<p>Hi, so the reason why I didnt pledge in the fall was because I was just getting used to the whole college experience and was confused on how to start rushing (having 40+ fraternities at my school). And after this semester, I am 100 percent confident that the greek life is for me. During the last days of fall rush, I got to know many members of this one fraternity and I already contacted them about info about spring rush. This one guy that is in the fraternity says that he "is looking forward to seeing me again in the spring". (I know he probably doesnt mean that but still). However recently I have been reading about spring pledges and how worse conditions they have to go through (smaller class, fall pledges making fun of you, fall activities are better, less bond with members, etc) and I was sorta contemplating waiting and rushing in the fall. Right now I am 90 percent rush in the spring and 10 percent wait till sophomore year fall. Its mainly because I really dont want my spring semester to be the same as my fall semester (at my school, greek life is so big that nothing happens for the geeds). Also after I get initiated, can I just call myself an 18? I feel 18.5 is confusing. So could you guys help me? And please dont say the typical stuff how spring rushees are so much worse than fall ones, I already read them. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>I don’t really know anything about IFC fraternity rushes so some of your terminology has confused me (18 vs. 18.5?) But if you want to rush in the spring, rush in the spring.</p>
<p>1) Yes, the pledge class before you will make fun of you. But that would happen regardless of when you rushed. If you rush Fall 2015, the Spring 2015 pledge class will make fun of you. Current members usually make fun of pledges; it’s just part of the fraternity experience.</p>
<p>2) If the fall activities are better, you will be able to participate in them as a brother, and not as a pledge. I don’t get the sense that pledges have a whole lot of fun at some fraternity events during pledge season, since they are often working the event in a menial capacity (like serving drinks or doing door checks. I used to do final approvals of fraternity parties, and more than once a brother has let it slip that their pledges are doing door checks for their guest lists or are on cleaning duty or something).</p>
<p>3) A smaller pledge class could be a pro or a con depending on the fraternity. Again, most of my familiarity is with NPHC organizations and to a certain extent NPC sororities (and I’m not in one, so it’s all second and third hand). But I have had friends in small ( < 10) and big ( > 40) pledge classes and most of them view their pledge experience positively (and if they don’t, it has nothing to do with the size of their class). A lot of people have said that a smaller line/pledge class allowed them to bond more closely with the members of that class, and they feel really, really close to their line sisters/line brothers/fellow pledge class members because there were so few of them.</p>
<p>And why would the semester of your pledge affect your bond with the current members? Observe the fraternities’ current relations with their own brothers. Can you tell who pledged in the spring and who pledged in the fall simply by the way they are treated? No?</p>
<p>You prove many good points. What I meant with 18 and 18.5 is that 18s are the ones that pledged in the fall, while 18.5 are the ones that pledged in the spring. Honestly thank you so much, this really calmed me down about the differences between spring and fall pledges. Hopefully I will get a bid in the spring at the fraternity I want. :)</p>
<p>Do it. Don’t waste any time. You’ll regret it later</p>