Brown University Top Questions

Brown is a party school. Well, for a school of smart, hard-working students, it's a party school. The party scene is mostly urban, fraternities/sororities are an option, not the rule. Students tend to hang out at clubs or bars, but drinking is omnipresent.

Depending on the dorm, dorm life can be either extremely social or very isolating. Guest speakers can be very popular depending on who it is, from Obama to Spike Lee. Brown students don't really date, they either hang out and hook up or they're married. Greek life constitutes a small portion of the Brown community but their parties and events are popular especially with the underclassmen. There are a lot of events that go on on campus and in Providence that don't involve drinking such as shows. Brown students are also not antagonistic toward people who do not drink.

the performance groups such as accapella and dance groups are the most dominant activity groups on campus. athletics make up a good amount of the student body, but in my opinion there doesnt seem to be a lot of school spirit surrounding the athletic teams. the social life/party scene is pretty laid back. nothing like a state school, but definitely lively and exciting enough to keep us entertained.

On a Saturday night, if you're not drinking, you can party at Club Sci Li. V. exclusive.

Drinking all the time. Fratty fratty frat frat.

Frats are cool. Sometimes I like to go to bars also. But frats are cooler.

Frats and sororities are not a huge part of social life at Brown. Last weekend, I watched Juno with a bunch of friends and played card games. I don't drink, and I feel like there is enough to do on weekends- playing basketball, watching movies, playing games, going to the mall/Dave and Busters, going bowling, etc.

If I'm awake at 2am on a weeknight (as I often am), I'm either finishing up some work in the library or having a late night conversation with friends in our living room.

bdh generally has a good vibe on campus, christians are sometimes seen as too conservative. jews are embraced. people steal sometimes if your door is open. people either hookup or involved in a relationship, not a lot of dating. spg, gala, and spring weekend are big things that happen every year.

The most popular group on campus is the Brown Democrats, hands down. Maybe Model UN but there are so many groups that it is easy to find a niche. I am on the crew team, which practices 3 hours a day, six days a week although rowing is the most amazing thing in the world. Student definitely have their dorm rooms open. Athletic events are not popular here at all. There are a lot of guest speakers, like one every night of the week and there are quite a few theater productions. I met my closest friends here just by saying hi in the first week. If I'm awake at 2pm on a tuesday, I'm probably getting food or going to sleep. Traditions/events: ADOCH, SexPowerGod, StarFuck. People party maybe once a week, twice if you go to fishco on Wednesdays although many people find stuff to do without parties. Frats/sororities, not the place if you're into that.

people only party friday and saturday nights. you really can not do anything on a saturday night that doesnt involve drinking.

There is no "most popular" group or team because everyone is free to do what they want. Freshman year most people left their doors open, but as a sophomore I don't see it as often. Plus, our doors are made to close automatically so it is harder to just leave the door open. Athletics events and guest speakers are very popular at Brown. People are always supporting the sports teams and there are always tons of people when guest speakers come. Theater is less big, but it is still attended. The dating scene at Brown is not centered around one area. Most people I know met their boyfriends or girlfriends in class or through friends. I don't think I know anyone who met at a party. I met my closest friends in my freshman dorm and through friends and through my sister (who is a senior). Freshman year people are friends with the people they live near, but it is easy to meet people in class or during orientation, and then network and find friends that fit you the best. If I'm awake at 2 am on a Tuesday, I'm at the library studying. There are many, many traditions at Brown. Every April is Spring Weekend; every Spring there is a guest chef who cooks for the students; every November is SexPowerGod. People party at many different levels. Some people go out every single night; some people go out on W, Th, F, Sat, Sun because there are certain bars open to Brown, and some people just go out on the weekends, or not at all. It depends on the amount of work an individual student has or if it is during finals. Fraternities throw lots of parties so they are part of the social scene, but sororities are not allowed to have alcohol so they don't factor in as much into the social scene. Last weekend I went to a bar on Friday night and then Gala on Saturday night.

2 am tuesday? i'm walking back from joe's (eatery) or at the sci li. closest friends were met through college hill for Christ and taekwondo.

Social life at Brown is quite varied. There are always a range of events going on on the weekends, from frat parties to orchestral concerts. Fraternities play a large role in the campus party scene, however there is minimal pressure to actually join fraternities and for the most part they are cordial to non-members attending their events.

People are really eager to get involved in a lot of different activities. I dance and tutor, but only because I can't handle more with my workload. A really broad group of students attends events, from acapella sings to guest speakers to athletic games. The dating scene, however, is not great... Brown has a very large hook-up culture. People are generally friendly, partying is common among some circles, particularly the frat circle.

The group I'm most involved with is Mezcla. It's a Latin dance organization. Many students in dorms leave their doors open, but it depends on what building you live in. Athletic events are not too popular. The dating scene is not very prominent. People date, but they are not annoying about it. I met my closest friends through TWTP. If I'm awake at 2 AM on Tuesday, I'm in my room trying to do homework, but talking to friends in my room. Each year we have Spring Weekend, which should be fun. People don't party as much as I though they would. They go out on the weekends, but it's the same frat-party scene. The party scene is not big at all. You can definitely tell that most students did not drink before they got to Brown.. Frats and Sororities are important in that the host the most parties on campus. On a Saturday night, if I'm not drinking, I'm probably watching a movie with my boyfriend. Off campus I go to either Boston or New York.

There are ALWAYS events going on here. Students group are huge here. I'm involved in Greek life (a co-ed fraternity) and the Queer Alliance. I find that these provide avenues for all my social needs and more. Sometimes its overwhelming, because there's too much to do. I also really like to go dancing in the clubs downtown. There are a bunch of queer clubs.

Popular things are acapella, dance groups. I play frisbee. It is awesome and a huge community. We throw parties and people come. Because we are fun. People leave doors open in dorms and just generally chill. Athletic events, not so popular. Lecutres can be huge. Theater to. Dating scene/Social scene? I met most of my friends through classes and activities (frisbee for the most part). Some of my good friends I lived with my freshmen year and then met their friends through their activity. Traditions: naked donuts, during finals naked people walk through the libraries and give you delicious donuts. Frats and sororities seriously are not a big scene. There are like 8 of them. They are lame. People who are involved with them will say that they are cool, but they aren't. The only people who go to frat parties are freshmen and those in the frat, and those who are dating people in a frat. Last weekend, I hung out at myplace with some friends on friday night and went to a house party on saturday night. Things to do on a sat night that don't involve drinking: hanging out, theater.

This year I live at the Buxton International House and I think that it was one of the best moves I made at Brown. Now I have a 60 person family who always hangs out, goes to parties, studies together, take classes with, etc. At 2am on Tuesday I am definitely studying (engineer) but many people in my house may be going out (they know how to party).

Not too many bars on campus which is a problem but there are parties at different frats, and house parties alot. Fishco on wednesday nights is the traditional going out night which is fun and usually crowded so you get a good mix of people. If your looking to go out to bars/clubs, downtown Providence is fun but full of locals which can be annoying. Spring weekend is the best time of year for partying for the entire campus. Its drinking all weekend and concerts, constant buzzing and great weather makes for the best campus wide event of the year. This year the Seniors in Theta Delta Chi have thrown some awesome parties. Yeah i said it.

Athletic events are not so well attended, but guest speakers are common, well attended, and generally really really cool. There isn't much of a dating scene. People are usually single and occasionally hooking up with people or in seriously committed relationships. If you're awake at 2am on a tuesday you're probably doing homework. Or listening to music, watching tv, playing guitar hero, and generally avoiding work. Occasionally, on a great Tuesday night, you'll be playing beirut. Generally, people go out between one and three times a week, unless you're a senior in which case its more like 3-7 nights a week. Fraternities are definitely a part of Brown's social scene, but only 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students live in one and you can avoid them entirely if you want to.

athletic events are usually not very popular. i know this because i am on the swim team. occasionally people manage to get the campus excited for a single event and everyone will go but it's not often that this happens. frats/sororities are not important but you can make them the center of your brown experience if you choose to join one. i met my closest friends on the swim team.

Students are involved in all types of groups, a lot of them are into arts; painting, singing, acting, dancing... Students here take advantage of the cultural happenings on campus, they go to plays,concerts, dance shows, etc. Sports teams tend to stick to their groups and don't socialize much with the others. Internationals tend to mostly socialize with internationals, too. I met my closest friends in my international dorm. Everyone in my dorm keeps their doors open at all times and you're always welcome in their rooms. People love getting to know each other and as cliche as it may sound, learn from each other's experiences. The dating scene is pretty awkward. Students are stuck in limbo, confused as to whether they are just hooking up/seeing each other/dating/in a relationship/in an open relationship...it goes on. A lot of hookups - and awkward encounters within the next few days- are pretty common. There are also the "married" couples who are in serious relationships and virtually live in each other's rooms. However, there is not a lot of PDA around campus. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday...Depends on the Tuesday. I'm probably doing work with my door open and drinking coffee, and someone will drop by to say hi. Of course we'll end up talking for two hours...Or I might be on the Facebook, procrastinating. People party every weekend, and the weekends start on Thursdays for people who don't have work the next day. Thursdays are Fish Co (a club pretty close to campus) nights, it's dubbed Shit Co by many students because it really turns into a shit show. A lot of beer drinking and grinding...You get it. Frats and sororities are pretty minor, but there are people who are into it. They have their own parties and events. If you see someone running naked around Wriston Quad, you know it's one of them. They are pretty funny. I was probably at my friend's off campus house last weekend, having wine. Upperclassmen usually move off campus and have house parties. They are smaller and more intimate, people know each other and can have fun without drinking intensely.

Brown students contain a rare balance of intellectual curiosity with a determination to spend their four years of college having way too much fun. Brown understands the importance of a diverse social scene and provides almost too many options every weekend. Whether its partying at popular bar “Fish Co.”, eating too much pizza at Antonio’s or too many cookies at Meeting Street Café, or hitting up the Zoot Suit Swing Dancing Ball on campus, Brown knows that once Friday arrives, the books must be pushed aside. Student organizations throw the majority of the large parties on campus but smaller dorm parties are popular for those who prefer to be surrounded only by their close friends. The frat scene remains generally tame, though they gain more attention when they hold their famous decade-themed parties throughout the year. Athletic events gain modest audiences with the exception of any match played against rival Harvard. Whenever campus seems too confining, the city of Providence has independent movie theatres, excellent performing arts centers, and a delicious Italian restaurant district called Federal Hill. Plus, campus traditions like the annual SexPowerGod party, the Halloween Organ concert, and Spring Weekend, make each year filled with events to look forward to.

Spring Weekend is a great tradition that happens every year in April. We usually get two headliners for concerts (this year is Lupe Fiasco and M.I.A) and the whole week is filled with events, such as SPAGfest. It's a great way to relax before finals and celebrate with friends before people leave for summer. Fraternities and sororities at Brown are as important as you make them. It is easy enough to go four years at Brown without really interacting with frats, it depends on how you want to spend your time. There parties are definitely more popular as a freshman or sophomore but I always enjoyed myself. I wish athletic events were more popular. I worked as the men's soccer team manager for 3 years, so I know that athletes would appreciate more recognition and attendance at games. With BrownNAtion now in the picture attendance has gone up a bit, but more would be better. Students usually do turn up for big Parents Weekend or Championship games though. Brown has brought some pretty big names in the past. In my four years the most notable have been Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Obama (both before they announced their candidacy). When big speakers are on campus people camp out for tickets (which are usually pretty easy to get if you don't). With smaller speakers there is less of a turn out but i think they still get a pretty good audience. If you wanted to you could probably find something to do every night of the week, but on average. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are probably the most popular to party with the biggest stuff going on. If you don't want to drink there are usually movie nights, open mic nights, etc organized on campus or other dry events. Plus there are plenty of venues on and around campus you can go to without feeling the need to drink. But do know that drinking is popular at Brown. Off campus- There are a bunch of restaurants and bars on Thayer and Wickenden Sreets, which are very popular on weekends. There are 2 cool indie movie theaters (the Avon and Cable Car) near by as well as the multiplex in the mall, which is massive and offers $5 Tuesdays. There are also concerts at Lupo's pretty regularly which is downtown and popular.