The weekend: It is the long-awaited break from classes and a chance to unwind from the stress that college life tends to pile on in mountainous heaps. It can be a time to get some work done, or from the typical perspective, an extra couple of days to procrastinate on a 15-page paper that's due Monday. It is, most definitely, a time to go out with friends, get some good non-dining hall food, relax and party 'til the sun don't shine.
But when does the weekend actually start? For most first years, it's usually not Friday but Thursday, and that's at the latest. Some of the more adventurous types may start as early as Tuesday. And it doesn't seem to stop until Sunday morning.
What about upperclassmen? Do the weekends start that early? Generally, there's a shift from the "party-hardy" attitude after first year is over. Scott Henry, a fifth-year Engineering student and Woody Resident Advisor, noted the change.
"In general, because I'm on staff and watching my residents go on, I definitely notice a change," Henry said. "Second year is much more relaxed. It's definitely toned down a lot."
When asked if the trend was true for her personally, third-year College student Aubrey Williams said she wanted to experiment with the party scene when she arrived at the University.
"I didn't really go out in high school, but when I came [to the University] I thought I should try it out," Williams said. "You kinda go with the flow."
What made her stop?
Partying "is not really me," she said.
Second-year Architecture student Mike Bartosch also said he found the trend to be true but not because the partying life didn't suit him. The change was brought on chiefly because "a lot of the first-year stuff got old."
Third-year Education student Lamika Young disagreed. Coming from out-of-state, Young found it took some time to get acclimated to the college environment when she first arrived.
"Once I found my niche and the people I was comfortable with, I partied more," Young said.
Finding the proverbial niche played a role in second-year Engineering student Nathan Hurst's party life as well.
"Because I'm with Trigon [a University Engineering fraternity], I party with them," he said.
Hurst also noted that his first year was more of an experiment; he followed the same paths that this year's first years have said they have taken, including Rugby Road and other big party spots.
Some first years, on the other hand, said they don't really believe in the trend. Some said they think their partying time would expand over the years, or at least stay the same. First-year Architecture student Jessica Foster said she probably will go out more over the years.
"I'll probably have more pressure from my roommates next year," Foster said.
Alexa Feldman, a first-year Nursing student who ranked her partying as "more than high school but less than average," said she would most likely maintain the same level of activity in the future.
With some partying less in their later years at the University, students seem to have their eyes on the future. Many of the students interviewed said they would not party after they graduate from the University.
"It's definitely a college thing," Young said.
Most students find there's no better way to go out, meet people and experiment with things that Mom definitely would have said "no" to than partying.
As college life continues, however, many students said they feel the need to go out and meet people dwindles as they finally settle into a new comfort zone with college friends.
"You tend to find your niche and go just to those people to party," Hurst said.
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