's the presence of balance--friendly, happy students</p>
<p>...A balance that all4thesport establishes in the beinging of his or her post.</p>
<p>No, he didn't, that's my point:
"As a current Harvard student, I couldn't disagree more with the things that were said in this article. I know absolutely NO ONE that hates it here. I mean, sure, some people have bad days when they're stressed out. But even this usually isn't the case.</p>
<p>For the most part, the people who I've met absolutely LOVE it here, including myself. There are actually really good parties every weekend. Harvard students aren't a bunch of competitive nerds. We go out. We have fun."</p>
<p>Wow, parties on the weekend. Harvard students really ARE social...no, sorry, the fact that you have parties is OK but it doesn't make Harvard a social palce. That's the point I was trying to make about the video--those incredibly naive prefrosh were awed by the existence of a party..with alcohol! Wow, Harvard is Social! Not.</p>
<p>"And this talk about complaining? Sure, we may complain about all the work we have to do, but it's less of a whining thing and more of a "hey we're all in this together" thing."</p>
<p>Oh, so complaining is your main social event? Lol.</p>
<p>By the way I'm just kidding mostly...I'm sure Harvard's a great place, I'm not a student and you are so you obviously would know</p>
<p>Thanks, xjayz, (and others) for addressing my questions. And by the way, my son is studying for the same final...good luck!</p>
<p>I didn't realize this article was a few years old. What does FM stand for?</p>
<p>Fifteen Minutes, I believe.</p>
<p>Oh my God.... I've just seen this video...</p>
<p>Are there ANY pretty girls in Harvard at all??? Of course, it doesn't have any importance or something, just interested, cuz what i ve seen is dreadful!!!</p>
<p>Of course there are! The Crimson does a Fifteen Hottest Freshmen article every year, you can search their site if you really are interested</p>
<p>yeah, i understand that there are about 15 really beautiful girls in Harvard, but what's about the whole student body??? In this video i see only horrible girls.... </p>
<p>Harvard students seem to be a bunch of alcoholics, who seek only so-called "social life". I don't drink and don't care about social life in this meaning. I think there may be much more interesting and social things in a good college than partying.</p>
<p>VeritaSeeker:</p>
<p>Ouch!</p>
<p>Totally agree with your partying philosophy. I'm not opposed to some drinking, but I don't regularly drink on my own. You can definitely have a good time at the dance parties without getting wasted, and there <em>are</em> other fun ways to socialize. Still, alcohol is available for those who want it. It's cool. </p>
<p>Also, as a prefrosh, I was in that video. ... It definitely isn't the best depiction of me, but thanks for your um... compliments.</p>
<p>OMG, that is pretty mean...but you are seeking the "truth"...Hahaha</p>
<p>Sorry to tell you that, but it's just my opinion and i don't want to be biased or pretentious or something...</p>
<p>What cool about Harvard is its myriad of options to express and develope yourself: to study, to draw, to talk to intelligent friends or professors, to lie on a grass with a good book and many many others. The choice of spending your own free time is absolutely natural. Why shout about it??? About alcohol I mean.</p>
<p>I am really sorry to hear that Harvard students (I believe ones of the brightest in the world) associate "social life" with "alcohol" and "parties", as if it is the main college feature they seek! Why to talk about it with such an awe??? "Cool". This word is used often. Nothing cool in it. I regret that they don't realize it. </p>
<p>What really disappointed me is that somebody boa****lly told that administration organizes these parties and buys alcohol and so on. Oho! Like Yale U, Harvard becomes the bulwark of alcoholism and hard partying. As for me, I would like to live in a quite friendly dorm, rather than hear those drunken shouts and whistles ever weekend behind the door.</p>
<p>(I just spent a minute rereading your fourth paragraph to see what the censored word was. Strange, strange experience... haha... boastf_l, yeah, what an awful word ;))</p>
<p>VeritaSeeker, I agree with you completely. I was kind of dismayed by the prefrosh video... I wanted to see what kind of non-alcoholic, non-partying, perhaps slightly more cultural activities people had to do on the weekend. The FM article basically focuses on partying, which doesn't make me anti-Harvard in any way. On the other hand, if people are depressed and find classmates unfriendly and see Harvard as something "to endure," that's scary.</p>
<p>Yeah Verita...you got your stuff straight.</p>
<p>I agree with you on every point there man. It seems to me that the students are just trying to act out because their finally independent and can't seemingly control themselves, and started drinking alchohol because they think it makes them "cool."</p>
<p>This video really reminded me of how pathetic the Ivy League Seekers can be (no offense to veritaseeker, I just used the name to signify the whole Harvard wannabe group, myself included. It just happened to also be related to your screen name). Can't believe the only thing the people in the video could say was "yeah we drink beer too! We're just like all of the cool people right now drinking beer all day!" At least from what I heard from some people, this phase dies out soon. Might be wrong. Some people might be perpetual losers and idiots, even if they are Harvard students.</p>
<p>hahaha "even after the parties, some still wanted to explore one last factor..the academics"</p>
<p>nice to have your priorities in order</p>