Bucknell prides itself on the student mentality of “work hard, play hard.” We students not only bear down at the library and concentrate in our classes but also let loose when our homework is complete. How exactly do we let loose from year to year though? Below is a summary of how the party scene changes as you move through your career at Bucknell, for better and for worse.
Freshman Year
Ah, freshman year. Freshman year is the year in which every aspect of college life is new and exciting. You may be a tad naïve going into orientation, but you don’t care because you have finally made it. COLLEGE! The freedom! No parents or curfew! The campus is your oyster! Orientation is a whirlwind of girl-flirting with fellow peers, guy-flirting with the senior who told you about the parties, and trying to sort out which frats and/or teams you like and which you can skip. The ratio of guys to gals is working in your favor, and each night out is a new adventure. The classic freshman year party experiences and attitudes can be summed up below:
- Cramming 15 of your new best friends into one tiny dorm room to pregame
- Walking into a party with the same crew of 15 to lessen the intimidation factor of walking into a party where you know only a few people
- Trying to sneak in one or two of your guy friends…it doesn’t work
- Taking a million pictures of your pregame and immediately posting them to social media outlets
- Getting ready for about three hours. Hey, if you can’t go out until midnight, what else are you going to do?
- Getting way too into the register theme and taking multiple trips to Walmart (via the shuttle of course) to perfect your American-themed or camo outfit
- Thinking “this is college” as you embrace the Natty Lite being sprayed across the dance floor as you jump around to summer hits of the 90s
- Exchanging numbers with girls you meet out at a party, later planning to all meet up at the caf the next morning
- Using the map on your iPhone to locate the actual address of the party…the college town may be small, but you have a lot of new houses to keep track of!
- Awkwardly waiting outside a downtown house when you get there at 5 of 12
Sophomore Year
In dramatic contrast to freshman year, the first two weeks are not spent embracing the fact that you are “fresh meat.” You can essentially go anywhere you want, but rather stay in and flirt with girls for days on end. I’m talking about rush here. Joining a sorority will add a whole new dimension to your social life on campus in multiple ways. The sophomore party attitude embraces a new list:
- Adjusting to going out four nights a week. Does it get exhausting? No doubt. Do you still love and embrace it? Absolutely.
- Wondering why so many of the juniors and seniors are “soo lame” and stay in on Wednesdays
- Feeling like a freshman again when all the juniors go abroad and the ratio is once again in your favor
- Starting your night at 9 and not 11
- Mastering the art of the turnaround and going from being in your leggings at the library at 8:30 to a downtown pregame at 9:15
- No longer taking 3 hours to get ready because you have accepted your face will melt off after 10 minutes on the dance floor anyways
- Finally getting the chance to mingle with all the boys you recognize from around campus, since you now mix with everyone and are stuck to a pre-set social calendar
- Having a costume box that is overflowing by October due to all the themed parties you now attend
- Feeling awesome when you leave a mixer at 12 to go wherever you want – no more awkwardly waiting outside because chances are you know which of your guy friends is working door anyways
- Being super excited when you finally get an email with the social schedule for the week so you can plan accordingly
- Experiencing your first date party, formal, etc. where YOU are in the position of power to invite your own date
Junior Year
You’ve experienced all the excitement and novelty of freshman year, and know the ins and outs of Greek life. So what happens now that you’re halfway through your college career and have seemingly “done it all?”
- You feel extremely old when you go to a mixer
- Although old, you also feel much more comfortable since you have established your guy friends and gal pals for life
- You feel as though you are becoming one of those “lame juniors” who prefers to stay in on a Wednesday and do laundry
- Your new favorite hobby is scouting out the new sophomore pledges in your favorite frats
- You try to find the perfect balance in your look between “not trying too hard” but “looking hot” when you go to a casual mixer
- You accept the fact that the party scene is getting a tad repetitive and look forward to when you can go to the bar
- You are super excited to go abroad where you will not be washed up
Senior Year
Well, if you thought you felt old at mixers junior year, that feeling is about to magnify by 10. Though I am not a senior myself, word on the street is that you are completely over registers and prefer wine nights with your BFFs to a sweaty mixer.
Your most fun nights out will be spent either at Karaoke nights at the bar or celebrating big birthday dinners. You still love Bucknell, but you may be ready to move to Manhattan and embrace becoming a real person.
Like I said, I can’t speak from experience, but my hope is that senior year will be spent continuing to embrace the comfortable bubble that is Bucknell before I am thrown into the real world. Senior year is the last year you will have the luxury of convening at any time with the original 15 girls who accompanied you to your first party freshman year. Senior year is the time you recognize that it may be time to move on from the repetitive party scene, but you still have the time of your life as you celebrate the friendships you built over the past three years, both at those sweaty themed mixers and during late nights in the library.