College of Charleston Top Questions

For the most part they are, there is a signifigant part of the student population that uses drugs including the rich kids and the emos which there is plenty of.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, and Wrong. All wrong. Why? Well, out of all of the people that I have surrounded myself with at CofC, less than 3{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of them are in a sorority or fraternity and we always have fun, zero of them are "country-club-like," zero of them are laid-back, hippie surfers, zero of them drink all the time, and all of them care deeply about academics. There are groups at CofC to represent every walk of life. There are students from low income families and students from high income families. There are students that surf and sit under trees, and students that dress up in polo shirts and visors. There are people who fit in between. There are people that drink every day - there are people that don't drink at all. There are people that drink on occasion. There are people that don't do their work with much effort, and there are those that strive for excellence. Every single one of these sterotypes, like most stereotypes, is DEAD W R O N G!

No, not at all.

Sort of, I mean you get a huge percentage of the population thats in one of these two groups, but theres a pretty big chunk thats not in either

Stereotypes all have some truth to them, but tend to stick around past their expiration date. The majority of students on our campus are white, we are not very diverse. That can only change one way though. A student if looking for party can find one on any campus, we are not the exception but we are also not any more of a party school then Clemson or USC. Not all the students come from rich family's....I am a perfect example. Yes we are very laid back. But not lazy. We get things done on time we just do all the work at on a low key level. There is nothing low key about the results though!! C of C has plenty of school spirit. Its not as loud and crazy as Clemson football games. We do it C of C style through community service and bettering out selves so we can better out community.

we definatly love to party and there is so much to offer as far as nihgtlife goes in Charleston... but yeah we don't have much school spirit- we are lacking on that aspect!

The partier stereotype is accurate although I feel that it is no more than other schools. It is very easy for me( a non-partier) to find others to hang out with that have a non- partier lifestyle. We also have a big gay population which I think is over emphasized at times in a negative light because the gay people I have met have been the most fun and accepting. As far as the academic side of the college, I find the classes to be challenging and they require just as much effort and studying as other major colleges around the country.

I've met plenty of these stereotypes.

Yes

generally

absolutely

Somewhat. There are a lot of girls and there are quite a few in sororities. But, having lived with a total of 4 sorority girls without being one myself, I can say that there are great people in all different kinds of organizations on campus. Not all students go to the beach all the time, I hardly ever go during the school year. But it is a fantastic feeling knowing it's less than 15 minutes away!

mostly

Quite.

For some

I know a lot of people who party but a lot of people don't party as well it is a mixture of both. I think that more people smoke pot then not but there are a few that don't. I've heard that the school as a very high STD rate but I havn't heard anything about while going there but that doesn't mean it isn't true.

very.

Not neccessarily. There are lots of different types of people, and it's part of what makes the CofC experience unique and fabulous.

1. I had a terrible first semester because I believed all the sterotypes I heard/read about C of C. Yes, there are very pretty girls there, and a lot of them are in sororities, but people don't get accepted into College of Charleston for their cup size, or hair color. I also convinced myself that I would never hang our with sororites girls because I assumed I could never relate to any one in a Barbie doll cult. But, to my suprise, I became best friends with three girls who were all in sororities, and I'm living in a house with them next year. It just goes to show you, never judge a book by it's cover. 2. Yes, there are a lot of girls at C of C, but they are not as "easy" as some guys might assume. There arn't so few males that girls will jump on any guy who looks there way, we've still got priorities! 3. College of Charleston is just as much as a party school as the next. Yes, there's usually a party or three going on on the weekends, but it's not like a scene from Old School every weekend. As far as work load goes, as with any school, it really depends on what classes your taking and your professor. Some courses like the history, English, anthropology etc. require a lot of reading and frequent tests or papers, but others arn't any more rigorous than a high school class, it just depends.

No they are not

we definetly have some stuck up southern rich girls, however, this school also has a lot of really chill people too this is def the party school on the beach kegs every weekend and we go to the beach when its nice This school is full of very beautiful people

The ratio of girls to guys is pretty accurate. Most of the students are at least middle class to upper class. Most of the students are white. However, the College is quite academically challenging. Most of the students hit the beach only on the weekends.

1. Yes, there are extremely preppy guys/girls are COFC. 2. Yes, the student body is very religious. I, personally am not. The speaker at graduation even quoted the bible. My family was very offended. 3. Yes, COFC student party very hard, however, there are a small group of students that choose to do other things. You have to really look for those people and they are not apart of any Greek organizations. 4. Yes! COFC is mostly female. 5. No. I transferred in as a junior from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. I was not challenged at all.

Some people fit the stereotypes but most don't. It's like any place you'll ever go in your life-there are stereotypes everywhere but everyone at this school is SO nice and open it's a shame that people would judge and stereotype without getting to people them first.

Yes and no. College of Charleston does have great nightlife, whether it be bars or parties in the downtown area. However, this definitely does not reflect the academic aspect of the college. The classes at CofC are challenging and interesting. The teachers each have a passion for the subject they teach, which results in a much better learning environment than many other school. Yes, you can party at College of Charleston, but you can easily find a balance between having a good time and accomplishing what needs to get done academically.

The male to female ratio is horrible for girls but I'm hoping that will turn around soon. Also there are many kids from up north usually the Maryland area however there are many kids from south carolina and atlanta. Not all of which are spoiled and rich. this school is so ecclectic.

YES. ABSOLUTELY. Unfortunately, the reality of CofC students is even more exaggerated than their stereotypes. For example, everybody is more controlled by Greek life and more obsessed with trends, fashion, shopping, and appearances than I hoped they would be when I committed to this school.

While the majority of the student body is white, the college is very liberal and open to all races, cultures, nationalities and religions. Being a student originally from a different country, I felt completely comfortable with the campus environment. I think that the college works hard to try to promote diversity and break cultural barriers. We have many international (language and culture) clubs and an international festival every year. For some reason I have been asked several times if C of C was a women's college. While the majority of the student body is female, somewhere under 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}, it is not and never was a women's college. And it's something I don't think anybody really pays attention to. Guys, there's plenty of girls to choose from, just don't forget about your studies...haha. And girls there's a primarily male military academy, The Citadel, about a mile from the school.

To a degree, yes

Yes

Kind of. It is a surf town and I would say half the kids are laid back and half are preppy.

Probably

yes

Sometimes.

40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} accurate, but plenty of other, more diverse people too.

Yes

Every college has parties and people who are only there to party. I haven't been to other colleges so I don't know if there is more partying at CofC, but it never seemed to me like there was a huge amount of it.

There are a few surfers obviously but the curriculum is pretty demanding. We have great academics. It's not hard to make good grades, but at the same time if you don't have your head on straight it's easy to fall off the wagon.

About the parties and drinking--- pretty much. I never was one for parties... I'm not very social myself. But there is no lack of party in Charleston. If you are a social butterfly, there is always SOMETHING going on. Those who have no self-discipline and can't learn to balance study and fun WILL be weeded out in the first few semesters. As for us being sad? ^_^ It's just because everyone is always looking at their feet! I admit it's a rather morose sight, but it's impossible to walk on those bricks without tripping unless you watch where you're stepping!

like i said before... not at all.

It's only a party school if you go to the parties, the sorority and fraternity members are constantly having mixers and parties, but not everyone goes to them. Most people aren't invited. Southerners can be stupid and illiterate, but so can anyone from any region. It's not about where you're from, but how far you want to go. As I said before, the sororities and fraternities are very selective and so not everyone is a member. People often try many times without ever being selected to be a member of these groups. The great thing is, those groups are not the only clubs on campus. There are a wide variety of groups and organizations, ranging from the republican and democrat clubs all the way to the club supporting the legalization of marijuana. You can find something that interests you, or you can create your own club.

most of the stereotypes do have some basis in reality, because all of these groups exist at College of Charleston. However, they aren't the only groups at the school and almost everyone can find a place to fit in. Also, the College isn't as cliquey as people make it seem. College of Charleston IS the most liberal college in South Carolina. Still, don't come here looking for lots of major social activism... Bard this is not.

yes

Yes, all of these sterotypes are accurate. However, you are only as involved in these stereotypes and are around them as much as you want to be. It is very easy to find your own group of people to hang out and be around.

no, while a lot of people do like to go out at night everyone still keeps their grades up and is able to moderate partying. for me my main motivation for getting good grades is so that i can stay in school and continue to have suck a fun time with my friends. the stereotype that girls are hot is true in my opinion because i have yet to visit any city that has that many very attractive girls in one place. its rediculous

see above

yeah, everyone is gorgeous but i think just because they are all so happy. charleston is heaven on earth, and the campus is it's center. the boy to girl ratio isn't a problem in the least.

Not at all, there are all kinds of kids at the college, and the school itself is really liberal. The part about the beach is true for a lot of people, and there definitely isn't a lack of partying at the school.

Absolutely. We're located in the middle of downtown Charleston, anything is available/possible, and were only minutes from the beach, but parties aren't all their is here, if your able to exercise some restraint, the school has a great deal of academic and historical wealth to offer. But self control is a must to make it here.

These stereotypes are accurate for most students at the College.