College of Charleston Top Questions

Whenever I would tell someone where I was going to college, people would always say, "Isn't that a PARTY school?". It is a party school in the sense that there is something going on every night but most people only party thursday-saturday. I am in a sorority but Greek Life does not dictate the social scene. There are a million things to do on campus/in the city so if going Greek isn't for you, your social life isn't over. Most of my close friends are in my sorority but I have friends that aren't. I met many of my non-Greek friends freshman year in the dorms/class as well as through my job. If you have nothing to do on a weekend, your best bet is to open the Charleston City Paper. They have a listing of every music or theater performance as well as other intersting events in the city. Sporting events/school spirit is not big here. People love the school but not the Cougars.

Greek is big so is intermural sports. The college tries to help students by bringing in a lot of great things to see and do but most of campus does their own thing anyway. There's always something to do and because the school isn't tiny there's always someone there or willing to go with you.

I don't spend very much time on campus so I'm not really sure about the social scene. I've met a few friends in classes. It seems to me that people mostly meet in the dorms or in fraternities & sororities.

mostly house parties that move to the bars after midnight

something to do every night.. most of which involve copious amounts of drinking

lots of frats and sorority functions. tons of house parties. if you are bored on a weekend night you are a loser. sailing is a ton of fun, epic conditions, great people, and number 1 team in the country.

Because the College is smack in the middle of downtown, and the action in Charleston doesn't disappoint, there is always something to do. There are loads of athletic, academic, and special interest groups on campus. There is a theatre program and an Activities Board that strives to bring lots of fun and interesting activities to campus, and usually for free. Students in dorms leave their doors open (especially in College Lodge and McCallister). The dating scene is easier for guys, harder for girls, due to fact that the male:female ratio is ridiculously in favor of males. If you're awake at 2am on a Tuesday you can definitely find a house party; last-call at bars is 2am in South Carolina. Rock the Block is a street festival that takes place every weekend. People party pretty much every night, and the police downtown are pretty accepting as long as you're not disorderly or publicly stupid about it. House parties that get busted generally do not result in tickets unless you tear the tag off the keg, run, or act like a dickhead. They usually just ask people to go home and go about their business. Fraternities and sororities definitely have a presence on campus but are absolutely not required to have a good time or meet people. I don't drink, personally, and on a Saturday night I can enjoy a really nice dinner, go shopping, see a movie, or stay in with friends and chill. I also enjoy going to house parties even though I don't drink.

C of C has several sports teams as well as other organizations. There is a sailing team, an active SGA, and several fraternities and sororities. There are plenty of things for a student to get involved in, if they wish. But a majority of students prefer to spend the thursday, friday and saturday nights in Charleston enjoying the active night life. There always seems to be some kind of large event going on in Charleston whether it is related to the school or not. There are anual art festivals, wild life expos, and lots of other events that keep Charleston pretty fun.

greek life isn't extremely big here, but it's pretty involved. my overall perception of greek life from someone's point of view who is involved with it, is that it is overall very chill and fun. a lot of people pick on the guys in frats the most, and im gonna be honest, some of them really do suck. but as said before, everyone who goes here is pretty cool, so if greek is your thing, go for it, because its typical for people to have friends both in and out of the greek system, which is why charleston is so great.

Bars, and house parties but mostly bars. Fake id's are a norm so, come prepared.

There are many activities to get involved with. The Greek Life at C of C is good. There are many different physical activities to become a part of. Unfortunately, there isn't a football team. But there is always the beach to look forward to.

The bars in the city are great. Almost anywhere downtown is a short walk to the nightlife scene. Cars are not necessary and the are rickshaws available all over to bike you to and from the clubs.

There is a lot to do at CofC. Sororities and Fraternities are a great way to meet people freshmen year and have different events planned throughout the year (mixers, oyster roasts, formals, mountain weekends). They are not the center of the social scene. Intramural sports are fun. If you played a sport in HS this is an easy way to play and have fun. I've met a lot of people through it. SGA is the student government. It is responsible for a lot of the events that are held on campus. There are tons of clubs to join. Unfortunately, sporting events are not that popular because most of the fields are off campus. The school puts on several plays a year through the theater program. Once you move off campus you get to know the people who live in your neighborhood pretty well. Flyer's are posted around campus if a famous band or speaker is coming to campus. Also, local bands will often promote their shows. Music Farm is a fun place off campus to see bands. Also, the Charleston Riverdogs baseball team is a great way to have fun. The tickets are cheep and lots of students attend the games. Charleston has an endless list of great places to go out to eat. After 4 years here I am still discovering great new restaurants! Marion Square holds the wildlife festival each year which is free to go to and is something different to do that week. King Street, located near campus is a street filled with great shopping. There are chain stores like Gap, J.Crew, Urban Outfitters, Express, and other tiny boutiques. There is tons to do at CofC so you are never bored!

Charleston--Party town. Between the CofC, Citadel. Medical University of SC, you have 3 major institutions just miles from each other, so alot of students, alot of bars, alot to do.

Charleston always has something going on. People are always outside at the library or in marion square throwing frisbees, footballs, or just laying out. King street is filled with shoppers any day of the week and the students really embrace the life of the city and what it has to offer.

The best organization of campus is CAB (Cougar Activities Board). They constantly put on free events for students so they will come out and socialize with other students. Because of CAB, there is always something to do at CofC. I am currently involved with Phi Sigma Pi, a national honor fraternity, and having a great time with it. It is co-ed, and also made up of diverse members which is what drew me to it in the first place. If your not the traditional sorority/fraternity type, an academic fraternity may be a good choice because it looks good on any resume. As far as living on campus, I lived in Kelly House and I liked it alot. Many students left their doors open and had music blaring...the weekends were always interesting. Alot of international students live in Kelly House which gives others a good opportunity to meet people from other parts of the world. I went to few parties throughout the whole year, but while I was out I managed to meet quite a few people while I was there. Alcohol always helps you lighten up and become more personable, and I was able to meet many cool people. I met my closest friends from another friend and luckily we all lived in Kelly House so we hung out alot. In the fall I will be living in a house with one of them. Besides going to parties, many restaurants are open late so you and your friends can grab a bite to eat. Also, the clubs are alot of fun.

everything here involves drinking

Basketball is a big thing. A lot of people go to the games, so sometimes its important to get there early because of limited seating. Hopefully this won't be an issue with the new arena though. Everyone shows a lot of school spirit at the games. They're a blast.

No one cares.

They definitely try to get students involved, although sometimes it sucks when I didnt even know about something going on. I really do wish we had a football team, but thats just me. The basketball games are pretty popular, and I wish that I had gone to more of them over the years. I also wish that I had done Oozeball- a big volleyball game over mud pits. I didnt drink at all Freshmen year or have a car, and yes there is still stuff to do! Its fun to just walk around on King at night because tons of people are always out. Also- The Hav Nots are a really funny comedy group that plays on meeting street. Charleston has awesome music, and I went to a lot of concerts and The Music Farm on Ann street.

I met most of my closest friends from my dorm or from keeping up with people after orientation. I am involved in Alternative Spring Break which is where students plan and lead service trips for spring break and I have met a lot of my friends through that as well. I tend to go out just on Friday and Saturday but there is always something going on Thursday night. Charleston is definitely a bar city so as I more of my friends have gotten older it is harder to go out without a fake ID but there are always parties going on. The ratio of guys that are in fraternities is pretty large but for girls I think it is less important to be in a sorority. I have friends that are in sororities and not and it doesn't seem to matter too much for the social life. The dating scene on campus is a little harder if you are not in a sorority however since there aren't that many guys to begin with and a majority of guys are in fraternities.

I can't really tell you about the most popular groups or ogranizations on campus because I don't know of many. Although its obviously not as big here then at state schools, but there is a decent population of greek life and they are constantly holding events and fundraiser activities for charity. This isn't the kind of school though where if you aren't in a frat or sorority you feel like an outcast. Athletic events as a I said earlier are pretty weak. The most popular are basketball and baseball games, but still only a handful of kids go to those on a regular basis. To kind of sum up the dating scene: You go to a friends keg party or a bar, start talking and keep drinking, and hook up with a girl. Occasionally the people will actually get along and start dating, otherwise its the same thing the next night. Saturday nights here that don't involve drinking are probably typical to everywhere else, bowling, movies, or just hanging out. I'll go off campus a decent amount because there are a lot of good restaurants, malls/shopping centers, and a boat load of golf courses. Most kids here though don't even bring cars because you can pretty much find anything you need in downtown Charleston with in walking distance.

CAB- (Cougar activities board) has neat things to do. I am in a sorority on campus and really enjoy it. I've found that sororities are more laid back and not as strict as some schools. I went to a guest speaker on the female orgasm and i thought it was halarous and really interesting. There is definately 3 girls to 1 guy down here. I met my closest friends through my sorority and who i lived with in my dorm. The basketball games are a pretty big deal. One fun thing I did was go to probates. I thought they were really fun and interesting.

There's a lot of sororities on campus. I don't live on campus so I can't really say anything about it.

Life on campus is fast and fun, even if you just like staying indoors. There are always events going on that cover everyones taste. Life in the dorms are fun and trust me when I say this; everyone is shy in the start. Each person will not know a single other person and they will open up to you the moment you say hello. The first few weeks, all the doors are left open so that people can stop by.

C of C is known as a party school. and its true, there is a party going on just about every night. But the kids who party every night, normally don't last to long. haha. Its a different scene every night. and then you have campus events that take place. Every Wednesday night there is a movie playing that isnt' out on DVD yet. and before exams, they have a midnight breakfast where you get to do things like build a bear, make wax hands, various things to release the stress. Frats and Sororities aren't all that important. It may seem like alot of people are in them, but they really aren't all that predominant on the campus. They throw parties, that's about it. Saturday nights can be occupied in so many ways. I mean really, the college is in Charleston... you can find just about anything you want to do there.

Just as with the student body, the activities are diverse. While the majority of organizations are Greek fraternity/sorority houses, there are quite a number of major/religious/political/ethnic/miscellaneous activities to satisfy everyone's interest. There's bound to be an organization for everyone, and if someone feels left out, that's because he or she haven't been proactive in seeking a group that meshes well with him or her. And even if pro-activeness isn't successful, there's always encouragement to create one's own organization. While the number of activities are limitless, the one hindrance is the dating scene. Fortunately for guys, and unfortunately for girls, the ratio of guys to girls is disproportionate, as the girls outnumber the guys.

The most popular organizations seem to be the greek social organizations. Basketball is the most prominent sport at CofC. There are about three or four mainstage (professor-run) productions per semester and two to three centerstage (student-run) productions per semester. If I'm up at 2am on a Tuesday, I am most likely studying.

There are tons of organizations to get involved in and lots of ways to volunteer, which looks great on applications and transcripts! Also, Greek Life is great, but it's not a do-or-die. Less than half of the students do Greek Life so you don't HAVE to be in a sorority/fraternity to be involved and have fun.

I have loved being involved in greek life! It has made me feel a part of something and welcome from day 1. Not to mention, I have met some of the most amazing people as a result!

Social life is incredible! Music Farm downtown.. Beaches surrounding Chas.. Incredible restaurants.. Shoppes for every taste.. Historical sights.. I would reccommend including pictures or something of Marion Square and the activies that all the student are involved with there..soccer, volleyball, fresbee, lacrosse, tanning, reading, studying..everything

There is always something to do here. The nightlife is great but so is everything else. There is plenty to do for drinkers and non-drinkers.

The popular groups on campus are the sororities, faternities, leadership center, cougar activies (major popular). We had twister the rapper to come and give us a personal concert. We had the ying yang twins too. Students in dorms do not leave their dorms open. The police safety here is strongly enforced. If I am awake 2am on a Tuesday then i am either A) coming from a bar/club or B) coming from the library. There is a lot of shopping going to. We have the latest fashion stores, and boutiques!

While there are plenty of students in fraternities and sororites, if your not part of one you are not left out. When I talk to friends from other schools they make seem like that is all that is going on at thier school, but in CofC the majority of students are not part of greek life. It is very rare to not be able to find a party are something to do any night of the week in Charleston. While I have not been personaly involved in many student activities there are always flyers all over campus of fun things you can do. They show free movies, have interesting guest speakers, and have a program that gets students together on the weekend for non-alcoholic fun.

Greek life is not large here, but we are a tight knit group. I love the fact that there are socials/mixers almost every week, fund raising events, and just general hanging out. I thought it would not be for me, but it is AMAZING how well it worked out. I say give it a shot even if you are completely against it. The Greek life here is 110{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} different from anywhere else. I met my closest friend that way, and I never would have changed it. We all stay here on the weekends and hang out at the beach, pool, or shop. We all go out to eat at nights and out afterwards. Greek life has been the best thing I ever could have participated in. It also led me to join other clubs and become active.

The most popular organizations on campus is Greek Life. Students in dorms do leave their doors open sometimes only when they are in the room so others can walk in and talk or introduce themselves. If I am awake at 2 am on a Tuesday morning, I'm probably trying to study in the library or watching tv getting ready to go to sleep. People party quite often, and if you have a roommate or suitemate that parties a lot and has people over all the time at late hours in the night, you need to have a talk with them as soon as possible and set the rules straight. If not--it will continue for the rest of the semester and things wont go good between the relationship of the two.

CAB is great! They always have something going on and I love the activities...plus they're free! There's always stuff going on on and off campus put on by the college. Greek life is kind of big on campus, but you won't be left out if you decide not to join one. CofC is a party school there's no denying that, but students quickly realize how fast grades will drop and most students find the right amount of time to study and party. I met my best friends through housing and we now live off campus. Plus it's nice since CofC is mainly female to have the Citadel which is mainly male only a few mins away!

There's CAB, the Campus Activity Board, which plans all these events (like Game Show Night) where they give out prizes. This year at the game show they gave away 6 bikes, a $250 spa treatment, an Xbox 360, an iTouch, an iNano, and some As Seen On TV prizes.

People part a lot here. Sports aren't very big here, we don't even have a football team. Like music is a big deal, which is really fun! Most people do things off campus.

People party at least 3 days a week. There are a lot of house partys. Most are kind of boring with a lot of beer pong being played. The clubs and bars are pretty mainstream, nothing very unique and interesting. There is some theater however for movies, there is no cinema downtown so you need a car to go the the cinema.

Alot of students are very involved in defferent organizations. Many girls are involved in Greek life but not as many guys. I think alot of our student body has a good balance between a happening social life and studying.

There's a decent amount of people involved in Greek life, but its not something you have to do to have fun. Berry girls DON'T leave their doors open so that sucks, but some of the other dorms, like Buist and Liberty, do. People tend to not actually date- they either hook up with different people continually or they start hooking up and then almost move in together. That's an easy problem to fix though if a few people started trying to date around. I met my closest friends at orientation and through my sorority! Graduation is the best tradition- on the Cistern and everyone wears white.

social life is AMAZING because it's downtown and tons of fun. greek mixers are in clubs or bars downtown. dating is great for guys but harder for girls, but the citadel nearby makes up for the lack of male population.

I think Greek Life is pretty popular on campus. While a lot of students are involved in Greek Life it's not the majority of the student body. While I think we have an amazing Greek system, it's not like other schools where it's Greek or Geek and you have to go Greek to have something to do. I'm in a sorority and I have a number of friends that I've met outside of Greek life and I participate in other activities that aren't associated with Greek Life. My sorority did give me my closest friends and kept me from transferring my freshman year. I had a really hard time meeting people my freshman year because I lived in McAlister and students don't leave their doors open in that dorm. I think in Berry and McConnell students are more inclined to leave their doors open because their doors don't open to the outside. There isn't much of a dating scene at CofC. It's more about hooking up. I think this is in large part due to the girl to guy ratio and that guy's know the odds are in their favor so if they aren't getting what they want from one girl they can just go down the hall and get it from their neighbor. If you want to party 7 nights a week, you can find one. Most people I know don't, but if you really want to go out every single night you can find something to do. One tradition that I look forward to every year is pep supper. On a Saturday night if you don't feel like drinking, you can go to a movie.

Athletic events are fairly popular. Greek life isn't as big here as some campuses, but they are definately the most active organizations on campus. The guy to girl ratio isn't great for girls who are looking to date and there is also the Citadel in Charleston so you get this CofC guy vs. Citadel rival even though they don't know eachother. There is a lot of partying and going to the downtown bars. Ecspecially Thursday nights and the weekends. If you don't want to drink, there are great restaurants, movie theaters, and people just hang out in the dorms or at houses.

The most popular organizations are the sororities, namely ADPi and Tri Delt. I'm in Phi Mu and I love all the girls in it, but it's not as popular as the other sororities. Students in the Honors Dorm that i live in do not leave their doors open. From what I've heard, the dating scene is pretty awful - a lot of one night stands and cheating. I've been with my boyfriend for a year a half with no problems though, so a long term relationship is definitely possible here. People party hard here, a lot of alcohol especially. If i'm awake at 2AM on a tuesday, it's because i'm doing homework. A lot of people go out on weekdays but not everyone.

The most popular groups/organizations on campus are Greek Life and SGA. That is in my opinion. As said before I am involved in Greek Life. I am a member of Sigma Delta Tau. There are not many dorms in which students are able to leave their doors open. The rooms are so spread apart that it makes it impossible to leave their doors open. Athletic events are not as popular as they are at bigger schools. I believe the school is doing their best to make it a big part of the school. Guest Speakers seem to be visiting a lot. We've had John Edwards and Barack Obama, and more. Of course, theater is a big part of the school. We are a liberal arts school. I met my closest friends by joining my sorority. In my opinion there is no dating scene. There aren't enough guys, it's upsetting. :( If i am awake at 2am on a Tuesday, personally I am doing homework or about to go to sleep. For others, they are out partying. There are a lot of fairs that happen in Charleston at Marion Square. We have had the Wild Life Expo, Fashion Week, etc. Partying seems to happen almost every night except for during finals and midterms. Instead of drinking on a Saturday night, there is also plays usually going on or you could just stay in. There is not much I do off campus besides grocery shopping or visiting my family.

Different dorms have different reputations as far as like friendliness - for example, in Rivers one of the Honors dorms, students tend to keep to themselves or stick with their close friends. But in College Lodge or McConnell, everyone leaves their doors open, everyone hangs out, and there seems to be more of a community atmosphere.

Greek Life plays a large part in and around campus. We raise a lot of money for our philanthropies. However, there are activities for everyone. If the activity that you are interested in is not offered, you can start a club or found a team. On the weekends, people typically go to the beach if it is warm enough or walk around downtown. There is something to do all the time, whether its walk to the battery, go to a basketball (which is the big the sport), or go to the outlet mall in North Charleston. Our campus is a block off King Street, and a few blocks from Market Street, which are the main hot spots in downtown Charleston. The CofC campus has boundaries that are determined by a brick sidewalk, but it does overflow into the city which makes it more fun and eventful.

A lot of house parties on the weekends. The dorms have a lot of drinking, as do off campus houses. Most people live off campus after freshman year.