College of Charleston Top Questions

Only the drugs.

yes, most of the time

somewhat

Not at all. We like to have fun but we get our work done and we enjoy learning.

some what

No. We do have a lot of school spirit. Although our school lacks a football team.. we take pride in other sports on campus. Our baseball and basketball teams are very good and have a huge fan base! Although their is a higher girl to guy ratio on campus, I never feel like I am always surrounded by girls. There are plenty of boys on campus and off.

Hardly! I was so worried before school began, but after finishing my freshman year I learned first-hand that the party-life is not the central focus of the majority of the students. I heard so many times something along the lines of, "There's a party going on tonight that I really want to go to, but I have to study..." Good grades are important to most of the students I know, and while they do go to parties, they try to keep their priorities in order. Balance is key in anything! I also met a surprising number of fellow students who choose to abstain from drugs and alcohol.

Although I can't say for certain about the male/ female ratio, It did feel like I was surrounded by girls (lucky for the guys). I will also that a majority of the people I met at the college were definately in the high income bracket. Although it not too terribly to attend the school, it is expensive to live in Downtown Charleston, which I guess explains why you kinda need money to go there. I also met people from all over the country there, but most of them were southern.

No

People here party a lot just like they do at every other college campus. The warm weather and beach nearby adds a fun atmosphere that contribute to the party scene.

stereotypes are never accurate. we all have our own unique perspective which mearly adds to the overall flavor of C of C life

sometimes yes, and no

yes

NO!

Okay, so there are quite a number of people at C of C that wear giant pearls and polos but certainly not everyone. There is a thriving greek life on campus, but it's not the only way to have a social life. Our school doesn't have a lot of ethnic diversity, but it does have a lot of geographic diversity. There are a ton of out of state students, which helps diversify a bit. As for it being a southern, conservative school, that doesn't hold true at all. It's a pretty liberal campus, like most colleges, and because there are so many out of staters, it's not that southern.

Originally I didn't want to go because of that. I soon realized though that there is always going to be a party in college and it ends up being what you make of it. There are plenty of people that don't party and plenty of people that do, and plenty of people that are happy mediums in between the two. You can always find what you are looking

Sadly, the female stereotype is true in many cases. The College is trying very hard to break free from its party school reputation by cracking down on alcohol in freshman dorms and parties near campus.

It's very true that the classes are challenging. You definely have to follow the 2 hours of studying for every class hour, if not more, if you want to succeed. The other steroeotype, that everyone stresses out around exam time, is not true though. If you take advantage of the opportunities the college offers, you can actually find exam time to be fun. They have free food practically every day of exam week, relaxation events, concerts, games, and a bunch of other cool stuff. The advice I can give to ensure that you don't break down is to form a study group right away the beginning of the semester and study with those people continuously throught it (not just the night before the exam). For finals you only get one reading day to study, so don't wait till the last minute to do so.

Id say that a lot of the campus is very southern and preppy. But there is also a lot of skateboarders and people that are extremely friendly and generous.

Not exactly. There's just as much partying at CofC as at any other college and there are a lot of out-of-state students and plenty of sorority girls. But the great thing about Charleston is if you don't want to party every weekend, there's other stuff to do. And if you don't like sorority girls, don't join a sorority, they're not too hard to avoid. A lot of people don't realize that CofC is actually an excellent school academically--there's a great Honors College program and it has a pretty high average SAT score.

Not at all. We cover the same academical material as the bigger universities do (maybe even more), and since the classroom sizes are kept to a minimum, there is more one on one experience with the professor which, in my experience, creates a better learning atmosphere.

CofC has a wide variety of students, each fiting into the surroundings and welcomed. C of C contains all types of majors that educates you and never leaves you out.

No! I ended up deciding to come here after I realized that, of all the schools I applied to, CofC had the best history department (my major). I got into the Women's and Gender Studies program, and I can honestly say that my intellect has been challenged daily. My ideas about the world have expanded and changed in ways I never really thought possible. Professors and students are incredible supportive; I have yet to have a teacher I don't like! That said, if you're interested in the party scene, we certainly have that as well. Charleston is a walking city, and with the campus nestled right in its center, it's a pretty convenient distance from anywhere. We've got bars, restaurants, and house parties aplenty. As for CofC's being a Southern school, I think a lot of people would be surprised to find that the political and social character of the campus is incredibly varied. We've got outlets for almost everybody, and we're always adding more.

to a degree, but there's such a diverse group of students here, i feel very lucky to go to a school where all are accepted without judgement

Although the college is near a beach it is no where near within walking distance. It is quite a drive to both Folly and Isle of Palms, the two most popular public beaches. The students are more likely to be found sunbathing in the courtyard of the library or in Marion Square. The students are laid back, but quite intelligent and hardworking at the same time.

While there are plenty of kids from wealthy families there, the majority of students seem to be pretty laid back, chill kids. The only really preppy kids are those in frats and sororities, but fortunately that only makes up around 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body.

Somewhat. We are incredibly racially stale (like a saltine cracker) and we do have a lot of partying and hippies.

Sort of. If you're into that. But there are plenty of things to do besides that.

For the most part yes.

Sort of, you will find your fair share of those kids in the greek system but there is a diverse population of students at CofC but the kids you will see representing organizations on campus will fit into that stereotype.

For the most part but that's just because they stand out more. Most people are just your average 18-22 yr olds.

Somewhat. That Charelstonian culture is the ultimate preppy city, but not the College.

these stereotypes are very accurate, knowing people from every group i feel that this classifys the general populace very well.

no

I think that the laid-back interest and contrast between privileged out-of-state students and the less affluent in-state ones is accurate. The Charleston does not offer a significant cultural scene for those without resources (as Boston, New York, etc might). This may account for the recognizable schism between the those with money, and those without. The image of Charleston as a school of 'average middle class Caucasians' seems somewhat accurate. Having lived in San Antonio, TX and Providence, RI; the diversity of cultures (sub-cultures, ethnicities, artistic etc) was far superior, and far more vibrant, in those places, to what I have witnessed since matriculating to CofC.

Absolutely not. The ratio is skewed but not that high.

Yes... except the party scene has died down because the police are getting more strict.

While most of the people on campus appear this way, most people are kind, easy going people. Alcohol is a large part of CofC because it is, after all, a college town. However, with Charleston, there is a lot of things to do besides drinking. As well, our campus provides tons of activities for everyone to do.

Somewhat true, however there are a lot of exceptions

According to some of the people that I have come in contact with, it is very much true. I don't go a day without hearing someone talk about being drunk or what party they are going to this weekend.

mostly

There's more than just preppy, stuck up kids to meet. There is a large group of kids that are creative and open minded. There is a lot of drinking and 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the kids smoke cigarretes. The school is getting much more challenging and because of that more and more intelligent kids are being accepted. Fraternities and sororities aren't that big of a deal if you don't want to be a part of it. There are a lot of superficial girls.

1. College of Charleston students are laid back, we may even tip over, but the truth is our student body is involved, aware, concerned, and constantly trying to improve the community (both locally and globally) through service projects, awareness campaigns, fund raisers, and outreach. 2. Yes, it is true that there are students that fit those stereotypes, but there are many more who have individual style, unique interests and inquisitions that are reflected in their appearance. The student body is intriguing in its diversity of spirit and upbringing. 3. Because CofC is a liberal arts school nestled into the same peninsula as a military college and medical university it is tempting to say CofC is the 'easy' college. This, however, is not the case. Academics at the College are incredible, challenging, perplexing, and, beyond expectation, the professors entice students to consider the world by posing questions and ideas that shatter preconceived notions. Here, at the College of Charleston, you learn how to define where you stand in the world by being exposed to opinions, thoughts, and beliefs other than your own.

mostly

Its not very snobby but otherwise yes

pretty much

there's no way to escape cliques so certain people do ban together, but for the most part they are incorrect. Certainly the sorority stereotypes are the ones that get the most out of control and i know my sorority is not very stereotypical so...

Somewhat. There are a lot of girls, but most people are really friendly, independent, and hard working.

for the most part yes. students just like anywhere else sometimes do the min. to get by but with all the other things going on sometimes it is hard to give 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}. Students are very friendly and you dont feel unconfortable in any class.

Well, any college that you go to you will find a large group of people who party. However, I never encountered people who partied so much that they couldn't get up to come to class or any of that other stuff you hear about. Also, I didn't go to one single party the entire year!