Wesleyan University Top Questions

AWESOME!!!!!! So much to do and so many new things to try.

Very campus-based-- Middletown isn't too hot. There is a club or group for anything you can imagine. Pretty big weed habit. A couple loser fraternities and one legitimate frat-house for some good dance parties; from salsa to hip-hop to rave. Don't come to Wesleyan for legendary American college debauchery, though there is always some place to go out, drink, hang, or see a performance.

Wesleyan's theater opportunities are probably the best and most varied in the country. The student-run theater production company, Second Stage, is responsible for producing over 25 shows each year with hundreds of students participating (and most of them aren't theater majors). Second Stage accepts all applications without any artistic judgment, so students have the opportunity to explore any side of production. Additionally, students who take courses in the (fantastic) Theater Department have the opportunity to apply the theories they learn from their studies to practice. There is no better education than doing your own work. What's more, Second Stage runs what is probably the best student space in the country. It's an enormous, newly-renovated black box theater with fantastic technical capabilities, movable seating, and an optional proscenium stage. This facilitates the amazing experimental culture on campus, and theater of *all* kinds is produced.

There are so many groups on campus that it's hard to say that just one or two are the most popular. We're not a Division I school, but many students are involved in sports either on teams or as an extracurricular. My boyfriend, for example, played on the frisbee team, and he's hardly a jock. A capella is huge on campus too, and our fire-spinning group Prometheus always draws a crowd. Honestly, the main thing to say about student groups is that it's really easy to either join an existing one or to start your own, and most students in campus manage to get involved one way or another. Some of our most popular social traditions include Zonker Harris Day, April 20th (I can't really elaborate, but once you're here, you get it), Spring Fling, Queer Prom, and for the incoming freshmen, Foss Cross (a cross-dressing party).

there is nothing to do. by the end of your freshman year you will have slept with everyone worth sleeping with. u would think there is a decent queer scene but everyone is butt fucking ugly. the boys look like bitches. the chicks look like fat lumber jacks. have fun tryna get laid with anyone you wouldnt be ashamed to say you slept with. if youre fucking ugly though and youre just desparate to get laid this is the place for you.

I don't think I'll ever go to a better dance party. where people really just dance to dance. freshmen and sophmores live in dorms together. the dorms have different vibes to them, and many people meet their friends there. at least at first. juniors and seniors live in apartments and houses. lots of people make good use of their kitchens and living rooms. house parties are big. there are some frats and thats a social option but definitely not the most dominant scene. there are a lot of campus bands, a pretty good variety of them, that play at different venues on campus. there are a lot of student organizations, many politically minded groups, like Students for ending the war in Iraq , a group for healthcare justice, environmental groups etc. wesleyan has a student run organic farm. community service projects. tutoring kids in the community.

It makes sense that the social life is as varied as the students. Drinking and drug use is widespread, but it is just as easy not to participate (I have several friends that don't drink and still have a completely normal social life), and there are tons of alternatives for things to do on the weekends- plays, dance parties, bands, and way more. Program houses are great, they put on themed events and parties for whatever your interest may be. The frats throw big parties too every now and then, but Wesleyan has only three frats and unless you are in one, they won't unduly affect your social life.

Wes is not a place for people whose social lives revolve around parties. There are no clubs in town, no big lively bars. On weekends, students generally float around campus with groups of close friends, have a drink in someone's dorm room, go see a movie, or go to one of the more unorthodox parties that happen occasionally (i.e. the naked party, which has no alcohol and no clothes). There are bars in town that are good for chilled-out gatherings of upperclassmen, but most people are content to find creative ways of hanging out around campus during what little free time they have when not working. Lots of people are in clubs (I'm in an a cappella group), which are generally a fun way to pursue an interest without too much of a commitment. There are lots of guest lectures on various topics, guest performances of every kind, and student concerts to go to. To sum up: your social life at Wes will be a break from your academic life, not the other way around.

Well, I met a lot of my friends through being a member of the Swimming & Diving team at Wesleyan. Especially for freshman, the most popular party scene occurs on Frat Row, though the after parties generally occur in the Senior houses of Fountain Ave. If you are not into the athlete crow Psi U holds a lot of concerts and popular parties. For the more crazy left-wingers there is the program house Eclectic which hosts many indie bands and has a "crowd", but the whole student body tends to attend the "Sex Party" that happens every fall semester. Many people I know party hard and will go out Wednesday through Sunday nights if they can. Wednesday night is Bar Night, Thursday's there is generally Beer Pong at Psi U, Friday nights can be a little low key, Saturday nights there is always at least one party on campus, and Sunday nights is karaoke at La Boca (a bar/restaurant on Main St.). I'm not really sure what there is to do on a Saturday night that doesn't involve drinking--the CFA (Center For Arts) generally has movies playing, but most people drink if they go. There is pretty good food in Middletown area and a movie theater, but besides that most of the scoial life occurs on campus.

There are definitely a lot of different clubs on campus, but many are kind of defunct with just a few people going. Many people party A LOT, as in 3-4 nights a week (or more.) But there is a substantial population who doesn't party at all. It seems hard to find a good combination in between. There are always lots of events to go to -- theater, speakers, talks, free food, etc. The frats blow and a lot of freshman go to them and a lot of jocks. But they definitely do not dominate the social scene. Lots of people will just get together with friends and hang out and make food or just talk and watch movies. The dating scene isn't really a 'dating' scene. People either are in serious relationships or are just randomly hooking up with people.