<p>I didn't live on campus freshman year and I'm not considering joining a fraternity. The college I go to is also very large and relatively impersonal. Just going to a club meeting two times a week doesn't really seem like anything because there's still nothing to do between classes or on weekends. Other than rushing to the library, and right now I feel like I never want to set foot in the library again.
It also seems a lot of people go to clubs because they're following someone they know rather than going alone to meet new people.</p>
<p>1) Make friends through classes
2) Join a few clubs that interest you. why stop at just one?
3) Go to parties with these friends - or, hell, throw one yourself.</p>
<p>Join the greek system, or at least go through rush/recruitment. You don't have to join, and you never know, you might just find a great house that you fit right in at. Even if you don't, you'll surely meet some people in the process.</p>
<p>Stay away from the Greeks and hang out with quality people instead.</p>
<p>^ What he said</p>
<p>Find a good club. Bible study, club connected with a major, intramural sports team, etc. all seem to work the best.</p>
<p>Try to find one or two friends through classes (grab lunch with them after, or have a study group) and get introduced to their group of friends. Ask them "What what are you doing this weekend?" Hopefully they will say, "My friends and I are going to --, want to join us?"</p>
<p>Also a club meeting can work this way. Clubs usually meet in the evening time. Say you're interested in going out to dinner, anyone want to join you? Or, sometimes clubs will have weekend events and people can really bond over those too.</p>
<p>Personally I think the Greek system is stupid to have to pay for your friends, but it works for some.</p>
<p>Wow...I've heard some anti greek sentiment before...but...wow.</p>
<p>I certainly hope that you'll enlighten me, since you obviously are so much superior than I am, as to what a quality person is, and exactly where my character is lacking since I was in a fraternity. I consider myself a quality person, but obviously I'm wrong. You seem so self-assured in your response that I'm really hoping that I can learn something and be better because of my time spent on CC.</p>
<p>And before you throw out the cliche'd reasons like "i paid for my friends" (which I didn't - my dues paid for me living in a chapter house and fees to help run my organization at a national level - name me one national organization that doesn't collect dues) and "I must only care about drinking and hazing pledges" I suggest you really evaluate if you can make such assumptions to such a large number of people.</p>
<p>Bigredmed: You ain't seen nothing yet. ;)</p>
<p>I feel that fraternities and sororities prey on insecure and immature college freshmen who are undergoing major changes (loss of environment, newfound freedom, lack of established friendships and relationships) and as such makes them vulnerable. They are eager to make some sort of bond, to feel grounded, to have friends, and as such - will join one of these organizations to which they will pay money and possibly undergo hazing practices (which are a small price to pay for having friends.) Yes, it is a national organization and it collects dues - but paying for friends is still an apt comparison, as you are welcome to join this group of people and live with them and become their "brother" or "sister" only after you fork over some cash.</p>
<p>And where did you meet most of your friends while in college? Guessing from my HS close friends that went to other colleges and didn't join the greek system, I'll go ahead and answer that more than likely you met them in the dorms. How much did you pay to live in the dorms? I don't see how me choosing who my housemates would be before I started college (my college had summer rush) or someone else (girls on my campus or someone on a campus that doesn't have very early recruitment) choosing who their housemates are going to be in the future by joining an organization is any different than you paying to live in the dorms and making friends there. The fact that my new friends were there to support me, cared about how I was doing in class, were spread among all 4 years of current students (thus able to help with that adjustment, provide guidance and so on) and were furthermore friends with each other surely enhanced their value as friends and associates. </p>
<p>There are hundred's of thousands of organizations which require you to pay membership dues to enjoy the benefits of membership - I'm a member of the American Medical Association, the American Medical Student Association, and Phi Rho Sigma Medical Society - each of which charged me money to be a part of their organization and be a "member" and yet no one bats an eye. To criticize fraternities and sororities for the same practice is undoubtedly hypocritical unless you have some how never joined any organization from the Boy/Girl Scouts, the NRA, National Honor Society, or the Rotary. And yet, I'd wager that most fraternity and sorority members would identify the benefits of their Greek membership as much more immediate and important to their lives than membership in any other organization.</p>
<p>Furthermore, I find it bizarre that fraternities would be castigated for helping people adjust to college life. The original poster is such a person, wanting to get more involved in campus life - how is it wrong for him or her to join an organization which will facilitate such a process?</p>
<p>While I do feel that hazing practices are more than a small price to pay for friendship, and shouldn't be tolerated, you still haven't answered my question as to why I'm not a quality person for having been in a fraternity. Since that was the implication you did make.</p>
<p>Join large on-campus organizations. Great way to meet people and go to parties (who knew Cal's official Rally Committee, an organization sponsored by the campus, would throw parties for its members?).</p>
<p>
[quote]
for having been in a fraternity
[/quote]
Tisk Tisk, why the past tense?</p>
<p>People love bashing stuff they don't understand. Plus, in this case they get the added benefit of knowing they will be supported by other ignorant people. There are always people who hate us for our "exclusiveness" and yet never bothered to speak to any of us about it. They think we should publish our rituals and burn down our houses, all before they bothered to do any research about us.</p>
<p>Anyone has the right to chose their friends, but for some reason we get openly punished for it.</p>
<p>Also, I don't buy my friends, I rent my Brothers on a bi-annual basis.</p>
<p>636</p>
<p>I might add the bonds forged between brothers during pledging is unlike anything else. Sure you can meet friends through clubs, classes, dorms, etc, but there is nothing closer, at least on campus, than a fraternity brotherhood. You are part of an organization rich in history and tradition. You will learn to fight to the death for your brothers, and that I think, is special. Anyone who uses the "paying for friends" argument is incredibly naiive.</p>
<p>"fight to the death for your brothers" ? What do you guys think your mighty morphing power rangers? What you travel in packs of a dozen guys to bars to start hassling people and acting tough because it takes a dozen of you to have balls enough to push around one guy? And where are the girls in your possie? You're just traveling around in some sausage fest, circle jerkin every night.</p>
<p>Frats are dumb and gay. It may take you til senior year to realize that, but you will. End of discussion. I will listen to any counterarguments nor bother to read any more posts on this thread. So say what you will, I don't care.</p>
<p>Some people talk about frats like it's the freaking army or something, "fighting till death" and "forging bonds you can't make anywhere else", which is why I think frats get a lot of flak. The truth is if you look at a frat just like any other club or social organization - people grouping together because they get along and have common interests - they simultaneously look less "special" but also less lame. </p>
<p>People who make fun of frats are stupid, but the prevailing attitude that there is something "mighty" about them is equally idiotic.</p>
<p>Being in a frat isn't any different than being on a sports team, living in the language house, or being in the chess club. It's just an alternate route people take to "get into the college scene", which is what everybody wants to do.</p>
<p>Lacrosse parties are a good way to go for meeting new people. For the most part, I hang out with the same group of people, then I'll have those other people that you talk to every once in a while.</p>
<p>Bwahahaahaahahahaha @ "power rangers" - I love that he said that people think they should "publish their rituals" like they're some secret cult. Frat "rituals" are a power trip to make them feel/look/act cool like they're the Skull and Bones.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Frat(ernity) "rituals" are a power trip to make them feel/look/act cool like they're the Skull and Bones.
[/quote]
Alright, I'll play.</p>
<p>How So?</p>
<p>636</p>
<p>OK I was exaggerating a little, but yes being a varsity athlete is akin to being in a fraternity, in fact many athletes are in fraternities. At my school (Michigan), however, the athletes are expected to be among the best in the country and therefore anything outside of academics and athletics is very tough to accomplish. Also, because such a high standard is expected of student athletes, many excellent athletes in high school who were not Michigan calibre but still desire the sense of closeness that the team brings join houses. Maybe you were unathletic and didn't seem to appreciate the closeness of a high school sports team, I don't know, but that is to what I can most relate fraternity life. I am a member of the cycling team, an orchestra on campus, and various other clubs, all of which have provided me with good friends, but none are as close as those of whom I can call my brothers. I could go on, but I don't think any of you will get it. Also, the Skull and Bones is closely connected with a fraternity (the one to which I belong, in fact), meaning, brothers at our Yale chapter have a high likelyhood of being tapped into the Skull and Bones.</p>
<p>frats are outcasts?
why do normal college students loathe them.</p>
<p>i for one am too poor to be "renting" friends. heck i can make them for free.</p>
<p>I'm a commuter as well, and I recommend talking mostly with people in your major, it's what I do, chances are that you'll be seeing quite a lot of them in your upper level major classes anyway.</p>