Most Dartmouth students know the on-campus hook-up drill, but many wonder what happens post-graduation. According to a random selection of alumni contacted by The Dartmouth, the dating scene changes and in some ways becomes more challenging after graduation.
"Dartmouth is like a microcosm where specific affiliations are associated with specific social points. This is not the case in the real world," said Francisco DeLeon '99. "No one lives in a microcosm, and people fit less into a mold, and they are less stereotypical and less judgmental."
After college, students lose the common activities that bring them together while at Dartmouth, the alumni said.
"There are so many ways to meet people in college. Classes, activities and sports aren't available outside of college. You really have to make the effort to get out there and find people," said an alumnus who preferred to remain anonymous.
Many people who spoke to The Dartmouth described the post-college prevalence of "casual dating," as a more labor-intensive way of meeting people than the ways to which they were accustomed while at Dartmouth.
Most alumni consulted for this article admitted to hooking up during college careers. They recalled that it was a normal part of the social life at the College.
"It's fun and it's the thing to do," one female alumna said.
However, most alumni also said they went on dates and were involved in committed relationships while they were students at the College.
Both male and female alumni said that they overall preferred dating to hooking up.
"Being with someone you actually care about is so much better than just hooking up with a random person. Sex is much better when you're in love," said one alumnus who asked that his name not be included.
Another alumnus said, "I really disliked the anonymity of hooking up. The fact that you didn't know the person or care for the person and he or she didn't care for you."
However, the majority of the alumni contacted for this article did not see hooking up as a negative aspect of college life. Most felt that it was a morally neutral issue that depended on the people involved in the situation.
Michelle Comeau '00 said, "Hooking up can be fun when the people involved are either both serious or both casual. But if that's not the case, then there can be serious emotional issues that go along with hooking up."
And Sarah Garman '00 said, "It can be a good thing if you're just looking to have fun."
Although students think of the College's social scene as unique, alumni felt that most of their friends from other colleges went through the same experiences that they did.
"I think you'll get the same kind of experiences at any college. There's hooking up and being in relationships, except at places like Harvard or Brown," Comeau said.
