When one chooses to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara, it usually means two things. The first and most palpable of which is that the individual has come for the renowned Isla Vista party culture, ready to escape into an unparalleled world of staying out until 3 A.M., parties overlooking the ocean, and being able to freely consume substances out of their parent’s home (without having to replace the family vodka bottle with water after sneaking some out). The second reason that one may come to UCSB is for its prestigious academic reputation, which might even come in second place to reason one (we are talking about teenagers, to be fair).
Naturally, when it was my time to pick colleges, I kept my sagacity about me and chose to attend UCSB without even glancing at the list of offered majors. Rather, the idea of a campus tucked away beside the ocean with thriving parties every weekend clouded my judgment and ultimately led to me packing up my bikinis and moving to Santa Barbara that year.
Now, over a year later (although it feels like more…), you can find my swimsuits tucked away in a dusted box, and in their place, a collection of worn slippers and robes. In place of empty liquor bottles in my cabinet, ovaltine and celestial tea bags find their home. Even worse, a paperback novel on my bedside table, to help me fall asleep at the late hour of 10 P.M. That’s right, I have started to become an elderly person.
Although I am, by modern societal standards, brimming with youth, I feel as if my time trekking through Del Playa Drive on Friday nights has worn me down into the pseudo-elderly person you can find today. Not only does the thought of taking another shot traumatize me, but it perpetually makes me feel exhausted. When I hear my neighbors blasting EDM and the same playlist of overplayed 2010’s hits, all I dream about is a quiet house in the country where I can sip tea and reminisce about my youth from afar. The life of an elderly person, as outlined by TopGolf, is, by my standards, actually awesome, especially when I have realized that after so many mediocre parties, the Isla Vista party scene is overhyped, to say the least.
If the thought of being able to regularly sip ovaltine, the delicious chocolate somnolent for the elderly, doesn’t make the life of an old person seem appealing in comparison to the Isla Vista party life, consider these reasons for straying away from it:
- Not only is the same repertoire of songs played at nearly every party (alternative and indie lovers like myself, you guys know what I mean), but how often is anyone truly dancing? The answer: never. Sure, you might take note of some people meekly swaying about, but most of the time, people are bobbing up and down to the same songs. Of course, I would love to bust out some funky moves, but when nobody else at the party is doing so, it definitely does not make for a fun environment to showcase my amazing dance skills. The solution, spend the night inside, where you can play your own music and actually get a good night’s sleep.
- Creepy fraternity men. Need I say more? At the greek life parties that are already selective on who they allow inside and promote a mindset of exclusivity, I find that the ratio of girls to guys at fraternity parties is a well-discussed topic of conversation. This whole premise feels a little odd, especially when I have had one too many off-putting conversations with sleazy individuals at such parties.
- Nasty hangovers – why do we put ourselves through this?
Okay, reasons 1-3 are all in good fun, but I have to admit, after being subjected to repetitive music, strange social interactions, and the dreaded hangover nearly every weekend, the idea dawned upon me that I did not have to live like this anymore. Not only did the Isla Vista party scene feel overrated, but I felt that I craved the simple pleasures of life – quiet evenings alone, the joys of being well rested, the list can go on. While I am not swearing off partying all together, I certainly believe that there is great reason to remove the party culture at UCSB from the pedestal that we place it on, EDM and all.