Elon University Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

Thomas

Lots of students go greek, and if you don't go that route it always seems to be in your face. Freshman year I found myself bored out of my mind if I did not want to party on the weekends and being without a car couldn't travel far with friends. Lots of opportunities for dating.

Marisa

So many choices! From sports teams to religious groups and honors societies to cooking clubs – you’ll learn about them all at the organization fair in the fall. Don’t worry, there’s something for everyone. And if not? Create it. My friend is an Irish dancer but there wasn’t an Irish dancing club at Elon so she got a group of girls together and helped start one. I know the communications groups are really, really great. There’s our student television station, Elon Local News (so professional), Elon Tonight (comparable to Saturday Night Live – HILARIOUS), E-Talk (awesome talk show), The Pendulum student newspaper, The Edge Student Magazine, Live Oak communications agency, Public Relations Student Society, American Advertising Federation – and so many more! And I just know of these became I’m in the School of Comm but I’m sure every discipline has similar opportunities. Another prime example – We have a great Spanish center, a space is where Spanish natives can feel at home and those learning about the Spanish language and culture can immerse themselves within it through conversation classes, cooking classes and movie showings. AND if you spend 140 hours here, they give you up to $600 towards a plane ticket to any Spanish speaking country of your choice. These are just a couple of the opportunities Elon offers through clubs and activities which I have found to definitely help me learn, grow and enjoy my Elon experience. Like I said, you’ll find your niche.

Laura

There's definitely an organization for everyone here. Student media and Greek life have kept me busiest since I've been at Elon. To be honest, I don't really leave campus except to eat out or do errands. If you get involved in organizations, you will be very busy during the week, and most kids just party on the weekends. The students who don't party tend to stick together and make their own fun. Wednesday through Saturday nights there's always plenty going on, but there's no pressure to go out that much. Fraternities and sororities are very big here, but you can definitely have a social life without one -- some of my good friends aren't Greek and they still have plenty of fun. If you are involved in Greek life get ready for lots of mixers, date parties, theme parties, fun traditions, etc.

Matthew

The most popular activity for students at Elon tends to be drinking. Though there are many other activities, there is always a party on the weekends though they tend to be mainly fraternity parties. For people who do not partake in drinking, the Student Union Board offers plenty of things to do almost every weekend.

madison

greek life is extremely popular but if you aren't in it you aren't going to feel like it is in your face or like you're left out. But there is not anything else to do here Athletic events are not really big or popular at Elon Absolutely nothing to do off campus. The parties and weekends are beyond lame and the worst parties I have ever been to.

Julia

Elon students try and get involved with us much as possible. All Elon students are involved with community service. In the dorms, most people leave their dorms open and are very friendly. Elon offers many different dorm options. There are the hall style dorms, suite style, and apartment style. Housing preference is based on GPA which is a great motivator for students to do well in classes. Elon students love going out to Frat or sports parties on the weekends, but Elon also offers many non-alcoholic options. There are always movie nights and other activities for kids who don't want to go out and drink.

jenny

This campus is a giant bore.

Melissa

Greek Organizations are very popular and noticable on campus. So are athletes, I myself am in a sorority, but hang out with many deaffiliated people, and sports team members. I met my absolute three best friends and future room mates for next year in my dorm, one was my randomly assigned room mate, and the other two lived on my hall. I spent many nights with them hanging out at 2 am after our numerous long nights at the library or studying in our rooms. I definitely kept my door unlocked in my hall, and I know most others did as well. Most people never locked their rooms ever. I absolutely love the trusting environment Elon provides. A few times my friends and I would leave all of our books (including laptops and calculators) spread out on a table at the library and would leave to go get food or coffee or take a break and would never worry that anything would get stolen, and nothing ever did.

Ian

If you're a guy you'll find plenty of girls to hang with and date. If you're a girl, you'll also find plenty of guys to hang with and some who are still available. Days, evenings and weekends are always active all over campus. Between sports, club events, parties, student Union activities and community service projects, there is always something to do at Elon during the school year.

Bobby

The social life is as follows: every weekend get incredibly drunk, to the point of blackout, do dumb things make bad decisions, hook up with random people, then go to brunch with your friends and talk about all the ridiculous things you can't remember doing. Time well spent.

Blake

haha what social life? the barn is the only fun place do not, ever, ever party on campus, you will get busted after 1230 am if you are louder than a mouse

Nina

fucking amazing, anyone will love it. too wild, too fun.

Jamie

Every club is open to everyone as long as the interest and time is put in thoroughly. Social clubs are the only things on campus that require specific traits to be a part of. We are recommended to not leave our doors open, for that one case that may happen one day, however people still do because Elon is a safe campus, in a small town in North Carolina. I met my closest friends in my dorm my freshman year. I did not know anyone moving in on move in day, however within the first week I had already met a ton of new people an friends. You have to always remember everyone is in the same situation as you, trying to make new friends and people. The amount that people party depends on your social group. You can choose to hang out with people who party often or some who never, it is entirely up to you as an individual.

Braeden

You can choose to make Elon the experience you want to and Elon offers hundreds of programs and activities to suit the interests of all of its students. If there isnt a group that reflects something you are passionate about it is easy to start a new organization. It is an incredibly safe campus and students regualrly leave their doors open or unlocked. Athletic events are not that popular but Elon gets great guest speakers and are almost always sold out or booked. The theatre department is also really good and the productions are fantastic. Students at Elon don't usually date as much as students I have heard about at other schools but "hooking up" is prevalent on campus. As a member of a fraternity I would say that it is a large part of the social scene but there is a wide variety of fraternities and sororities that appeal to all kinds of interests. If you are not interested in a fraternity you can still have fun and there are many parties and other activities for non-greek students. Unfortunately Elon is located in the middle of nowhere and the nearest large city is twenty minutes away so most activities are on-campus.

Tim

great party scene. athletics are lacking, but the endless fun weekends make up for it.

Dianna

Most popular on campus is Greek Life. A large percentage go greek, however greeks and nongreeks interact with no problems and people in different groups also interact with no problem. Intramurals are a big thing on campus as well as random events. There is usually a huge turn out at football games and tailgating. There are a lot of couples at Elon, it is definately a dating campus. Elon offers movies on the lawn in the center of campus which is a romantic date. Dorms rooms are always open and usually hallways become like families because at Elon everyone is very friendly and happy and super nice. Weekends usually involve drinking and going to a friedns place who is hosting a party, usually off campus. Singing on back of pick up truck and playing cornhole is a daily event with my friends and I. Off Campus is burlington where there isnt much to do. Peeple usually stay in Elon or venture out to Greensboro or Raleigh. I like to go to Wilmington for a weekend getaway. Camping is a fun get away too.

Laura

The social life is amazing. Everyone who has visited me regrets not having come to Elon. You'll always miss it when you go home and you'll always have something to do. There is only one big bar on campus but its usually hopping wednesday and thursday night in addition to weekend activities on and off campus. Greek life is big at Elon but is only 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}, however it is really big. Tailgating it so fun which happens every saturday when theres a game, but typically its a lot of greeks that join in this tradition. The dating scene is like any other school, but a lot of people date people from other schools.

Alison

The most popular organizations on campus include Greek organizations, religious life and club sports. Personally, I'm involved with Baptist Student Union and a few club sports. I met my closest friends through these activities, and now we are hardly every seen without each other. Dorm life-freshman and sophomores are required to live on campus. Most students (especially on hall-style dorms) leave their door open all the time and by the second week of school people are comfortable walking in and out of rooms. Football is our most popular athletic event. Elon also gets "big name" speakers to come to campus, (Buzz Aldrin, Sandra Day O'Connor, George Will, Walker Cronkite, George Bush Sr., etc.) and those events are always well attended. Also Elon's performing arts department is top notch! Everyone looks forward to plays and dance performances.

Meg

Elon has a great social life. Students do not struggle to find things to do as long as they apply themselves and get involved in organizations offered. I am in a sorority and it has kept me very busy, but I throughly enjoy it because our concentration really is on doing philanthropic work, not just "getting drunk and having a good time."

Cameron

The thing about Elon is that everyone is very involved in something. Campus organizations are a huge part of social life. Greek life is very popular and has a much better reputation than on most campuses. Club sports are also a huge part of social life. If you come to Elon, the easiest way to make friends is to get involved in something. Theater here is really popular. We have an exceptional theater department, so the shows are always full. Sporting events - not so much. If you're awake at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday, you're most likely to be studying in the library. Or maybe you're watching a movie with friends. Wednesday or Thursday is a different story. If you're awake in the early hours of the morning, you are just as likely to be stumbling home from the bar. It's not something that most students do every week, but we do like an occasional Thursday night out. On a Saturday night, your options are limited for things that don't involve drinking. Popular options are movies, bowling, a small concert, lazer tag, or board games. Late night programing is not prevalent or popular. One of the best weekends of the year is Festivus. Every spring, one house off campus holds a massive outdoor party that lasts from 9 a.m. until everyone leaves (usually late at night). They create a huge mud pit in the yard, and everyone gets absolutely covered in mud. Most people are drunk, but you don't have to be. It's a blast no matter what!

Corey

Outside of classes, there are TONS of things to do at Elon. The Student Union Board, SUB, offers activities multiple times per week, ranging from movie runs to the local theater, to big concerts twice a year, and smaller concerts or performers once a week. Also there are over 100 student clubs and organizations including greek organizations (sororities and fraternities, social and honors-related), academic organizations, media organizations (WSOE radio, The Pendulum Newspaper, ESTV), club sports, and more. I'm involved in a sorority, which I joined in the spring of my freshman year (that's when the traditional rush period starts). I am also on the mock trial team, I hold and exec position in SUB, and I work at Campus Rec (the gym). All of these keep me really busy, but I like that clubs make it really easy for students to be motivated in their field of interest outside of classes. For example, I get great advertising and PR experience as the PR Exec Chair in SUB, which is exactly the experience I want because those are the fields I'm most interested in for my future career. Outside of clubs and organizations, the social scene is pretty much what would be expected at a college, albeit a small/medium sized college. There are parties basically every weekend, though they are generally non-greek, except for a few specific weekends (bid weekends, formals/banquets).

Parker

Intramurals are big. We have one of the best club lacrosse teams in the nation, and the best in the South. I've always felt safe on campus.

Julie

There are always a million things on campus to do. This past year there have only been 2 weekends that Elon wasn't hosting an event. Just this week I went to an A Cappela concert, saw President Clinton speak, and boug my ticket to see sister hazel on campus. I have had a lot of coo experiences here this year from concerts, to musicals, to important speakers, and everything in between. This is especially great for kids who don't opt to drink because you never have to be bored or feel excluded. Football games are incredibly well attended and are a huge amount of fun. The whoel school goes a little nuts supporting the team. I personally am an Orientation leader which I enjoy very much and being in a group like this has helped me to meet a lot of people. There are always people out in hallways and doors i dorms are always open. Kids here are very social and you can literally be up at 5 in the morning and find at least a few kids still up and about to chat with. Frats and sororities are very present on campus. You don't have to join but there will be times that you feel excluded.

Devin

Soroities and fraternities are huge on campus. They party and have socials but they also volunteer int he community much more than typical universities which I think is great!

Chris

One word SUCKS. Elon used to be a school that everyone could get together and enjoy them selves and now socially it just seems that we all have to do things in secrecy or we are all going to get in trouble. Its a college campus, loosing up a little bit.

Christopher

Much of the campus is very connected. In the dorms students constantly socialized, especially in the single sex dorms freshman year. The typical high school student who was involved a lot will continue to be involved at Elon as there are many different avenues to continue this activity. Greek life at Elon is VERY big, girls have a much more difficult time finding their clique if they choose not to rush. Most students do not go to bed until late at night as they will be doing all the homework they have procrastinated from earlier in the day. Wednesday through saturday the students are either at the bar or at an off campus party. Athletic events are gaining in popularity but continue to be a struggle to get a lot of students to attend.

Jessica

The female to male ratio is pretty much 60/40 and the girls are a lot better looking than the guys.

Jane

Students in dorms do leave their doors open, but unfortunately they get broken into by predators quite often. We get about an email a week about these incidents. Athletic events, guest speakers, and theatre are only popular if they're required for a class, and many students just leave early. There is not really a dating scene, more of a random hookup scene. People party from two to seven nights a week. One person said "I go out every day but Thursday. Thursday I stay in and smoke weed." Fraternities and sororities are at the pinnacle of social life in Elon, even though the administration tries to downplay that. There is basically nothing to do on a Saturday night that does not involve drinking.

Jane

Students in dorms do leave their doors open, but unfortunately they get broken into by predators quite often. We get about an email a week about these incidents. Athletic events, guest speakers, and theatre are only popular if they're required for a class, and many students just leave early. There is not really a dating scene, more of a random hookup scene. People party from two to seven nights a week. One person said "I go out every day but Thursday. Thursday I stay in and smoke weed." Fraternities and sororities are at the pinnacle of social life in Elon, even though the administration tries to downplay that. There is basically nothing to do on a Saturday night that does not involve drinking.

Rachel

Greek life is the most popular. Students leave their doors open most of the time because it is the best way to meet people. Athletic events aren't that popular compared to other schools. Most ppl that come to Elon don't come here to watch the events. I meet my closests friends in my freshman year dorm. If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday it probably means that I'm finishing up hwk or studying for a big test. The biggest events of the year are mainly greek being greek week, derby days, and pumkin fest. The most famous party of the year is festivus which a party that start in the am and is a giant mud party. If you go you will come out covered and caked from head to toe in mud. It sounds gross, but is actually really fun. Fraternities and sororities are important, but are by no means the only way to have a good time. If you are greek you will have your brothers or sisters, but everyone has good friends that aren't greek too. The campus brings live music and other social events on the weekends that don't involve drinking.

Blake

There's only one bar! Dating scene is miserable. There are so many gorgeous girls here and very few decent guys. Most guys have turned into miserable assholes and don't treat the girls right. So many random hook-ups and very few legit relationships.

Lee

The most popular organizations on campus are definitely the frats. They throw parties every weekend, and this is the main source of entertainment for kids on campus. I feel there is little to do on campus on the weekends besides party, but it isn't necessary to be in a frat or sorority to get in on the action, although sometimes frat hold closed parties, but there is usually still something else going on.

Laura

The most popular organizations on campus are Greek Life, RSA and SGA. I am involved in Alpha Chi Omega sorority, and it is a positive, intelligent society of women who enjoy each other's company and support. Students used to leave their apartment or residence hall doors unlocked or even open, but there have been a number of recent security breaches leading students to do otherwise. Athletic events are popular with those who are interested; many students are not interested, plain and simple. Theater seems very popular to me, but that is because I spend a lot of time with performing arts students. It is certainly a successful program. I met my closest friends because one was in my major, and the other was her roommate freshman year. I am uninvolved at the dating scene at Elon; I date someone who does not attend school year, so I'm not looking for it. The Luminaries is one of most people's favorite yearly events at Elon. The celebration on Boy's Bid Night in February is a favorite party night. Some people party every night, some people don't party at all, some people party every other weekend. It all depends on their priorities. On a Saturday night I can attend a concert, go to the movies, stay home with friends, find sorority sisters to spend time with, or any number of events. I usually venture off campus for shopping.

Erin

Greek life is very prevalent at Elon. Students often feel comfortable enough leaving their dorms open although they are encouraged not too because of the potential for break-ins. Athletic events, especially football is very popular at Elon. We have several guests speakers annually, and our theatre program has received national attention. I met my closest friends at a dorm hall meeting in the first weekend of school. People party pretty much every weekend and sometimes a night or two during the week (Wednesdays usually). Last weekend I went to a Greek step show and after party, and sang in the Gospel Choir spring concert. Off campus, I go to Greensboro or Durham a lot for clubs, shopping and good restaurants.

Kate

Guest speakers at Elon rock! We just had Bill Clinton. We've had Colin Powell, Sandra Day O'Conner and others such as the founder of Habitat for Humanity. Our theater is also top notch. We were chosen as one of only a handful of schools to produce Phantom on a University level. The dating scene is terrible. There are 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} girls and only 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} boys. And everyone knows the Elon boys suck. Some people at Elon party every night and others leave it to the weekend. One problem is the fact that we only have one bar since one got closed down. There are a lot of house parties and frat parties. My friends and I do movie nights, themed parties and we like to go out to eat. I didn't really drink till Junior year and I had plenty to do! We have Greensboro and Raleigh near by and can go to concerts. The beach is 3 hours one direction and the mountains are 3 hours the other direction.

Brett

The most popular group on campus that is made up of the most students is sororities and fraternities. Sports teams tend to get close and each team will throw parties, sometimes on same night. Social scene is huge here. Students work during the day, party 3 or 4 nights a week. Freshman don't date as much as the older students on campus. If you aren't into drinking, they are definitely other things to do around campus. No one really goes off campus that much except to get food or go shopping. Have big fall and spring concerts.

Sam

Students really try to get to know people at the beginning of the year. I made friends with most of the girls on my hall within the first month of school. Partying is a big part of campus life, but there are plenty of activities that don't involve drinking. Frats and Sororities account for about 45{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body, but they are not essential to having fun. I am not greek and I still go out a lot and have fun. I have a lot of friends who are greek and love it, so it doesn't really matter, because people will have fun no matter what.

Whitney

Must join Greek life to have social and activity aspects in college.

Elizabeth

The downside to Elon is that it is located in the middle of nowhere, so if you're looking for the typical "college town", you've got to go about 15 minutes away to Greensboro, 30 minutes away to Chapel Hill or 1 hour away to Raleigh. Regardless, we find things on campus to do, as long as we're creative. We do, of course, have shopping malls, outlets, movie theaters, and restaurants close by. The majority of Elon students are involved in fraternities or sororities, although I am not and don't feel out of place at all for my choice. Just like on any other campus, if you're looking for a party or to drink, you'll find one, but if you aren't into that kind of thing, then it's no big deal - you'll still have tons of friends who feel the same way and you'll still have stuff to do.

Andrew

Greek organizations are huge. I think if i had known how huge they are up front, I would be at a different school right now.

Mike

Everyone...no exception is super involved in a million things. We are all overcommitted and most people love it. The orgs. on campus are all student run so if you are in a leadership position are are going to be busy. There is something for everyone. Lots of good guest speakers (in the political realm...just dont know about other majors). Alot of housing is in open community form so most people keep their doors open. Dating scene: there are many more girls than guys, so guys are in luck. I and almost all of my friends are in relationships. Greek life is pretty big, with a large proportion of the ladies being involved ( not nearly as much for the guys). They host alot of events and parties which are largely open to everyone. It not necessary to join, I am not Greek, but it is definately something that alot of people undertake.

Kirsten

Greek life is big on Elon's campus, but there are many people who are involved, so you don't miss out on everything if you don't join a frat or sorority. Athletic events aren't extremely well attended, but as our sports programs improve, I have noticed more and more students attending. Elon does a great job of getting lots of different speakers and there is always a theater production going on. The Performing Arts department is great and their productions are high quality. The dating scene kind of sucks because there are so many girls, but I suppose that makes it even better for the guys. I met my closest friends ate Elon based on where I lived. Everyone is over-involved in activities, so I feel like you don't see people often outside of those you live with. I love Elon's Freshman Convocation and Senior Commencement ceremonies. As a freshman you get an acorn and as a senior you get a small oak tree. I don't think there's a whole lot to do on campus on weekends that doesn't involve drinking, so it's up to the non-drinkers to make their own fun. Elon is getting better about having musical guests and other entertainment on weekends. Off campus, there isn't much to do in Burlington. People go to Greensboro, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, or Durham for stuff to do.

Charley

The Social Life is amazing at Elon. The campus offers constantly activities and getting involved in organizations is a great way to meet new people. In the dorms, most everyone gets along- doors are left open and if they're not, people do not hesitate to fling themselves into your room for a quick visit. We bang on the walls to communicate and are all a big family where we live. The dating scene is pretty average. The gorgeous people like to get together, sometimes for a one-night stand, other times for a real relationship. Greek life is huge for those involved, not a big deal at all for those not. I love my sorority and the experiences I have been offered because of it. However, one of my two best friends here is unaffiliated and I still see her every single day. Also, nobody cares if you drink here. If you're out at a party and you don't drink, you're not going to get peer pressured into chugging a beer. A simple, "nah, I'm all right, I'm driving" or something of the sort will get you off the hook immediately. If you want to drink, go ahead, there's always an open party somewhere, especially if you're a girl. Helpful Hint: get to know the people who throw the parties. There's this one fraternity and in the beginning of the year people say, "oh be careful, you might get roofied." (or however you spell roofie) However, this group of guys and know that they would never do anything to hurt me or my friends. They're all really genuine and aren't sketchy- stupid stereotypes.

Dan

If you want something to do, there is always something to do. the student union board brings in tons of stuff, and during the week there are tons of speakers and stuff... On the weekends the off-campus party scene really heats up, plus tons of greek parties. Being greek is really big here (but you would never know it based on the fact that only 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are greek). Athletic events are starting to become more and more popular since our teams are getting really successful.

Suzy

Drinking is quite the hobby at Elon. Most students engage in drinking 3-4 nights a week. During the week students frequent West End Station, the one bar on campus. On the weekends, students rely on off-campus fraternity parties. There is definitely more parties/social events to attend if you are affiliated with greek life. During the spring semester, outdoor drinking, sorority formals, and an annual drinking event, Festivus, are frequent.