Study hard...play hard?

[aqz]

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Many people are worried about which dental school has the highest specialization rates, lowest tuition, and nicest facilities.

I wonder if I'm the only one stressing out about which school has the worst party scene?

And by worst I mean which school contains the most amount of students living by the Study hard, Play HARDER philosophy, if you know what I mean. I went to a large undergrad school and I could choose who I wanted to hang out with, so going to a school with the same 100 people for 4 years sounds a bit scary.

Refer to this thread if you wish to understand why I'm concerned:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=144386

Disclaimer: This is not an attack on anyone. I just never found the wild, "college", party scene to be appealing, and there seems to be this stereotype that dental students are animals. If you indeed fit that stereotype, again this is not an attack. Even if that stereotype was/wasn't true, I'm sure there would be classmates I could have a decent time with as well as people I'm not going to find tolerable. I'd just rather not be at a school where outside of school, the majority of students turn to partying as their primary source of entertainment.

Specifically, I'm thinking about Harvard, UoP, Columbia, and Michigan at the moment. Not too worried about Michigan, since I go to undergrad here and I already know what it's like. Anyone care to affirm or dispell the party scene at the schools I listed? (Bracing for the amount of controversy this is going to cause....)

 

[shootingstar7]

That thread seems to contain a lot of sarcasm, jokes, and idiots. I really wouldn't concern yourself too much with its relatioship to your future extracurricular activites.

 

[rootz02]

What a ridiculous post.

 

[ewu6three]

I wouldn't worry too much about this aqz. I have a feeling that your mailbox wont be overflowing with party invitations anyway. I am confident you will have all of what little free time there is in DS to study and get ahead of your class, while they all have fun without you.

 

[aznnytezx]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNtTEibFvlQ

 

[aqz]

That thread seems to contain a lot of sarcasm, jokes, and idiots. I really wouldn't concern yourself too much with its relatioship to your future extracurricular activites.

Let me clarify. Threads like these make me feel I'll be a dental school minority in terms of "extracurricular activities".

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=584755

What a ridiculous post.

And most of your posts contain nothing but a period.

I wouldn't worry too much about this aqz. I have a feeling that your mailbox wont be overflowing with party invitations anyway. I am confident you will have all of what little free time there is in DS to study and get ahead of your class, while they all have fun without you.

I suppose there's nothing I can do but give in to peer pressure eh?

Sorry, not feeling like dealing with your attitude today ewu.

 

[aqz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNtTEibFvlQ

More or less.

 

[UCLAzy]

loma linda.

/thread

 

[rootz02]

You went through and looked at most of my posts after my comment lol?

Specialization rates, tuition, and facilities are most commonly discussed because these matters concern adults most.

Disclaimer: this is not an attack on you. I just never found the immature, myopic, "pre-dent" scene to be appealing, and there seems to be this stereotype that people on SDN are naive. If you indeed fit that stereotype, again this is not an attack. Even if that stereotype was/wasn't true, I'm sure there would be SDN pre-dents that could conjure up a topic more germane and relevant to adults, while others will continue to post nonsense.

 

[shootingstar7]

Why don't you apply to some Utah schools? Plenty of non-partying mormons and super cool outdoor stuff to do.

 

[aqz]

You went through and looked at most of my posts after my comment lol?

Specialization rates, tuition, and facilities are most commonly discussed because these matters concern adults most.

Disclaimer: this is not an attack on you. I just never found the immature, myopic, "pre-dent" scene to be appealing, and there seems to be this stereotype that people on SDN are naive. If you indeed fit that stereotype, again this is not an attack. Even if that stereotype was/wasn't true, I'm sure there would be SDN pre-dents that could conjure up a topic more germane and relevant to adults, while others will continue to post nonsense.

I don't understand why you're mocking me when you're preaching about being an adult. Perhaps it's best if your posts remain nothing but periods.

Why don't you apply to some Utah schools? Plenty of non-partying mormons and super cool outdoor stuff to do.

Maybe I misunderstood but you're telling me all you can do in dental school is either party or be a Mormon?

 

[bkpredent]

Maybe I misunderstood but you're telling me all you can do in dental school is either party or be a Mormon?[/QUOTE]

i think ur being too sensitive. i dont anticipate my classmates blacking out every weekend, but i think some drinking and partying is normal and expected around most types of higher education students. the only time i wouldn't expect it would be at religious institutions or places that specifically are known for not partying, hence the utah suggestion.

thats not to say that everyone will drink either. im sure you can find other people who don't enjoy partying; or you can go out with classmates and not necessarily participate in everything they do. i dont think you have any real concerns

 

[shootingstar7]

I don't understand why you're mocking me when you're preaching about being an adult. Perhaps it's best if your posts remain nothing but periods.



Maybe I misunderstood but you're telling me all you can do in dental school is either party or be a Mormon?

Haha yeah you did misunderstand. I thought since you were so concerned that your classmates at Harvard of all places, (arguably filled with some of the most studious people in the country) would party too much for you to befriend them, maybe you should investigate conservative schools.

And I was actually trying to provide you with constructive advice, not bash on you. Utah is fricken awesome.

 

[azimmer]

I'm pretty sure that the pool of students that go to your dental school will have selected that institution for similar reasons as yourself. That being said, I feel confident that you will be able to find a group of class mates that have similar values as yourself. In almost every institution, there will be the "party animals" but I'm pretty sure there will be enough diversity in your student body for you to find people that have similar study needs. On the other hand, I do like going to "party" I mean my undergraduate institution is renown for its party scene. However, I'm pretty sure that students with my similar mind set will be taking their ways to distress away from the proximity of the school. I'm pretty sure that you will never have to worry about not being able to sleep from a loud party next door haha. All in all, I don't think you will need to worry about this all too much. I think dental students are more a less considerate of their peer's study time and, from what I can tell, they just really want each other to succeed. Stop stressing out, you'll find a good school!

 

[Msmouth]

I'll make sure not to invite you to the next Nitrous party ( ; JK

Seriously I'm sure you will find a group that you click with, but I understand why some party hard. School is very stressful and it's good to blow off steam sometimes.

 

[Bobby Fischer]

Many people are worried about which dental school has the highest specialization rates, lowest tuition, and nicest facilities.

I wonder if I'm the only one stressing out about which school has the worst party scene?

And by worst I mean which school contains the most amount of students living by the Study hard, Play HARDER philosophy, if you know what I mean. I went to a large undergrad school and I could choose who I wanted to hang out with, so going to a school with the same 100 people for 4 years sounds a bit scary.

Refer to this thread if you wish to understand why I'm concerned:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=144386

Disclaimer: This is not an attack on anyone. I just never found the wild, "college", party scene to be appealing, and there seems to be this stereotype that dental students are animals. If you indeed fit that stereotype, again this is not an attack. Even if that stereotype was/wasn't true, I'm sure there would be classmates I could have a decent time with as well as people I'm not going to find tolerable. I'd just rather not be at a school where outside of school, the majority of students turn to partying as their primary source of entertainment.

Specifically, I'm thinking about Harvard, UoP, Columbia, and Michigan at the moment. Not too worried about Michigan, since I go to undergrad here and I already know what it's like. Anyone care to affirm or dispell the party scene at the schools I listed? (Bracing for the amount of controversy this is going to cause....)

^^ aqz I agree with your intentions.

The party school factor was important to me in weeding any and all party schools out of my list.

The graduate school I went to for 2 years after undergrad was a disappointment in that most of the students were there to just party. It was distracting and annoying to me personally. But then again, I have never been interested in bowing to peer pressure and going out of my way to not be the stick in the mud.

So about a year into grad school I found out the school I was going to was even ranked by Playboy magazine as the #1 party school👎thumbdown

It wasn't the right fit for me. I am happy this time around that now I know and I won't be repeating that 2 year mistake during 4 years of dental school.👍

For those who want to get offensive or defensive: to each their own, eh? At least there are options for both sides of the coin

 

[aqz]

Haha yeah you did misunderstand. I thought since you were so concerned that your classmates at Harvard of all places, (arguably filled with some of the most studious people in the country) would party too much for you to befriend them, maybe you should investigate conservative schools.

And I was actually trying to provide you with constructive advice, not bash on you. Utah is fricken awesome.

I'm sorry, I just couldn't take the whole transition to Mormons seriously. Thank you for your concern, but it has nothing to do with studying. 🙂 (<-- I thought I'd add the smiley face in case you misunderstand my appreciation).

I'm pretty sure that the pool of students that go to your dental school will have selected that institution for similar reasons as yourself. That being said, I feel confident that you will be able to find a group of class mates that have similar values as yourself. In almost every institution, there will be the "party animals" but I'm pretty sure there will be enough diversity in your student body for you to find people that have similar study needs. On the other hand, I do like going to "party" I mean my undergraduate institution is renown for its party scene. However, I'm pretty sure that students with my similar mind set will be taking their ways to distress away from the proximity of the school. I'm pretty sure that you will never have to worry about not being able to sleep from a loud party next door haha. All in all, I don't think you will need to worry about this all too much. I think dental students are more a less considerate of their peer's study time and, from what I can tell, they just really want each other to succeed. Stop stressing out, you'll find a good school!

Before anyone else posts, all I really want to know is just what kind of social life most students lead at UoP, Harvard, Columbia, and Michigan, whether that be partying, sports, whatever.

I really appreciate you guys telling me that I'll find a group with similar mindsets....but that's really not the point. I also appreciate you guys telling me that most students will care for your academic well-being whether they party or not, but that's also not the point, although I'm happy for you Bobby that you're doing better for yourself. I go to UMichigan for undergrad...this place is the definition of high academic standards in the midst of animalistic partying.

For the most part, I'm cool with people doing their own thing, but again I don't like the idea of spending what I envision to be the most important 4 years of my life with 100 people who I'm not comfortable around. I'm not going to blast my personal views in public, but I will say this: I don't like the idea of getting drunk just to get drunk or "to blow off steam" and I don't like the idea of making it an established group activity after exams. On the other hand, I'm completely cool with the idea of watching the game and drinking some beer, or eating a nice dinner with some fine wine. If you really want to know more, PM me and we'll have a nice, long discussion about life. Otherwise, no presumptuous insults, and keep the good-natured teasing to a minimum please. 🙁 (<-- thought I'd add the frowny face to emphasize how hurt my feelings are).

On topic now...I don't see myself having a good chance with Harvard, and recently been hearing some negative things about Columbia. Michigan is my state school, but UoP seems to be where I really want to go to try somewhere new. So if you guys can answer more specifically about UoP, that'd be cool. Thanks.

 

[znny19]

how do i sign up for a dental frat? does uconn even have one?

 

[mmmsteakdinners]

Bro relax. It's not like you're going to be forced to funnel beers in clinic at some schools.

There are going to be hardcore nerds at school who play Pokemon to blow off steam and then kids who like to go to bars, regret a night once in a while, and blow off steam that way. You'll make friends with whichever group you align with.

 

[ewu6three]

I know you aren't interested in anything I have to say, but I think most people would agree that this should be the least of your worries when choosing a school. You could try interviewing each of your potential classmates, to find out if they are someone you would be comfortable next to for four years (which, by the way, is something I wouldn't put past you) or you could take your chances. There is absolutely no way to tell what kind of kids you will matriculate with. Good luck though buddy.

 

[shootingstar7]

I'm sorry, I just couldn't take the whole transition to Mormons seriously. Thank you for your concern, but it has nothing to do with studying. 🙂 (<-- I thought I'd add the smiley face in case you misunderstand my appreciation).



Before anyone else posts, all I really want to know is just what kind of social life most students lead at UoP, Harvard, Columbia, and Michigan, whether that be partying, sports, whatever.

I really appreciate you guys telling me that I'll find a group with similar mindsets....but that's really not the point. I also appreciate you guys telling me that most students will care for your academic well-being whether they party or not, but that's also not the point, although I'm happy for you Bobby that you're doing better for yourself. I go to UMichigan for undergrad...this place is the definition of high academic standards in the midst of animalistic partying.

For the most part, I'm cool with people doing their own thing, but again I don't like the idea of spending what I envision to be the most important 4 years of my life with 100 people who I'm not comfortable around. I'm not going to blast my personal views in public, but I will say this: I don't like the idea of getting drunk just to get drunk or "to blow off steam" and I don't like the idea of making it an established group activity after exams. On the other hand, I'm completely cool with the idea of watching the game and drinking some beer, or eating a nice dinner with some fine wine. If you really want to know more, PM me and we'll have a nice, long discussion about life. Otherwise, no presumptuous insults, and keep the good-natured teasing to a minimum please. 🙁 (<-- thought I'd add the frowny face to emphasize how hurt my feelings are).

On topic now...I don't see myself having a good chance with Harvard, and recently been hearing some negative things about Columbia. Michigan is my state school, but UoP seems to be where I really want to go to try somewhere new. So if you guys can answer more specifically about UoP, that'd be cool. Thanks.

You cant generalize the social lives of 100 people, because they are all different! That's why people are telling you that you can click with a group no matter where you go because undoubtedly someone at each school likes to eat dinner and drink wine! sheesh.

And I really dont think dental school is the most important 4 years of your life.

 

[gumdrop16]

I am a party animal, steer clear

 

[azimmer]

You cant generalize the social lives of 100 people, because they are all different! That's why people are telling you that you can click with a group no matter where you go because undoubtedly someone at each school likes to eat dinner and drink wine! sheesh.

And I really dont think dental school is the most important 4 years of your life.

My sentiments exactly.

 

[shootingstar7]

my sentiments exactly.

🙂

 

[aqz]

I know you aren't interested in anything I have to say, but I think most people would agree that this should be the least of your worries when choosing a school. You could try interviewing each of your potential classmates, to find out if they are someone you would be comfortable next to for four years (which, by the way, is something I wouldn't put past you) or you could take your chances. There is absolutely no way to tell what kind of kids you will matriculate with. Good luck though buddy.

I'm generally not interested in what you have to say because everything you say to me makes it sound like I publicly humiliated you or something. If you can stop accusing me of having so many character flaws when you barely know me, I think we'd actually start getting along.

As for your advice, I've done thorough research on which schools to apply to based upon costs, specialization, etc. If you haven't noticed, I've narrowed my schools down to a list of 4 based on cost (in-state at Michigan, possibly doing HPSP for UoP) and specialization (the ivies). I don't think my concern for the party school factor is unwarranted at this point.

You cant generalize the social lives of 100 people, because they are all different! That's why people are telling you that you can click with a group no matter where you go because undoubtedly someone at each school likes to eat dinner and drink wine! sheesh.

And I really dont think dental school is the most important 4 years of your life.

This is getting too personal, but to respond to your comment, let me say "most important 4 years so far" instead, and not for academic reasons. I really don't concern myself too much with academics nor money, because in time, these things will all be taken care of. I care much more about the type of friends and relationships I'll make at dental school and whether I'll be able to make the most out of my time there with them. 100 people is indeed too exaggerated, I guess I was more wondering what the general atmosphere felt like.

Since nobody has really answered my question pertaining to any of the 4 schools, I think I should just take your answer for what it's worth. Going to watch Les Miserables in an hour, so going offline for now.

 

[iralex801]

Class dynamics change every year. There are no dental schools with an established party reputation. This isn't undergrad. Playboy doesn't give out a list of the biggest dental party schools lol.

In every class, you will find different types of people and it changes every year. There is no answer to your question because you can't determine what types of people will be enrolled that particular year.

 

[findingnemo13]

I appreciate your concerns and respect your inquiry. I am also not a "partier" and would love to be in a place where students can responsibly go out together and have a good time. This was not an opportunity that I was afforded in my undergrad institution and I am frankly sick of that scene.

 

[Glimmer1991]

As a person who has recently turned 21, I have come to face the fact that I absolutely hate the taste of any and all alcohol. I do, however, love having a good Friday/Saturday night that involves watching Netflix, playing cards, and getting to bed at a fairly reasonable hour. 🙂 In fact, I finished Breaking Bad this weekend, which was totally awesome.

Come to NC next year and we will "un-party" together!

...I'm genuinely not against partying. It just usually ends up being boring and people find themselves in far too many embarrassing situations!! Haha

 

[tooth knockn]

I can't imagine what kind of parties nerdy dental students can participate in?

Are you guys talking about the beer pong type of partying ?

 

[Glimmer1991]

BtW, dIs tHrEaD dOnE bLoWn Up ReAl FaSt-LiKe. Word.

 

[Bobby Fischer]

Bro relax. It's not like you're going to be forced to funnel beers in clinic at some schools.

There are going to be hardcore nerds at school who play Pokemon to blow off steam and then kids who like to go to bars, regret a night once in a while, and blow off steam that way. You'll make friends with whichever group you align with.

..good thread aqz 👍

(wish I knew something to put down towards the specifics each school you are asking about)

 

[KittySquared]

Dental students come in all flavahs in every school. Party animals and lifeless nerds exist in every school. You'll find your niche.

PS: If you're a total veg head, you will want to apply to Loma Linda.

 

[Bobby Fischer]

how do i sign up for a dental frat? does uconn even have one?

What kind of reputation towards partying does UConn generally have? Seriously, idk. Curious what the general consensus might be.

 

[Bobby Fischer]

Dental students come in all flavahs in every school. Party animals and lifeless nerds exist in every school. You'll find your niche.

PS: If you're a total veg head, you will want to apply to Loma Linda.

What is a veg head? (might be me) Though, I don't think S. California is for me...

 

[tooth knockn]

This post is getting a lot of hits due to the amount of party dental ppl here !

 

[KittySquared]

What is a veg head? (might be me) Though, I don't think S. California is for me...

Vegetarian lol. I hear they don't serve meat in their cafeterias due to the seventh day Adventist affiliation. Also no caffeine I believe.


No partying no problem. Hang out with other Gunner McGunnerson buddies and gun your rank like it owes you moneh. 😀

 

[OMF_HNS]

What's Partying?

 

[aqz]

Just came back from Les Miserables and....

This post is getting a lot of hits due to the amount of party dental ppl here !

Vegetarian lol. I hear they don't serve meat in their cafeterias due to the seventh day Adventist affiliation. Also no caffeine I believe.


No partying no problem. Hang out with other Gunner McGunnerson buddies and gun your rank like it owes you moneh. 😀

Lord have mercy.

But really, this thread was never on topic to begin with.

Kitty, you're a real character. Whoever I end up with, I hope I'll have a couple people like you in my class as long as the faculty can deal with your sass. I also hope that there'd be a few knuckleheads like tooth as long as they're not in my group. /jk

 

[aqz]

What's Partying?

Aren't you from Cali? Don't play games with me.

 

[OMF_HNS]

shhh

Aren't you from Cali? Don't play games with me.

 

[iamgosu]

Bro relax. It's not like you're going to be forced to funnel beers in clinic at some schools.

There are going to be hardcore nerds at school who play Pokemon to blow off steam and then kids who like to go to bars, regret a night once in a while, and blow off steam that way. You'll make friends with whichever group you align with.

Pokemon is for all people and all ages yo! Why the hate?

But yeah, steakdinners is right. In our class, there's different cliques of people. Koreans tend to hang out together, there's always the 15 or so people that come out every time, and there's the rest of the class, who come out once in a while, some more so than others. We're all dental students, so we do have fun, but nothing like beer bongs and getting hammered and throwing up similar to what you may have seen/experienced in undergrad.
No matter what school you go to, you should be able to make friends unless you're extremely antisocial.

 

[thewobblytooth]

Not everyone in dental school is going to be a party animal. Maybe for the first few months, when things aren't that serious and classes have just begun, you'll all go out with your class, have some drinks, get to know each other. As time goes on you'll see the type of people whom you like to hang out with and those you could care less for. Stick to what you know and enjoy. Dental school will bog every party scene down for the first 2 years. This isn't to say that there won't be time to have fun and enjoy yourself, but your class will become progressively busier, you'll have more obligations and responsibilities, and become really busy in general.

I'm at Michigan now (1st of many years). My class partied hard during the summer. Now it died down a bit since school has started and finals took over their lives. However, we're coming back from break this week so there might be fun things to do. Not necessarily partying, but getting back to see friends again, etc.

 

[mrg276]

I can't lie... I'm hoping to have a few crazy nights in Vegas while attending UNLV... hopefully I find someone who's up for it with me!

 

[Bereno]

how do i sign up for a dental frat? does uconn even have one?

Not that I know of.

What kind of reputation towards partying does UConn generally have? Seriously, idk. Curious what the general consensus might be.

We are pretty busy here, so not a whole lot of time for partying. That said, there is a party after every exam, along with quite a few smaller parties here and there during other parts of the year.


OP: The problem you face is that one year's class will be quite different from the next. Thus, the class dynamic will be unknown until you get there and experience it for yourself. I would not be too worried about this since there is nothing you can do about it in the meantime. Just decide on the school where you feel most comfortable during the interview (and is close to, if not the cheapest). Hope this helps. 🙂

 

[KittySquared]

how do i sign up for a dental frat? does uconn even have one?

There sho is one - delta sigma delta. Not sure if UConn has one though.

Kitty, you're a real character. Whoever I end up with, I hope I'll have a couple people like you in my class as long as the faculty can deal with your sass.

I only roll wit cool peeps. The rest can't handle me.
In all honesty, you will probably only end up hanging out with only a handful of people any way. Apply to the schools you actually want to go to, and the social life will fall into places. Don't worry about any of this for now.

 

[NDPitch]

I'll be 27 in my first year of dental school. The party scene is old and over rated as of about 2 or 3 years ago. I imagine that at whatever school anyone goes to, there will be people that love to party hard, and then people like me who are older and already got that out of their system.

 

[UCSFx2017]

Join the Greek scene. Like OKU.

 

[UltimateHombre]

For the most part, I'm cool with people doing their own thing, but again I don't like the idea of spending what I envision to be the most important 4 years of my life with 100 people who I'm not comfortable around.

Listen OP... if you are uncomfortable with all 100 of your future classmates, it is time for some serious self reflection.

First off, you are educated enough by now to know that absolutes have almost no statistical validity. The odds of you not liking, or not having people like you, in your class are slim to none. That is part of the interview process to hand select people from many different backgrounds, cultures, and interest groups to make a diverse class. Odds are that the larger your class size is, the greater chances of finding people who have similar interests as you.

Second, cliques will form at any school that is cohort in nature. You will have the partiers, the sports people, the married folk, the going out to dinner people, the outdoor types, the various race groups, etc. However, you are over looking the fact that you will automatically have several things in common with everyone... you all have interests in dentistry and higher education. Use that as a ground work to relate to people.

Lastly, you need to really branch out and hang out with all types of people. Sure you will have your "clique" that you associate most with, but it is in your best interest to associate with everyone. Maybe you don't like to party, but should that stop you from going to a party your classmate is throwing... no, go and socialize, make new friends. Currently i am young and married, so most of my friends are young married people. But we also will go to the occasional "party" that my or her coworkers throw, we go country and swing dancing with certain people, we often host BBQ's for football games with other friends, then we hike and snowboard with others, i have my poker buddies, and sometimes we combine these groups for a big game night. It is good to have a diverse group of friends... not only will this make you happier, but i guarantee you will have lots of fun. It is also healthy for you to do this, because it will make your more relate-able to your future patients.

 

[iDentastic]

Maybe it's just a general stereotype among dental students, however, I'm sure many of us going to dental school aren't idiots. We know not to go out every single week because we have more important things at hand, especially when we're making HUGE investments (200-300k education) and taking out tons and tons of loans. I don't care what type of person you are... that crap is always going to be in the back of my mind so I'm going to be working my ass off and not going out as often as I once did. However, that doesn't mean people shouldn't go out a couple times a month. Dental school is going to be rough. Relieve that stress. Go out, have a good time over some beer, meet new people, and laugh a little.

At worst, you can hang out with the 30+ year olds. 🙂

 

[Lunasly]

I don't get the whole idea of party schools. If I want to party, I'll go out with my friends to a bar or a night club.