Questions From A Prospective Student

Hey there! So I just finished my junior year of high school and am starting to double down on which colleges I will apply to. I'm planning to major in Mechanical Engineering, or possibly Electrical Engineering, and want to get some responses from students to maybe help clear things up. Thanks in advance!

• What are the Mech/EE Engineering Programs like? Unmanageable? Are there research opportunities?

• What is the party scene on campus? I'm not a fan of parties (I'd rather stay home with some friends) nor alcohol (bad family experiences), so are you pressured into going or is it more of a 'come if you want' type atmosphere?

• How are conservatives treated on campus? I ask because when I went to visit my sister's liberal arts college, I was harassed and yelled at because my sister had told her friends that I am conservative. I'm a fan of exchanging ideas and open conversation, and I really don't care about anyone's politics, I just don't want to be harassed for my beliefs.

• Dorms/food. How are they? I'm not expecting great, but I wouldn't want total garbage either. Really all I want is a clean dorm.

• Study abroad. I really want to study abroad during my four years in college, and it is a large part of my decision. Are programs easily accessible here? Do a lot of kids go abroad?

I think that's it for now. I know it's a lot of questions, I'm just trying to get a feel. Thank you!