Commons Dining Hall, as photographed on Nov. 2, 2022. (Hustler Multimedia/Chloe Postlewaite)
The Hustler also asked first years about their previous lifestyle experiences before arriving at Vanderbilt. Respondents were asked about their sexual habits, relationships and substance usage. The findings show a wide range of experiences at the start of college.
“It is important for [first years] to see a wide range of lifestyles and experiences because this diversity resembles the real world,” first-year Whitney Childs said.
Under a third (31%) of first years reported having previously had sex, while 61% reported they have not. The remaining 9% of respondents preferred not to say.
The majority (62%) of respondents reported that they have been in at least one exclusive romantic relationship, but 38% said they have not.
SEXUAL ACTIVITY
ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS
As far as substance usage goes, over half (56%) of respondents reported drinking alcohol at least once per semester, but only about a quarter (26%) said they use marijuana at least once per semester. 3% of students had tried a drug other than alcohol or marijuana, such as LSD (3%) and Adderall (2%).
In contrast, 96% of the outgoing senior Class of 2023 consumed alcohol at least once a semester, with most consuming it once a week, and 54% consumed marijuana at least once a semester.
ALCOHOL/MARIJUANA
Connecticut is the most popular state for fake IDs, followed by New York, Illinois, California, Georgia and Texas, but only about a third of first years reported ever having a fake ID.