Deciding
Whether to Go Greek
Greek life refers to fraternities and sororities on college campuses that derive
their names from the Greek alphabet. You’ve seen movies like Old School
and heard about the frat parties, but do you really know anything about these
organizations? It is true partying can be a part of Greek life—as you’ve
seen in the movies—but there are other aspects of these organizations
such as campus leadership, academic achievement, and community service. A majority
of fraternity and sorority members report that involvement with their chapter
was the one of the best parts of their college experience.
The influence of Greek life varies widely from college to college, with some
colleges having few or none and others having 15 or more chapters. On some
campuses, you’ll feel intense pressure to join and at others you won’t
even consider it.
If you are interested in joining a fraternity or sorority on your campus, be
sure to:
| • |
Ask lots of questions
of the members of the organization and of other students
and staff on the campus. |
| • |
Ask yourself why
you are interested in joining. Create a list of the positive
and negative reasons for joining. |
| • |
Understand all the
commitments related to joining (pledging) as well as
the commitments of being a member of a fraternity or
sorority. |
| • |
Know any costs and
time commitments—which can be significant—that
may negatively impact other areas of your college life. |
The bottom line is that choosing to join this type of organization
should be made with lots of information and based on your
own choice. Don’t feel pressured to make a decision
either way.
|
