Rice University Top Questions

What are the most popular student activities/groups?

jeepers

I'm not sure how to answer this one. Sorry.

stan

I don't think I'm a good judge of this.

George

The residential colleges take the place of fraternities and sororities. There are loads of student groups and clubs on campus with many leadership opportunities. Whatever you're interested in, you'll likely find it here. If not, you can start it yourself!

George

The residential colleges take the place of fraternities and sororities. There are loads of student groups and clubs on campus, with many leadership opportunities. Whatever you're interested in, you'll likely find it here. If not, you can start it yourself!

Alexander

There is an astounding diversity of activities and groups on campus. Christian groups tend to be fairly well populated and they put on great dining events on Saturday nights. Club sports teams are very popular, especially the mens club soccer team. For theater and music the Shepherd School of Music always has free events with outstanding musicians, and residential colleges have their own theaters which put on plays for the entire campus. Probably the single most important way that students get involved is through the government at their own residential college. They all have elected leaders in addition to lots of committees which help plan events and run programs at the colleges such as lecture series.

Alexander

There is an astounding diversity of activities and groups on campus. Christian groups tend to be fairly well populated and they put on great dining events on Saturday nights. Club sports teams are very popular, especially the mens club soccer team. For theater and music the Shepherd School of Music always has free events with outstanding musicians, and residential colleges have their own theaters which put on plays for the entire campus. Probably the single most important way that students get involved is through the government at their own residential college. They all have elected leaders in addition to lots of committees which help plan events and run programs at the colleges such as lecture series.

Miri

The most popular student activity is of course the Beer Bike!

Shaurya

The biggest group that people engage in activities with is their Residential College. Rice is unique in this matter as every single undergraduate belongs to a residential college. Colleges host many activities and events throughout the year. In addition, every college has a student government and multiple committees that involve many at the college that really helps them shape the college culture. Rice is known for it's breathtaking cultural diversity and with that comes an equally extensive number of cultural groups. Everything from South Asian Society to the Hispanic Society exists at Rice and almost every group holds at least one major event during the year. Students are either involved by being in the group or frequenting events and activities put on by the group to expose themselves to a bit of culture, something that comes very easily at Rice. Lastly, leadership is a big theme at Rice. Many people at Rice seek out leadership positions in one way or another, whether it's within their college, the student Association, or one of the 350+ clubs on campus. There are no shortage of leadership positions on campus and at the same time, no shortage of people seeking them out either.

Shaurya

The biggest group that people engage in activities with is their Residential College. Rice is unique in this matter as every single undergraduate belongs to a residential college. Colleges host many activities and events throughout the year. In addition, every college has a student government and multiple committees that involve many at the college that really helps them shape the college culture. Rice is known for it's breathtaking cultural diversity and with that comes an equally extensive number of cultural groups. Everything from South Asian Society to the Hispanic Society exists at Rice and almost every group holds at least one major event during the year. Students are either involved by being in the group or frequenting events and activities put on by the group to expose themselves to a bit of culture, something that comes very easily at Rice. Lastly, leadership is a big theme at Rice. Many people at Rice seek out leadership positions in one way or another, whether it's within their college, the student Association, or one of the 350+ clubs on campus. There are no shortage of leadership positions on campus and at the same time, no shortage of people seeking them out either.

Adam

Intramural sports are very popular on campus. Theatre also have a large community here. Each college does their own production once a year (possibly once a semester, but each college is different) in their own commons. Additionally, the Rice Players and the Theatre department each do a production each semester. Religious groups are also popular on campus, with groups available for every religion/denomination. Rice brings in a large number of lectures and seminars in every subject area. A lot of the student life at Rice revolves around the residential college system. Residential Colleges differ from dorms in that they are student-governed and that the entirety of their budget is dedicated to student life. Each residential college hosts a public party (open to the entire campus) each semester. Additionally, they plan lots of other fun college activities (barbecues, college nights, etc.) to foster community. Many students make their best friends in their residential colleges. Come visit campus to truly understand how awesome the Residential College System is. All campus dining halls (called Serveries on campus) are closed Saturday nights. Most students will go out to dinner off campus. The Rice Village is a restaurant/shopping area located within walking distance of campus. Rice runs shuttles there on weekends. Additionally, Rice students have free access to the Houston public transportation system, which includes the MetroRail. The light rail has two stops along campus and will take you straight into the heart of Downtown Houston.

Adam

Intramural sports are very popular on campus. Theatre also have a large community here. Each college does their own production once a year (possibly once a semester, but each college is different) in their own commons. Additionally, the Rice Players and the Theatre department each do a production each semester. Religious groups are also popular on campus, with groups available for every religion/denomination.

Max

Sports are one of the more disappointing things about Rice. Students rarely go to games (even baseball where Rice is nationally ranked), and it gets disheartening to see your football team lose nearly every game. Sometimes I wish Rice was more like state schools with regards to sports culture. We don't have tailgating and there isn't a lot of Rice sports pride. Our extracurriculars are actually pretty lame. Rice students spend so much time studying that they rarely have any extracurricular activities. The University encourages us to do things (we've got a ton of clubs/organizations, intramural sports, and opportunities to be part of your college's Cabinet) but it often times falls on deaf ears. Classes are just more important than extracurriculars. Where Rice stands out is in our dorm culture. Rice has 11 residential colleges which you are randomly sorted into your freshman year (think Hogwarts and their four houses). You remain in your college all four years. As you can imagine, all your parties, socializing, and eating basically occurs within your college, and colleges stick to themselves. In addition, there are huge disparities between college facilities. Baker College for example has its students live in a small room and use community bathrooms while the newer Duncan College has spacious suites with a private living rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Luck of the draw I guess. You really can't underestimate the pride one develops for your college though. Each college has its own cheers, history, infamous reputation, dorm culture, parties, and facilities. Whatever college you are put in, you're going to be happy simply because it is YOUR college and your college is the best. No matter what. You wouldn't think of Rice as a party school but we are Texas's only wet campus, and alcohol flows freely. There is a lot of peer pressure to drink and it's actually encouraged by Rice who often times provide alcohol to minors. Our campus police turn a blind eye to this. I personally think that in high school a lot of the students didn't drink. At Rice (when alcohol is everywhere and anywhere), they go crazy. It is common to see vomit in your lobby and bathroom on the weekend. Some kids just can't control themselves. Even our administration is taking notice of this. Alcohol poisoning and hospitalization cases are incredibly high, and colleges were recently put on "hard-alcohol probation." Even with that probation, the booze is still available to those that want it.

Sarah

The residential college system is mostly positive, but it has some negatives. You have a built-in family and support system. But a lot of people don't become friends who students who aren't in their college. Most students leave their doors open. Some athletic events are popular (baseball), some are not (football). If you don't drink, join the club! There are lots of students at Rice who don't drink. And lots who do. Rice has great traditions: Beer Bike (truly better than Christmas). Jacks (pranks played on other colleges during O-week and Willy Week). NOD (night of decadence). Other residential college parties.

Harper

Rice students participate in a lot of clubs. They go to the village and the movies. The galleria is popular too. Finally, Rice has a lot of on campus parties.

Parker

If I'm up at 2 am on a Tuesday, I'm probably stumbling back to my room (or someone else's) from Willy's pub. It's open every weeknight til 2 (or 7 on Fridays), and I always have a lot of fun there. There are trivia nights, college pub nights, and all kinds of nights. Twice a year, it becomes a club; every Friday, you can get a bucket for $10 at Happy Hour. I love pub.

Rox

The most popular activities are simply related to residential colleges. The colleges have their own governments, groups, activities, and sports teams which really get people involved (especially college intramural sports-- very big). Students are very trusting and friendly; doors in dorms stay open, inviting guests in...in fact, most people just come in without knocking, so the only time we actually locked our door was when we were changing (just in case). We don't have frats or sororities, but the colleges fill that void. The colleges throw big public parties, and there are always smaller parties going on on-campus and off-campus on the weekend (and throughout the week...occasionally). Willy's pub is a great place to hang out-- my favorite time being Wednesday night trivia nights!! Great drinks, okay food, and a fantastic time! We also go off campus to party when Rice or our residential college rents out clubs or arcade-type places for events. Rice is also great in that there are SO MANY free tickets given out-- tickets to baseball games, football games, soccer games, concerts, operas, art exhibits, movies and more! Rice subsidizes tickets and students can get them; It's really fantastic and the seats are always great :)

Elizabeth

Rice is a wet campus, so there is a lot of partying. Pub is a popular hang-out, and the residential colleges all throw public parties throughout the year at which alcohol is served. However, there are always plenty of other social events going on. There are social dance societies that offer classes to students, there are constantly plays and musicals being put on by different colleges or other organizations, and there is a comedy troup and several acapella groups that put on performances. There are free symphony concerts and faculty and student recitals at the music school, and there are culture shows put on by various ethnic clubs. A lot of clubs also host study breaks and restaurant trips, and most people enjoy just chilling with small groups of friends on the weekends. The dating scene is kind of interesting. Some normal "dating" happens, but most people seem to just hang out in groups and remain single unless they get into a really serious relationship. We have a really great baseball team and a lot of people enjoy going to baseball games, and our support for the other sports is growing. Football games used to be incredibly poorly attended, but I think that's changing. IM sports are also really popular. All the colleges (plus the grad students) compete against each other for the president's cup, which is awarded to the college that dominates the most sports at the end of the year. A lot of social life centers around the residential college, too. Each college has masters and Residential Associates that plan fun activities and study breaks for the students. Each college also has its own government and a social committee that plans college "fun days" (often involving loud music, food, beer, moon bounces, or a trip off campus).

Bryce

You pick the activity, and there are students doing it. Theatre is pretty popular on campus, but as is every sport you can think of. There are regular sports competitions between the various residential colleges, and most of the colelges put on various events. If someone's up at 2am, there probably either studying, playing video games, partying, or occasionally some combination of the above. Oh, or playing pranks on the other Colleges. Beer bike. Every year the various residential colleges compete in the epic contest that is Beer bike. Beer bike (which, incidentally, doesn't involve any beer) comes right after an hour long water balloon fight involving literally hundreds of thousands of water balloons (my college alone usually throws 30,000-40,000 and there are 8 other colleges). This of course, comes at the tail end of Willy Week, wherein the colleges play pranks ("jacks") on eachother constantly. Yea, that's Rice.

Tara

Nothing at Rice is the most "poplar".. all of the groups tend to be smaller and cater to the people in them. Some of the club sports and ethnic clubs are probably the biggest, but there is such a wide variety of things to partake in. The majority of Rice students live on campus, and there is some sort of open door policy in each residential college. Each college throws public parties - the 80s party is usually a favorite for most students, but there are a variety of themes. Beer Bike is definitely the biggest event on campus. Alums are more likely to come back for Beer Bike than homecoming. This is an even where there is a campus-wide waterballoon fight, a parade, and then a bike race. Athletics are not too popular, but Rice is a D1 school and there is always some sort of athletic event going on. Rice baseball is nationally ranked, so many students keep up with the baseball team. Since Rice is in the heart of Houston, there is a ton of stuff to do: theater, museums, bars, clubs, ethnic locations... anything you can imagine. As a student, I stayed up late to hang out with people, just talking or hanging out, but I would also have to do homework. I didn't get a lot of sleep because I was so involved in the university and wanted to keep up with my friends while doing well in school. As I got older, I would go to bars in the Village or Midtown during the week. It just depends on your friend group..

Andy

We don't have frat/ sor. There is a really scary statistic, like 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of Rice students marry another Rice student. So if you are trying to meet Mr. Right... haha just kidding. What else? Partying. Some do, some don't. Beer pong, like at most colleges is popular. It isn't really a big division. At Rice, you meet people and become good friends with people you never thought you would get along with or have the chance to meet. For me, that is one of the coolest things about Rice.

Ian

Even though Rice is a D1 football program, nobody goes to watch, because they stink. Rice is really great at Baseball though, and those games are well attended, as are basketball games (all sports are D1). There are tons of organizations, too many to keep track of. People tend either not to go on dates or to be in a serious relationship at Rice. I met all of my closest friends at my residential college. Most people party on weekends, and some people party all the time. There are no fraternities, but the residential colleges host parties every weekend, and most people go to those. I liked to go to Astros games off campus, as well as different restaurants and bars nearby.

Jill

There are lots of clubs on campus, but not a huge variety. I met most of my friends in classes for my major. We don't have frats/sororities.

Mike

There are social activities for anyone at Rice. If you drink there are parties. If you don't, there are social activities put on by the colleges, or you can hang out with the majority of kids that don't drink at Rice. If you smoke, there are people that smoke. Pretty much if you do anything, you can find someone else with your interest. It might take a little while to find someone sometimes, but they're out there. Any friday or saturday there is almost always a party somewhere, a social gathering, or people just playing pool in the commons.

Jordan

College System. Willy's Pub. Beer Bike. Intramurals. Sand volleyball. Party. Beer Pong. Club Sports. College night. Galveston. Late night food. Got to go I'm getting lazy about this survey.

Dawson

The only real parties are on weekends - the week tends to be exclusively for studying. There's an organization for almost anything on campus, and people are constantly starting new ones. I usually spend Friday afternoons and evenings in the library doing general academic reading (not class related). I made some really good friends in my research laboratory.

Charlie

The student government is probably the biggest thing on campus. Club sports are quite popular. I'm in the Women's Rice Rubgy club and we raise money to travel to other texan schools to compete such as U of Texas and Texas A and M. Students leave their doors open and not many things get stolen. We're quite a safe campus with alot of security. We get alot of guest speakers such as the Dai Lai Lama and Bill Clinton. This year we had Lance Armstrong come and even celebrities such as Kelly Washington and Ryan from the OC come talk about the presidential election. Although Rice does not have its own greek system, we have our individual colleges which hosts big parties. Rice is probably one of the biggest party schools despite it's reputation for being nerdy. One of our biggest parties was on top 10 parties in Playboy magazine. If you want to get off campus, you really need to have a car or friends with cars. There are alot of restaurants to go to and downtown has the Galleria, the third largest mall in the nation.

Aure

Rice is not a very athletics-oriented school. The popular people at a college are the people who choose to be really involved in the college life, by eating at the college all the time, going to campus events, working in college government, etc. The way that residential colleges split the university up means that there's not a core group of people who are popular campus-wide. Rice parties, like most parties, tend to involve copious amounts of bad music and worse beer, but they can still be fun. They're not a meat market, and a lot of the big parties are more about goofy dancing and having fun than hooking up. That said, relationships at Rice tend to either be random hookups or very serious long-term relationships. Casual dating is not particularly common.

Courtney

The one thing about social life at Rice that's difficult is how you see the same people around a lot. While that can be a comforting thing, it makes it difficult to escape drama and gossip. However, meeting the people I have met is the most exciting part of college. I look forward to going to classes and clubs to see my friends. Rice creates a warm atmosphere without engaging in sororities and fraternities. It's a very safe and welcoming environment.

Amy

Powderpuff Football is definitely a popular sport on campus, as are many other IM sports. Because of the intense nature of the College System, many students are really intent on showing their college spirit by performing in IM Sports. Doors are sometimes left open, although they're more often "carded" so that they are unlocked and anybody knocking can enter. Theater is really popular, with about 12 productions being done on campus per year; I saw at least 7 last year alone. Guest speakers, while not as popular, are prevalent; most days you can find somebody speaking somewhere. Dating-wise, most Rice students are either solid couples or anti-dating. Getting random hook-ups is somewhat difficult, unless you are at a big party. Most of my closest friends I met in the college servery, because most are from my college, Brown. Colleges are definitely a tightly-knit community. If I'm awake at 2 am on a Tuesday, I'm probably finishing up a problem set. No lies, the weeks are usually really work-filled and hard. On the weekends, however, it's a whole different story. Per capita, Rice is one of the wettest campuses in the nation, and getting drunk, even underage, is absolutely no problem. RUPD doesn't even really care, as long as you don't make it really obvious that you are drunk in front of them, and even then will rarely hurt you. There is no Greek Life; the Colleges are your sororities and fraternities. Traditions include: Beer Bike, College Night (drinking in class), Baker 13 (getting naked twice a month and running around campus), various public parties, Willy Week (a week of practical jokes leading up to Beer Bike), the Beer Bike Parade (which includes the biggest water balloon fight in history), Associate's Night (formal with all the associates of your college (see above)), and broomball.

Phil

Athletic events are very popular on campus it just does not seem that way because the student body is so small. The campus is very safe and I always leave my door unlocked. Rice students like to drink, a lot. Houston is a great town and offers a variety of bars. If you want to drink underage most mexican restaurantes have amazing margaritas and usually will not card, or you can just stay on campus and find one of the many kegs beings tapped on the wet campus that is rice.

Brian

There are a variety of clubs and organizations at Rice, and chances are you'll find people with similar interests. Student dorm doors are always open, especially at my residential college since most of us are close.

Tammy

There are a decent number of non-drinkers. Some of them still go to parties, some of them stay in studying, and some make groups of non-drinking friends who hang out together on the weekends. It is easier to be a non-drinker if you're Christian (built in group of non-drinking friends from bible study and Campus Crusade), but it's not that hard even if you're not Christian. Last weekend, to pregame I went to a party at the room next door, which was not well-attended because it was finals. Then I biked to a party at a friend's apartment off-campus, where there were a bunch of different groups of people, most of whom I knew or knew of. At around two, I biked back to my room on-campus, watched TV with my suitemates for a little, and went to sleep. I met my closest friends at my college. The college system definitely has pros and cons. 1) You might not like the atmosphere at the college you're placed at. This is a small con, because if you're social it's an incentive to make an effort to make other friends. There are tons of people who seem like they're from one college but are technically at another, and get the benefits of being at both. 2) Your friend options are limited within the college, so you tend to make friends with people that are pretty different from you who you may not have befriended otherwise. Good because you make new kinds of friends. Bad because there might be a reason you weren't friends with that kind of person before. 3) You have a set group of people in your grade for four years. Things get cliquey, though nobody really minds because you're usually happy with the group you end up in. 4) There is a tendency to stay within your own college. As Rice is small to begin with, having a lot of insular groups doesn't help things. After freshman or sophomore year, people start doing more and more things off-campus. You usually have to live off-campus sophomore or junior year, so parts of the social scene move off-campus too. And then there are tons of events in Houston to attend, which means there is always something to do on the weekends. The dating scene is depressing. I don't even want to write about it because it will make me depressed. I mean, if you are proactive (read: slutty) or determined, you can be satisfied, but everyone who goes out knows everyone else so random hookups are kind of hard after freshman year. It's true that when you start dating it's long term and serious, because options are limited so if you manage to snag someone you are definitely not letting go. If I'm up at 2 am on Tuesday, I've been doing homework or going to a residential college-sponsored pub night. This means free food and alcohol at the on-campus pub on a Tuesday. They are (obviously) well-attended, both by people in the sponsoring college and outside of it. If you're not part of the drug scene at Rice, you probably aren't aware of it, but you can get drugs if you know the right people. Some people smoke pot, but most only smoke occasionally and if you don't it's not a big deal.

Sarah

see above..... and public parties are amazing. you meet so many people.

Jo

People leave their dorm rooms open and are usually always pretty nice. They are involved in so many things, it seems like they have more than 24 hrs in a day. You mostly won't see people until late at night cause they are so busy during the day. It's cool though cause most people can have a boyfriend/girlfriend but not be consumed by him/her. People do drink a lot almost every weekend, but there are still lots of other things to do. If I am staying up, usually it's cause I procrastinated way too much or I am just hanging out with people from my floor. We have lots of traditions, especially for your specific dorm. We have a campus-wide water balloon fight, throw people into the fountain on their birthday, and lots of other crazy fun things. My closest friends are from my church group and from my floor.

Liz

About one tenth of Rice Students are athletes, but we're a small school and we aren't really well known for our athletic prowess outside of baseball. Many students regularly go to football and baseball games, but a few of the other sports have to recruit audiences with free food and T-shirts. For those who don't participate at the college level, Rice also has intramural sports (residential colleges compete against each other) and club sports (Ultimate Frisbee is especially popular). The Rice Outdoors Club organizes camping trips and weekly rock climbing trips. Residential colleges also put on plays or musicals and have yearly talent shows, where students can see their peers' bands, stand-up acts, dances, etc. For professional acts, Rice subsidizes trips to the symphony, opera and ballet from time to time, and students can often petition their colleges to subsidize band tickets or theater if they can get large groups to go. The social scene at Rice is in many ways defined by the residential college system. I met some of my best friends during orientation week at my college, and the others in my free time in the common room, at get-togethers, and during meals in my college Servery. As sad as it sounds, one of the main things Rice students do together on weeknights is homework; some of my best memories are from 2 and 3 am study sessions crammed into my friends' dorm rooms. Rice does not have frats or sororities, but on weekends you can pretty much always find a party in the Rice dorms; these range from typical keggers to public parties put on with the approval of the administration (also usually accompanied by keggers). Not everyone at Rice drinks, though, and it's perfectly possible to have a healthy social life here without ever touching a beer or a mixed drink.

Danielle

Groups I heard a lot about on-campus were the newspaper, athletics (college and intermural, esp. baseball), student admissions council, south asian society, etc. The biggest positions are, of course, the colleges' councils. I was really involved in R2, which is a literary magazine. We put out very professional looking magazines with really great-quality literature by Rice undergrads, and I was really proud to work with that group, although we did have the reputation for being sort of a clique on campus (there aren't many writers). The dating scene on campus is pretty lame -- people don't go out much, although there are some exceptions. I wanted to move off campus immediately so I could, uh, have my own room for that sort of thing. Everyone knows your business. All the time. Trust me, they will. People attend the sporting events pretty regularly, and theater (especially college theater) is really popular. Guest speakers are way too boring for the average Rice student, although when Bill Clinton came, people were really psyched about that. If you're awake at 2 AM on a Tuesday, you ARE studying. And everyone around you probably is too. People party a lot on the weekends, although it's never as exciting as it looks -- usually it's just a keg of beer and a lot of sweaty people standing around. The good parties happen off-campus, or in small groups in private rooms. The public parties generally suck. Off-campus, if you have a car, is great. Awesome museums, shopping, restaurants, nightlife, etc. It's probably your best bet for entertainment in Houston.

chris

the dorm system, "college" system creates a community or home away from home. Upperclassmen and lower classmen intermingle and treat each other as peers rather than with the barriers of age or grade. in the hallways, people leave their dorms open and random dropby conversations are common. in other situations, pick-up games of soccer, basketball, etc occur often, especially when the weather is nice.

Alex

Rice rugby defines my social life. We play hard and party like crazy.

Natalie

Rice college life is unique and fun. Rice has 9 colleges currently and is adding 2 more come fall 2009. The college system is like a Greek system except EVERYONE is assigned to a college and they are completely random (i.e. there is not a jock college, engineering college, archi...). The college system allows already busy individuals to intearct with folks they may not otherwise meet. For example, my fresh year I lived with another swimmer and a musician. I would have never interacted with the muscian had it not been for our college. In addition, I ate lunch with engineers, architects, med students, athletes, and the like. The college system mandates students to bond with each other, which in my opnion is a positive. There is no reason to alwasy hang out with one group of folks. Get out of yoru comfort zone, meet new people, widen your horizons always bieng true to what YOU believe and hold to be true.

Alison

Rice often has some really great guest speakers, there are foreign leaders and dignitaries at the Baker Institute all of the time (last year Bill Clinton and the Dalai Lama came, this year the president of Egypt was here, etc.) The dating scene is okay, people seem to be only into serious relationships or random hookups, not much in between. People drink a lot. We have an annual tradition called beer bike that is the funnest thing you will ever do. There are also "college nights" where students often play drinking games openly in big lecture classes. Professors don't usually mind. Off campus is downtown Houston, so there are lots of restaurants, clubs, bars, theaters, cinemas, everything fairly close by.

Jacob

For me, club soccer has been a great experience. Club sports are decently supported, and there are tons of opportunities. Intramural sports are very popular, and its a really a case of you can do what you want with it. Its a resource that is there for you. In general, Rice puts a lot of resources at your disposal, for social, sports and academic pursuits. It's up to you what you do with it.

Rory

to participate in: intermurals? to go to: certain sports my group: athletics, go to games, hang out with, play varsity doors open: some yeah, but not a good idea... athletic events: depends on the sport, wish more people went guest speakers: I have no idea theater: pretty well attended, I think dating: um, some meet freshman week and date the whole time, seem to be lots of couples, beats me I always dated outside Rice closest friends: knew them before/they don't go to Rice with me...soccer, dorm/freshman week 2am Tuesday: tv or homework, talking to long distance friends traditions: beer bike, nod, disO, Oweek

Alex

I'm involved with soccer and it is very demanding. I enjoy it though. Makes it hard however to participate in other groups. Yes everyone always has an open door. You can usually just walk into a friends room whenever to stop by and say hey. Athletic events -- aside from baseball -- aren't exactly high in attendance. Lots and lots of guest speakers of all sorts in all fields on all topics. Dating is hard at Rice. Not too big of a scene. A little incestious feeling though because campus is so small. Through my dorm and then dating. Usually at Pub or chatting about random stuff with a few friends. Oh...and most likely eating. BEER BIKE!!!!!! 2 nights a week. I personally more though out of season. There is no Greek system at Rice I went out one night, stayed in and hung out with friends another, went to an easter lunch, and did homework. It was a quieter weekend becasue it was Easter. Hang out with friends, go bowling, dinner, movie etc. Go eat a lot because there is amazing food around Houston.

Cody

Athletics Rice Womens soccer no not popular enough not popular not at all dating is tough. athletes typically date athletes athletics work or drinking beer bike, willy week, graduation, matriculation, screw your roommate all the time not important drank movies live

Carson

There's something for everyone. We are big on parties, and since we are the only wet campus in Texas, alcohol is present everywhere. There is absolutely no pressure to drink, though, and non-drinkers have plenty of fun. All students get a pass to Houston that includes free access to the Metrorail (takes you Downtown) and REALLY cheap tickets to shows, orchestras, theaters, movies, concerts, etc... you can use this pass as much as you want for your 4 years at Rice.

Alex

If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm probably in my architecture studio with the entire class. If I'm awake at 2am on a Saturday, I'm probably not on campus, or with one of my many groups of friends around the school.

Lane

My group of friends is mainly seniors. We all live off campus. I lived on campus for 3 years and moved off for my senior year. We are all "normal" and played sports in high school and college. We are all white and come from comfortable homes. We all are part of Baker College. Athletics are not popular at all, except for baseball. The dating scene doesn't exist. I've been on multiple dates while at Rice, but they have coincidentally always been with guys who recently graduated from Rice. If I'm awake at 2am on Tuesday, I am studying. Either that, or going to college pub nights. Traditions: college nights, college pub nights, beer bike, willy week People party every weekend at the beginning and end of each semester. There is always a lull leading up to finals. We have no fraternities. We have the college system. Last weekend I was on spring break. This weekend is Beer Bike, so I will be partying tonight, tomorrow, and all day Saturday starting at 6am. You can go to movies or shows downtown on Saturdays if you dont drink. Off campus, we go to the Village (a group of bars about a mile from Rice) or to Midtown. You can also go shopping at the Galleria.

Diane

Athletic events are only popular if students can get something free out of it. Other than that, most students don't care about our sports teams. The dating scene is very pathetic, mostly because everyone feels like they have to use alcohol as a social lubricant. Very rarely do people have sober fun, and when they do, they always surprise themselves.

Jesse

Most popular club is Powder Puff. Im involved in FCA, its a great time and tons of food, friends, the Word, and fellowship. Athletic events are a "back burner" concern to most students. The dating scene sucks. Period. Its like high school all over again, everyone knows everyones business.

Mark

Most students spend weekdays doing homework and studying. I don't drink, but a lot of my friends do, and they usually party about once a week. Some students party several days a week, but we usually wonder how they can afford to. I can usually find someone to hang out with if some of my friends are partying, and we usually find something to do. Every year we have Beer Bike, a relay race that consists of chuggers and bike racers from each residential college. The race is a relay of the chugger chugging water (or beer if he or she is 21 or older) and the biker doing one lap around the bike track. The week before Beer Bike is called Willy Week, where there is a lot of campus craziness leading up to Beer Bike. On the day of Beer Bike, there is a huge parade on campus and each residential college fills up thousands of water balloons for a huge water balloon fight.