College of Charleston Top Questions

Hippies and surfers... not all of us. The girls.... yes, we are all pretty pretty. Guys.... there are very few 4:1 ratio (I think)

Somewhat. I don't party and drink every single week; usually every other week or every two weeks. So I think that I probably notice the partying more than someone that goes out two, three or more nights a week. I do think that the students here like to have a good time, the fabulous weather makes it really, really hard to go to class when you would rather go to the beach! Also, I think that students get back as much as they put in at CofC. Yes, Charleston it a wonderful city and a lot of fun, but you just have to know how to handle your classes, homework, maybe job AND going out and having fun. It works for some people and not for others.

Kind of. It's really whatever you want it to be. If you want to party alot, then you can. But there's also a crowd that's really into just the academics. Just find your place.

lots of parties - yes - but hard work too and i've only gotten to the beach once - so no

C of C is not neccessarily a party school. Every school is going to be a party school. The sororities, on the other hand, I believe are accurate for some of them.

Yes and no... there are a lot of girls, but there are a lot of guys too (just not necessarily in all the classes); a lot of partying goes on, but it is easy to avoid

No, I don't think so. I feel that the students here, at least the majority of them, are here to work hard and get a serious education; not here just to party and live it up. However, there are those folks who make the rest of us look bad, so I don't know if I'd go as far as saying that the stereotypes are completely false.

yes

for the most part

A quick look around any student parking lot or garage will prove that many students are not struggling. Overall though, I believe that the typical student experience can be found here because many students do work to pay their own way. The downtown area offers a multitude of employment choices for students from tour guides and restaurant staff to retail clerks and valet parking attendants. Anyone who frequents restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions downtown can see the college student presence. The Greek system is the same as it always was and is similar to the system in any other Southern school. Delusionally inflated egos exist in both sororities and fraternities but there are many exceptions so don't right them all off. If you plan to stay in Charleston after graduation, the connections made in the fraternity/sorority made prove useful in future employment/promotions because many graduated Greeks never truly grow up and base life altering decisions on trivial matters such as fraternity/sorority membership in college. Yes is a strong attraction to the beach for many students, and yes they may make irresponsible decisions in pursuit of temporary fun/pleasure. But also realize that many students do not grow up near beaches, so it can be a huge temptation in the early fall and late spring semesters to take advantage of this. Also there are no more drugs/drinking than any other college.

sometimes, but not always. there are a bunch of cool peeps

yes.

To a degree they are accurate, but there is SUCH a variety of students at CofC that it really doesn't affect you.

Party school; definitely. The apathy on campus has started to wane but still runs prevalent because there is not a football team.

Of course these stereotypes are not accurate. CofC has some well respected departments such as the Geology department.

yes

yes

While it is true that a large percentage of the student body comes from wealthy backgrounds, there are those that attend the school that are lower to lower-middle class. The College of Charleston is home to many parties and of course, the bars on King Street are packed with college students on Thursday nights, but there is a certain percentage of the student body that does not drink or frequent bars/parties. I have found that the use of marijuana is relatively high among students, and cocaine is, scarily, readily available (perhaps due to the high percentage of upper-class students in the area). Being a sorority girl myself, I can honestly say that not everyone in the Greek system is morally corrupt or addicted to drugs and alcohol. However, there are a few that are- but those types of people are present in every social group on campus. My personal opinion is that the fraternity guys tend to be more likely to drink because of the Greek "culture", but again, there are alcohol abusers present in almost every social group on campus. The percentage of males in the student body is approximately 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} while females make up about 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body. There is definitely a shortage of males at CofC, making it difficult to date or start a relationship-that is, if a significant other is what you want! So ladies, if you're looking for your MRS. Degree, then maybe CofC isn't the school for you! Compared to the other colleges and universities I have visited, the males tend to be more reserved in approaching girls... they seem to scope out all of their options-which are a lot!- before making a move.

I think this is definitely a misconception. True, we do find plenty of time for the fun stuff, but we know how to balance it well. College of Charleston is by no means an easy school and you definitely have to work for your grades. When it comes time to work, we know how to take care of business.

Not all of them are true. I feel as if I'm getting a very good education at CofC and that my professors are knowledgeable yet fun to be around.

Yes

some

Yes, there are the overprivledged and snobby but CofC is also filled with kids who've worked hard for where they are. CofC is also home to a lot of hippies and art students who make the campus unique. Its fair to say everyone is easily able to find a place at CofC.

No

for the most part, especially the 9:1, ridiculous amount of girls

Yes and No, CofC is a great place for a non-drinker and serious student but if you are into the party scene, CofC is a great place too!

For the most part, yes. We have beautiful weather, the beach is 20 minutes away, and our campus is right in the middle of a great historic city.

Both of these are fairly true especially about our students being very laid back.

absolutely. C of C is ridiculously party-oriented, and as a non-drinker I often feel left out of every single social activity because everyone else seems to center their free time around not just drinking, but getting drunk. It is just like high school all over again, which is kind of disappointing. As for the academics, I used to think that I was just settling by coming to C of C, but the administration and most individual departments have been taking huge steps towards advancing the academic prowess of the college and improve its competitiveness with other schools.

To some exent they are accurate. But any stereotype is true to some extent. But you can always find some people who are different.

true, there are not very many alternative thinkers here

There is always a grain of truth to stereotypes, but I would say that in general we are a diverse group of people.

I think the stereotypes are outdated and are inaccurate at this time.

In all honesty, yes. But really, Charleston gets pretty hot so no wonder girls dress a certain way. And depending on where you live and who your friends are, you will find tons of parties. C of C is a really friendly campus but sometimes you have to push to get stuff you need to get done.

somewhat; not as bad as they say but noticeable *mostly freshman year; not so much afterward not really a party school--a big BAR school

Not everyone does, but a lot of the students do.

Yes and no. The academic standards at CofC have gone up. People work hard and play hard at CofC.

Every school will have partying, CofC is no different. There are alot of wealthy white kids, only 6-8{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} minority.

Yup.

Not sure about the pot-smoking, but there are a lot of very liberal people

yes

For the most part no. Sure people do dress in unique ways, but everyone at the school is usually pretty chill.

pretty much

They can be, but more people are represented than just those who make up the stereotype.

Although the ratio may not be accurate, there is still a noticeable difference between the male to female student ratio. It can be easily noticed by just walking through campus.

yes, but i think that as far as cofc being a party school, it definitely is but i feel like the student body still reflects a positive image as far as grades and activities go

There are people that fit these stereotpyes but during finals the library is completely full with people staying all night. Grades are important to almost all the people I know, and yes most students enjoy going out but there is a balance that most students find. The southern stereotype is true to an extent but many students are from out of state the greek system tends to lean towards southern ways, but overall the student body is from all over the east coast and the midwest. Most students are upper middle class and beyond but there are students below this income level it just is not made obvious by the school and no one looks down upon these people.

some are, some arent. everything gets blown out of proportion. there is a little bit of everything at every college.

Absolutely.

Pay attention fellas, the girl to guy ratio is correct. However, the stereotype about the majority of C of C students being hippies is false.