Greek Life: Fraternities and Sororities

When I was in high school, I didn't know what a fraternity or a sorority was. Many of my friends began talking about joining one when they went to college, but I didn't care much to learn more about them.

When I went to college, the greek life wasn't very prominent at my school so I never joined one although I had some friends who did and they seemed to enjoy them very much.

I graduated from college and I feel like I did pretty well for myself from a social aspect, however sometimes I do wish to have had that feeling of belonging to one.

What are your thoughts? As a high school student, do you think you will join one and if so, for what reason? If you're in college, what is your experience with greek life?

Tags: brotherhood, community, fraternities, greek, life, pacts, parties, service, siserhood, sororities

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Permalink Reply by Sal on January 17, 2010 at 5:04pm

I came into college with an open mind about Fraternities. Both of my older sisters were in a Sorority when they were in College and it seemed they enjoyed it. They would always talk about hanging out with their sisters (Sorority Sisters) and doing fun activities.

During my Sophomore year, many of my close friends joined a fraternity but I never did. I heard about some of the initiation tasks they had to do, and it just turned me off. I think Sororities and Fraternities are a good thing if you want to always have a big group of friends. I just didn't feel like I needed to join one.

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Permalink Reply by Mackenzie on January 23, 2010 at 1:58pm

I think it kind of depends on how big the Greek scene is at your school. I always thought sororities were kind of weird, and before I got to college I had absolutely no intention of joining one. I'm just not that girly I guess. I did go through rush my freshman year, but it wasn't really my thing so I dropped out after the first night. That said a couple of my close friends were in sororities and they are completely awesome! It didn't affect my social life that I wasn't in a sorority; they were not big at my school and that I already had a really close group of friends.

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Permalink Reply by Gregory Lambrecht on January 25, 2010 at 1:20pm

I think anyone who is remotely interested in joining a fraternity or sorority should at least check it out by rushing. Most schools have a Greek system that is on campus so finding information about it is relatively easy (just ask around). With that being said, Greek life is not for everyone! It is a real commitment and pledging is like taking an additional class. However, the experiences, friends, and benefits of going Greek makes it more than worth it. I have been an active member of Sigma Pi for three years now and it so far has been a great decision.

There are also three different type of fraternities. Professional, Social, and Service. Each one has a different element to it (Service and Professional are often co-ed while Social has fraternities and sororities). For those of you that are interested in business or law joining a professional fraternity can be a huge aide in helping you find jobs as well as internships. I know I have a few friends that were able to receive high paying internships every summer because of their Greek connection. Social fraternities and sororities are a blast and offer an endless outlet of entertainment, brotherhood/sisterhood, and alumni opportunities.

I hope this helps!

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Permalink Reply by Hector Vega on March 1, 2010 at 11:09pm

It's sad when one finds out that he/she joined because of a need for friends. Greek life can help you enter the social scene if you find it difficult, some also are meant to share common values and preferences. It can be a way for future employment network. Others however are purely social.

Be open minded but don't join right away. Give yourself time to explore yourself and the people in the university. Find your own friends and get comfortable with the idea of college. Then, consider whether you want to commit to a society or not.

I didn't and it worked out for me.

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Permalink Reply by Pardis Khosravi on October 6, 2010 at 2:58pm

While I am not involved in greek life myself, I have many friends who have joined both social and professional fraternities and almost all have had a positive experience. Social fraternities and sororities are great for establishing a strong network of friends and acquaintances as well as having the opportunity to network with their alumni which can be useful in finding future jobs. However, keep in mind that rushing and pledging can be overwhelming and one should only join if fully committed and has time to do so. Professional fraternities encompass an array of fields including business fraternities, pre-med and pre-law fraternities, community service oriented fraternities, etc, that are generally co-ed. These offer exemplary professional development and networking opportunities and really help one connect with other students in those fields. There is a social aspect as well but they are much more focused on professional development.

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Permalink Reply by Kimberlly Araracap on December 11, 2010 at 6:56pm

I'm a college student now, but I've also heard little about Sororities and Fraternities before entering college. Unfortunately, the things I did hear were not that great. And although it isn't in my interest in joining one, I still have new friends who are part of sororities (much like the others who replied), and they are really nice!

I can understand why one may join the Greek life because they can be part of a group where they can work together and achieve the same goal.