College of Charleston Top Questions

People are very friendly, it's supposed to be the friendliest city. Lots of interesting events held. The residence halls are pretty much a constant party. People are very superficial and drink way too much. But if you want a town that never closes down this is the place. I always here people talking about some party they went to last night even if it is a Wednesday. Because people are so shallow it was difficult to make really good friends. The only great friends I made were my suitemates.

Liberty is def. the best freshman dorm because everyone gets to know people on your floor, as opposed to Mcalister (which is nicer). Greek life is not extremely necessary but helpful to meet people because it can be hard to meet people. Not much to do that doesn't involve drinking except eating (at the good restaurants)

money to the arts!!!!!

The city is a huge draw! So much to do, being an arts major I'm always going to shows or openings. Yes, there's parties but I wouldn't say we're like Ohio State or anything(my sis goes there, nuts!) People have a good time totally, but when it's time to get down to it, you'll have no problem studying. The beach is pretty much all fall long, until December and the campus does different things to get kids involved - movies, concerts etc.. I think a lot of people just hang out and friends houses- i've become a very good hostess since coming here :-)

It was harder making friends than i thought. House parties are lame...its more of a bar scene.

The best part about being in Charleston is that it is very hard to tell the campus and the city apart. They are generally one in the same, which means there is always something to do through the city or the College. My favorite thing to do on a weekend night is to attend a concert or city art event and then go out to bars with some college friends. The combination is great!

The College of Charleston offers sooooo many different activities and things to do. Being Liberal Arts exposes students to things that they normally would not be involved in unless they came to the College of Charleston. the athletic events that get us going tend to be basketball because we do not have a football team! Basketball season is a very fun time though. Each year all entering freshman go to Convocation which is a big welcoming ceremony where you meet the President of the College, and student body president. You also talk about the summer reading that was assigned. Students party pretty much when they have time, but on the weekend students go out downtown because we are in the middle of the city.

Men's basketball is the big sport for C of C (no football team), which has a solid student following and lots of alums/locals. Student athletes have a lot on their plate with practice, school, and a frequently a job. A lot of students are involved in sports or exercise somehow, either recreationally or with a school team. Loose organizations of Frisbee, runners, bikers are around. Crew is popular, which I really enjoyed freshman year. There's also rugby, the equestrian team, sailing, and then the typical sports like volleyball, soccer, baseball that are actually pretty good but don't receive a lot of school support. A lot of people are involved in service organizations--either frats, Volunteer Corps and ASB, or actual organizations with a specific purpose (AID, APE). Whatever your interest is--social activism, racial tensions, sexuality, green living, student government--there is probably a pretty active group to join. Departments have lots of interesting lectures throughout the year, sometimes not well-publicized, so usually it's a fairly small turn-out unless it's a hot topic. Music Under the Oaks and other concerts are pretty popular. My friends I've met within my dorms mostly. Classes facilitate study groups and hanging out as well. I also had a meal plan these last two years. The food is usually okay, but I recommend not getting too large of one because you'll probably get sick of it. But I've met a lot of really fun people just by eating meals with them. CAB host lots of programs to give students who don't want to drink something to do. Movies, game nights, etc. Usually my friends and I go dancing, see a show, watch movies, or hang out and talk since most of us don't drink or not very often. I feel safe outside with a group of people late at night so we go walking a lot. There are lots of bars for social drinkers downtown and people have house parties frequently.

College Lodge is probably the most social dorm on campus. We leave our doors open all the time and we are all friends. Basketball games are pretty popular, that is where our school spirit (what little there is) thrives on. There are many activities that CAB holds, that serve as alternatives to the drinking/partying scene. But, people party a lot. Every weekend and on Thursdays, mostly.

Greek life is pretty popular. Sororities are more popular than fraternities. Taking part in political activites is also pretty popular among students. Some students leave their doors open while they are inside. Athletic events are not as popular as schools with football. It is also hard to attend most games because they take place off-campus. My closest friends at school are my suitemates from this year and the people I attended high school with. There are many restaurants that students can eat at when they are not eatin in the dining hall.

Join Greek life for friends.

Every week, CofC students receive an e-mail from the administration detailing all of the campus activities for the week. You can go to these things sober, and be with other people who choose to abstain from alcohol and drugs. I don't choose to abstain, but I still go to some of these things. I have gone to school plays, concerts (especially the instrumental Radiohead concerts), school movie showings (we get movies before they're released on DVD...pretty cool), and various school sporting events. Personally, though, as a legal 21 year-old I like the sauce. I feel that I have earned a few nights out after working my tail off all week. So I party. A normal night for me would be drinking some beers or whiskey at my house with friends. After we get light on our feet we head on out to a bar and try to spend as little money as possible, The main goal is to be charming enough so that you don't have to walk home alone.

Greek life is the most popular social thing on campus. I was not involved with any of that, I think it is really uncool and I have better things to do with my time. Students are very trusting on campus to the point where many doors are left open and unlocked. There are only a few big events that students will show up to, like when Obama came to town or when there is a concert or the big event at the end of the semester, like cougar palooza. I met my closest friends from my dorm and my classes. Most of the time at 2am I'm trying to get to sleep or if its on a weeked, I'll be out with my friends.

cofc is definitely a party school. a lot of bars, frat and house parties. Students at cofc start partying on Thursday.There are a lot of groups and organizations on campus. Greek life is a huge part of social life, but if you are not greek you have a lot of opportunities to party and be social as well. I think we should have more plays and interesting guest speakers though.

Most activities involve money drives for the different organizations and lots of alcohol!!! Flyers are everywhere for drinking parties. Secondly the school is way too interested in sex. They constantly advertise sex parties and fill your e-mail account up with invatations to campus held sex activities.

On the first day of moving in to my dorm, everyone on the hall had their doors open. We were all being crazy and outgoing just because we were on such a high of being apart of college. It's so easy to meet people. I'm shy and not outgoing, yet it's not hard at all to make friends. I'm in a sorority, and I love it! but most of my close friends aren't involved with greek life. It's awesome if you are apart of it, but in no way does it effect you negatively if you aren't. I'm not a big partier either, so when it comes to finding things on campus that do not involve drinking, it's doable. At first, i lost a lot of hope for staying sober on weekends. But, now there's so much to do. You can go to music scenes like Music Farm or the PourHouse. Then there's going to see an orchestra performance by CSO or a ballet by the Charleston Ballet. There's some really great restaurants that make going out a fun thing without drinking. There's always a concert around town, or even going to north charleston. In the dorms, people are always having movie nights, which are fun - or you can go out to mt pleasant and see a movie. You can even go to the clubs. Dancing is definitely a fun thing that you don't have to drink for. Then of course the college is always planning some fun thing on campus to do - whether it's hearing a lecture or having an outdoor concert in the cistern. There's SO much.

Dorm doors are left open or closed depending on which dorm you're in. The basketball games are popular, but we have no football team. I met my best friends right from orientation, but continue to meet people in classes too. People party alot, on the weekends and there are always things to do during the week too. Fraternities and sororities are not prevalent at all. There are tons of things to do that don't involve drinking on and off campus, with a great city right around the corner.

This school is a non-stop party. The only nights I am not pressured to go out are Mondays and Wednesdays. Even then most people rent their own apartments and drink regularly on "off-nights".

The activities and social life at cofc is great. There are a million different ways to get involved and the easiest would probably be joining the greek life. Cofc has a smaller percentage of kids in greek life than most schools, but it is a great way to make friends and meet people. I joined a fraternity and it has been the best decision I've made so far. I have made amazing friendships by doing so and I have met a ton of girls in sororities. Greek life or not, it is very easy thouugh to have a good time. No matter what night of the week there is always someting to do or some sort of fun you can have. There are always parties going on and the bar scene is pretty big too. It may take a few days once at school, but once you find stuff to do there is always plenty of it. A nice problem for CofC students is that on the weekends the question is usually which party or bar to go to, not whether there will be a party or bar to go to...

There are so many activities on campus. Everyday I get emails from student activities informing me of what's going on for the day. There are organizations for any student to participate. Often the organizations offer scholarships or ways to aid you in funding for books or materials. It is beneficial to be a part and to participate in the colelge's activites. They are a great way to meet people. Socially, there is a lot to do in Charleston. The beach in 20 minutes away and downtown is in walking distance. There are stores to shop up and down king street. The market is full of stuff to buy. Just walking all over downtown is fun. The architecture and the history of the town are extremely interesting. If you are 21, there are an array of restaurants and bars to socialize. Also, we have Riverdogs baseball were there are all kinds of activities for each game. Thursdays are 1.00 beers! I love it!! Sororities and fraternities are pretty notable around here. There are a lot of people who participate in them. I found myself not to be the sorority kind of girl, which is okay. It is not the only way to make friends at the college. Last weekend, I went to the Riverdogs game. La Ha happy hour, and hung out at the beach. It was lovely! If you don't drink, there are movie theaters, ghost tours, restaurants, shopping centers, sporting events, and the beach is not just a drinking zone.

I am in a sorority and while I love my sisters and being a Phi Mu, it isn't an integral part of my life. I think going Greek is a wonderful way to meet new people here, but you can't limit yourself to just those that are Greek. To have the best time here and broaden your horizons, you have to push your limits and make friends with people that you don't think you normally would be friends with. I have meet some of the best people during my three years at CofC so far. There are also ALOT of on campus organizations that you can get involved with to meet new people. I didn't live in a dorm my first year, which made me feel kind of cut off from the other Freshman students, but that is why I got involved in greek life. I met some great girls and it helped me overcome my shyness and reach out and meet new people! I'm kind of ashamed to say that I haven't yet been to any kind of athletic event here at CofC. We do have a pretty good basketball team, but I just never seem to make it to the games. I think that is one of the drawbacks of going to a smaller school. We don't have a football team, but I have alot of friends that go to University of South Carolina, so I go to the gamecocks games sometimes, which kind of makes up for our lack of a team. I don't party alot during the week and sometimes on the weekends. I live with two of my best friends and we like just having our close friends over and hanging out and drinking. There is always a party in Charleston and their not hard to find, but I prefer drinking with my close friends instead of people that I just met that night and probably won't see again. Not my thing, but alot of people do like that and it shows in the number of parties you pass on any given night of the week.

There's a club for just about everything.

There is always alot going on - which is great. alot of people have / or get IDs so they can go to the bars - when there isnt something going on - but its not crucial - being in a city is also nice - because on those early morning nights when you suddenly begin to hear your stomach rumble - places like pita pit or majestic are open till 3am thursday - saturday

The most popular groups on campus would have to be the greek life. Next would be either theater or religious groups. I'm involved with Lutheran Campus ministry.It's a great group that gives you that 'home away from home' feeling. We meet once a week at a local lutheran church and we always get a home cooked meal from one of the members from the church. In my dorm, students did not leave the door open. In other dorms though, yes they do leave their doors open. Athletic events are pretty popular. at home basketball games we usually have a full house. Theater is really active too. We have a great theater program. The dating scene: you're either dating someone from home, or you have a boyfriend/girlfriend that you have been dating for an extended amount of time and you came to college together, or you're just floating around and doing the casual thing. I met my closest friends by being assigned the same room assignments and by involving myself in the campus ministries. If i'm awake on a Tuesday at 2am, i'm probably studying or procrastinating. or sometimes, i'm just goofing off with my roommates and hanging out. The traditions and events that happen every year is move in day, then we have our holiday dinners and lunches. Before thanksgiving break, we had a thanksgiving dinner. And for christmas, we had a Christmas dinner. People party just about every weekend, I would say. sororities and fraternities are very important. If you're not in one, it's ok though. Last weekend was when I moved out, but the weekend before that I had a movie night with my suitemates and then came back to my home town and saw a concert. On Saturday nights, you can go shagging on the beach, go out to dinner, go to a movie, go see a play sponsored by the college, hang out in your dorms, or walk around aimelessly in charleston. Mainly go to the beach off campus, that seems to be everyone's favorite hang out.

There are plenty of activities on campus. One of my favorite groups is Americans for Informed Democracy; it is a group that raises issues such as Darfur and HIV/AIDS, malaria, etc. and tries to raise awareness and funds to support certain NGOs. It really is important to stay in a dorm your first year, because that is where you will meet some of your best friends for life.

unlike most southern schools, the greek system is not dominate. there are 8 sororities and 8 fraternities, however if you aren't in one you will still have friends. i am in a sorority but i am friends with other sorority girls and girls who arent involved in greek life. baseball and basketball games are really fun to go to to hang out with friends. usually, people go out thursday, friday and saturday but you can find people out pretty much any night depending on their schedules because there is always so much going on.

I don't really know a lot about the social life at C of C. I live off-campus 25 miles away so it's hard to stay involved on campus. There is plenty to do on campus though. There is always a concert series or the drama department putting on a play of some sort. The students are incredibly talented. The only problem that I've seen at C of C is opportunistic crime. Things are stolen out of unattended bookbags a lot and there have been some armed robberies in the middle of the night. The College sends out a report of these crimes as they happen and we are constantly reminded to keep an eye on our belongings and not to go anywhere alone at night.

partying

I love the greek life on campus, they are pretty popular on campus. Plus greek kids tend to live in their own microcosm but it is generally pretty positive. The athletic teams tend to keep to themselves, and party with each other, for example, the baseball team and the softball team together. If you wanted to you could find a party every night, we are in a city, and there are numerous other colleges around. There isn't much school spirit on campus, I didn't go to a single basketball game let alone any other sporting event. There are many religious groups on campus that tend to be prevalent too, such as Baptist Campus Ministries, or Campus Outreach.

Greek life is obviously a big part of CofC. I chose not to partake just because I can't handle being distracted from my studies. But the Greek life is very involved with philanthropy at the college, so I do respect them. Students really do spend a lot of time with people in their dorm halls. Whenever I visited the all-male dorm, everyone had their doors open and were constantly hanging out in each other's rooms. It's hard to get bored because so many other people are spending time in the dorms hanging out or there's an abundance of students that live in the downtown houses close to campus. I don't think atheletic events are quite as big at CofC...it wasn't too often that everyone got together to go to an event.

Fraternities and sororities cover the campus and hold major events almost every week, but residence halls also provide special events for students. Whatever dorm you decide to stay in, every one their eventually feels like family. Clubbing is probably the biggest social activity done collectively every weekend. It's also always fun to discover neat hole-in-the-wall places tucked in on every street. Since students mostly walk everywhere, it's easy to meet new people and find awesome places. A guest speaker comes to campus almost every week, and this past year Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, and John McCain all visited.

thursday nights reign supreme. great bars but even better house parties

we need more intramerals sports

Some of the popular groups on campus are the Sailing Team, Greek organizations, and the Honors Student Association. Students usually don't leave their front doors open, especially in upper-class dorms. However, in freshman dorms the students are all new so they tend to be more social with each other. Athletic events are not really all that popular. Although many students do attend them, the majority of the student body does not participate. I think once we finish the new basketball arena, more students will attend the games. The dating scene is interesting. Many of my friends are dating someone seriously. A lot of College of Charleston girls date Citadel guys. If you are single, there are a lot of people who hook up at frat parties and out at the bars on King Street and Market Street. Fraternities and sororities are popular and fairly prominent on campus, but by no means do they overwhelm the campus. I'm not in a sorority and I don't feel pressured to join one. They exist as only a part of the college and not the whole. On a Saturday night if you don't want to go out drinking, there is plenty to do. My friends and I love to go see Improv at Theatre 99. They have shows every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. You can also walk down to the battery, shoot pool, see a movie, go out to dinner, hang out with your friends, see a band play, or go bowling among a lot of other things.

People party every weekend. Work hard during the week, and play hard on the weekends. There is a lot of stuff to do for those who don't want to drink either. The Activity Board always has fun stuff to do for people who want to have fun without alcohol. I met my closest friends from my dorm, the crew team, and my classes. Hanging out with people in the dorm has created a strong bond between me and other people. My friends from the crew team and I know the same things about the sport, so we have a common ground to grow off of. And talking with people in classes encourages friendships. You have to put yourself out there and say hello to others, or else you'll just be stuck by yourself. Remember that most of the other people around you don't know anyone either...so be the one to say HI and then you'll create friendships really easily.

Drinking on the beach during the weekends in the early fall and spring, bars at nights, you can find somewhere to go every night of the week if you are trying to, random parties where people are generally welcoming. Graduation is a big deal, Carolina Cup is an all-day drinking fest

tons to do! bars, clubs, shopping, and eating all on the same street and most right next door. if you have a fake i.d. go to Laha for margaritas. if you're gay go to the pantheon. if not, still go to the pantheon for the fri/sun. night drag shows!! they do movie in the park right by campus during the warmer months on fri nights. at the market you can find anything. movie theatre is not close by, but if you have a ride it's just over the bridge in mt. p or james isle. basketball games are awesome! especially with our new stadium. our team is pretty good, we usually make it to the playoffs. lots of cute date spots. gotta go to five loafs cafe on canon and coming!!

Some of the most popular athletic teams on campus include basketball, sailing, baseball, crew, and volleyball. I'm involved in a sorority on campus, and really enjoy being active and holding a position. Although fun and a great way to meet people, they are not an essential part of the C of C culture, and definitely not imperative. I usually left my door unlocked in my dorm room because I knew my suite mates before I got to school and trusted them. Basketball is definitely the most popular athletic event, but Riverdogs Baseball games, which is the minor league for the Yankees, are also very popular. The dating scene is very one-sided. There is a large imbalance of girls compared to guys, so while guys have a choice of many good looking girls, there are a select number of guys that I would choose from. I met my closest friends by either living with them or going through rush. Students do go out a considerable amount because there is so much to do at night in Charleston, especially in the fall and spring. Last weekend was the weekend before everyone left for the summer, so I went to the bars to see all of my friends before we all left for the summer. Off campus, we go to the movies, go to the beach, go for a run or a bike ride, go shopping, or go out to eat.

sor/frats are huge if you want ppl to know you, most other campus org'ns are overrated, sparsely populated, and boring, sports are big b/c they generate a lot of scholarships, lot of speakers on campus, theater's great, very interesting and creative stuff, not a huge turnout, but it can be constant partying, lots of bars, clubs, and restaurants surrounding the campus, walking distance, that's where the party's at, drinking, pigging out, meeting beautiful ppl, dancing, exploring the city

In the only year I have been here, I have become a varsity rower, an Honors student, a aspiring writer and much more. There are religious clubs for every single religion or domination or even the atheist and humanist club. Students are trusting and caring of one another. I can't tell you how many times I have had a door opened for me or an elevator held. I met my beautiful brilliant girlfriend here and between the beach and the city have so many memories with friends.

Parties are everywhere. I know every college is a party college, but at CofC, you can truly find someone partying every single night. Freshman year was the best, but once you get into your junior/senior year, classes get harder and partying will probably be limited to thursday-sunday nights. There are so many kinds of people at CofC that finding someone to date shouldn't be too hard. There are the typical southern belle sorority girls and souther frat guys, there are the artsy, guitar playing students, and there are students who would rather be at a metal show than sitting through English 101. What I mean is, you'll definately find someone you click with. Aside from partying, there are so many things to do around the city- the college is always putting on events, from concerts to free plays to Casino nights. The city has college discounts on everything from horse tours to galleries.

The social life at cofc is great. People party almost every night. Athletic events aren't very popular. If you're awake at 2am on a Tuesday, you're probably shmammered. There isn't much to do on Saturday night that doesn't involve drinking. Off campus you can go to bars.

There are always wonderful academic lectures, and I find that the turnout of students is always surprisingly large. Otherwise, I don't really know anything about the social life.

There are alot of things to do on campus. Every month, the college shows a movie. And not a crappy one. The college always show movies that are not on video yet. For example, they had shown the fifth Harry Potter movie. And anyone can go see it for free. Sometimes they have snacks too, but it just depends. If parties are your thing, then there are always parties going on. You just have to look for them. You can always hear about at least one going on every day. But for those who don't drink there are lots of things to do too. There are free things the college does like cosmic bowling and movies and stuff like that. It's not hard to find something to do. The school always send out emails about what the college is doing and what the clubs are hosting.

I was involved with NORML which is a college sponsored club also the international club etc. Basketball games are fun. People party all the time but its always the same story over and over again...it doesnt take long b4 it gets really old.

It is so easy to get involved on campus, especially if you live downtown. It is often difficult to avoid the partying scene, because many students choose to only drink in their spare time. However, there is always something to do for any type of person, including festivals, art and fine arts, concerts, restaurants, and campus-oriented activities including groups that do not include drinking in their schedules.

A Greek organization is a must, or else it can be very difficult to meet people.

I commuted to school but I stayed at my friends dorm most of the time and the door was almost always open. Other doors were open too. And the school puts on some really great plays and social events that make it really fun and easy to meet new people or just do something with your friends. Especially Cougarpalooza. It was like a big block party before exams and it was a lot of fun.

The most popular group on campus would have to be SGA, the Student Government Association. All of their activities are covered in the campus newspaper. In general, most students leave their dorm room doors open when they are in there, but because of safety reasons most choose to close them when they are not there. The main sport at CofC is basketball and they are a huge social event. Along the lines of dating, I have personally never dated a guy from CofC because I have only found a few that are actually nice enough to talk to. Because the girl to guy ratio is 60 to 40, it is very convenient that The Citadel is located only a couple of blocks away.

not really able to "get involved" other than greek life... but social life does NOT depend on greek life b.c bars are usually where people go