What to Know About Greek Life Before Pledging

If you are considering joining a fraternity or sorority at your college, this guide can help.

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Around about 77% of students join a sorority or fraternity in college. These groups provide easy ways to meet like-minded people and form bonds that can last a lifetime. But most of them require dues to enter and they can be time-consuming.

If you’re wondering whether Greek life is worth it, you’ve come to the right place. We broke down what to know about Greek life before pledging. Here, you’ll find the basics of how sororities and fraternities work, the benefits of joining Greek life, and some logistical items you’ll need to take into account.

Let’s dive in.

Greek Life: The History

During the Revolutionary War, a secret society was founded by the Phi Beta Kappa, a group that had a conviction that a new nation needed fresh organizations. They were seeking somewhere where they could debate controversial topics freely. The society is known as the first fraternity and still exists today.

In the 1800 and 1900s, more societies formed from the same model, using letters of the Greek alphabet as their names. To this day, sororities and fraternities are plentiful in American colleges.

Basic Principles of Greek Life

There are many kinds of fraternities and sororities. Here are a few you may find at your college:

Social sororities and fraternities are generally placed into gender groupings. Fraternities are comprised of males, whereas females make up sororities.

With multicultural Greek groups, there’s generally less of a gender-based recruitment process involved. The main significance here becomes placed on tradition and culture.

If you’re part of a service sorority or fraternity, the main emphasis is on service and leading. If you’re a good leader with the skills to oversee a group, a

service sorority or fraternity might be right for you.

There are also professional Greek groups where male and female students study together and build their professional network.

Additionally, there are honor societies. These are often co-ed too. Students are invited to these based on how well they perform academically. The previously mentioned group Phi Beta Kappa is considered an honor society today.

Greek Life Lingo

Like many groups, there’s a certain vernacular that comes with Greek life. Here are some words you’ll need to know if you joining a sorority or fraternity.

A “fraternity brother” is someone in the same fraternity as you. Likewise, a “sorority sister” is someone in your same sorority.

“Rushing” is the process of getting to know fraternities and sororities on campus that you might want to be part of. It’s the first step to joining Greek life.

A “legacy” is someone who has a family member such as a grandparent or parent who was in the same sorority or fraternity.

“Pledging” is when someone makes a commitment to a sorority or fraternity after rushing.

Benefits of Greek Life

There are several benefits to joining Greek life. We’ve listed several benefits you can expect from Greek life here:

1

_Make new friends

_Joining a sorority or fraternity means you’ll meet people you may never otherwise have met, and you can make friends that will last a lifetime.

2

_Find opportunities to volunteer

_Particularly with service sororities and fraternities, Greek life provides many opportunities to give back to the community with your friends.

3

_Many people find participating in sororities and fraternities helps in job searches. If you happen to

_Build your professional network

have been in the same sorority or fraternity as the person hiring you, they’re much more likely to trust you.

4

_Find like-minded people

_The first years of college can be lonely for many people. If you’re missing communing with people who think the way you do or have similar experiences to your own, there are many sororities and fraternities created for people with specific interests and experiences.

5

_Gain leadership experience

_There are many options for leadership roles in Greek life that look great on a resume. Yes, you could be the president of your chapter, but you could also take on a leadership role that won’t be quite so time-consuming, like the treasurer.

Sacrifices of Joining Greek Life

Unfortunately, Greek life doesn’t just involve having fun and making new friends. Joining a sorority or fraternity necessitates a considerable sacrifice of your time. Mandatory meetings, volunteering, and social events will inevitably drain hours of your week.

Additionally, dues can add up fast if you’re not careful. Before you pledge, be sure you understand how much you’ll be paying per semester in dues, and consider carefully whether you can afford it.

Considering Greek Life? Know the Facts

Greek life has been adopted by many college campuses in America, but it’s not for everyone. Now that you know what Greek life is all about, its benefits, the costs, and the different opportunities that are involved, you can make a more confident decision about whether or not it’s right for you.