I chose to go to ECU very early on in high school. I knew where I wanted to go and that felt awesome. I had no hesitation and decisions to make about it - I was ECU all the way. Then when I decided to tell people about my decision, they started talking. People can't help but judge a school they know nothing about. They would say "oh ECU, a party school" and I would just come back with, "have you heard of their medical program? It's one of the top programs in the nation." That would shut them up.
When you tell someone that you are going to a "party" school they automatically think, wow, you are dumb and just want to have fun. NO, I want to go to an awesome school that has very good academics without having to pay an arm and a leg. Plus, I have friends that go to schools that aren't considered "party" schools and guess what - they go to parties.
I have met so many people in my classes that choose to not even go to parties. They are strictly here to get a good education, which is awesome. I have been to some parties and choose to go out on the weekends, but that doesn't make me a bad person; it makes me a normal college student.
I am a sophomore in college, so this is my second year of focusing and working really hard during the week and using the weekend to go out and have fun and socialize. I even have a job and can still do this while also maintaining a 3.6 GPA and not missing any assignments. I know what's important to me, and know if I have a huge test on Monday I don't go out the weekend before. I pay for the schooling; I don't pay for the parties. The key to this is time management, which is what anyone will tell you that you have to have in college. This is key. It just means to know what's important to you because there will be a day where you have a test and the night before your friends want to go out and stay out late, and you will have to decide if you want to go or study and go to bed at a reasonable time.
A party school definition would be a school that is known to have students go out to clubs a lot or throw massive parties, and also host a large greek life. Although by definition ECU is a party school but The University doesn't put these parties on, so, is it fair to say ECU is a party school or should we say the students who go to ECU like to party. The way you go through school is your choice. Whether you go to a party school or not, you can still party and suffer academic problems. Your choices are what matter, not what is said about the school. If you choose to party then yeah people might say you are there for a party school atmosphere - but you can have a balance.
