This Metro file photo shows two things you can count on at a party school: sweaty students and PBR.
/ Jerome Eno
Beer pong, anyone? Playboy magazine released their Top 10 Party Schools list to be published in their October college issue. (Lucky parents, this comes just in time for high school seniors applying to colleges.)
For the first time, West Virginia University took the No. 1 spot, and not all Mountaineers are excited about the bragging rights. Print journalism student Carlee Lammers explains, “Yes there are parties at WVU, that’s no secret. But what school doesn’t? There’s a very small percentage of students that give WVU that name. … We are students first.”
Taking stock of the climate on campus, the junior alludes to mixed emotions — some students were indifferent, others were proud and a few were disheartened.
“I don’t think any school should pride itself on any list, good or bad,” she says. “We should be going out into the world showing everyone what being a Mountaineer is really all about! Hard work, kindness and passion for your school and state.”
Hard work, kindness and passion aside, the magazine’s editors examined data from the National Center for Education Statistics, the NCAA and U.S. Economic Census, along with feedback from Playboy’s 12 million social media fans. Apparently it’s anyone’s game, because the University of Virginia nabbed the top spot last year and didn’t even make a dent on this year’s list.
So, whether a school fell off the list or moved up the ranks this year, Timothy Skjellerup, author of Maximize Your College Experience and professional speaker, dishes some advice to students in the hallowed halls of higher ed.
The former self-proclaimed “party boy slacker” used to “get smashed out of my mind four out of seven nights a week” turned everything around by realizing “this was the only time that I was going to live this life.” After recognizing an alcohol problem that nearly killed him and feeling emotionally and spiritually broken, he stepped up to the plate by realizing he was capable of achieving greatness.
As for the Cornell alumni’s advice to party go-ers at West Virginia and beyond? “There are no do-overs. They are responsible. Take responsibility for all aspects of your life, don’t sell yourself short and be careful how you define yourself.”
Playboy’s list of top 10 party schools:
1. West VirginiaUniversity
2. University ofWisconsin
3. University ofColorado
4. University ofSouthern California
5. Florida StateUniversity
6. Universityof Texas
7. Louisiana StateUniversity
8. Universityof Georgia
9. Arizona StateUniversity
10. University ofMaryland
