Why Greek Life May Not be for You

By Karla Bennaton on January 30, 2016

 

When entering college, most people have a list of things to do during their time there. Between SGA, student organizations, athletics and Greek life, there are so many things to choose from. Yet for some reason, going Greek seems to be the most popular out of all of these. At one point in time, you or your friends might’ve considered joining a fraternity or a sorority but Greek life is definitely not for everyone. So next time you’re thinking about joining a Greek organization, keep these things in mind:

1. Greek organizations require a huge time commitment

When you join a Greek organization, your time becomes compromised. Your fraternity/sorority will become a priority during the time that you’re active. Between chapter, social and philanthropic events, there’s a whole lot to be done. Between balancing work, school and other things, throwing your sorority/fraternity into the mix can get a little messy. If you’re bad at managing your time, then you will have no problem balancing it all. But if they’re not, you might want to consider working on your time management skills.

2. Memberships can be quite costly

To be in a fraternity or sorority your finances definitely have to be in line. Greek life can cost anywhere between hundreds to even thousands of dollars a year. You have to pay new member fees, chapter dues, social expenses and not to mention fines. If it’s something you really want to do, then consider getting a part-time job and rack up some extra cash!

3. People will judge you based on the sorority/fraternity you’re a part of

The sad truth is people will always judge you. But they will judge you even harder if you’re part of a fraternity/sorority and you’ll have to face the negative stigmas that come with it. We’ve all heard the ugly nicknames people call girls in sororities or the stereotypes that they give the guys and unfortunately when you’re in them, it only gets worse. Every fraternity and sorority has a reputation and which ever you decide to join will be the way that you will be perceived by others.

4. You will be attending a lot of events

If you plan on joining a sorority/fraternity, then prepare to go out and drink A LOT. Between formals, waltz and other parties, there is always something to celebrate.

If you’re more of a stay at home person that doesn’t like to go out much then being in a Greek organization will put you in a weird predicament. Sororities/Fraternities love to throw parties and put on functions. Members are often expected to promote and attend these events. So if that’s not your scene, you might want to look into something else.

5. Your grades will be affected in the process of joining

School comes before everything, or so they say. We are all in college with the same objective and that is to get good grades and graduate. But distractions are easy to come around and Greek life comes with a lot of them. When you’re pledging you have so many things to do that you end up putting off school work. You miss a couple of deadlines, study less, miss a few assignments and before you know it your grades start to drop. Keeping your grades up is almost nearly impossible so just begin to accept the fact that your grades will be affected that semester if you’re thinking of pledging.

6. Your Non-Greek friends will think you’ve changed

When you go Greek, you have your Greek friends and then you have your non-Greek friends. Your non-Greek friends won’t understand some of the things you have to do for your organization or why you do them but your Greek friends do and that’s what makes you guys closer. This can be a good and bad thing. Your non-Greek friends will often tell you that you’ve been lost or that you’ve changed. Although you might not think this is true, they will often feel neglected and forgotten. So be ready to handle that when the time comes around.

7. You might have to compromise some of your religious beliefs

Joining a Greek organization and being true to your faith can get really hard at times. As if it wasn’t already hard enough in college, Greek life wont make it any easier. If your faith is important to you and you want to uphold your beliefs, you will find yourself in many conflicting situations while your part of a Greek organization.

 

There are so many benefits to joining a Greek organization like the sister/brotherhood, parties, social prestige, and networking among other things. Some people join and they love every single minute of it. Other people do it and they regret ever making the decision. The point is that everyone is different and what might’ve worked for your friends might not work for you. If you do your research, get to know people who are in the fraternity or sorority you’re interested in and are financially stable then you should definitely give it a shot. If any of these reasons may be a deal breaker for you then you might want to think twice about making Greek life a part of YOUR life.

 

 

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