<p>I was looking a similar thread but for college life in general. But this one focuses more on the Greek Life. So, please tell me what I should know before joining one!</p>
<p>… here’s something: you can’t lump all of them together because they’re all different.</p>
<p>Ask how much dues cost per semester. Depending on whether the sorority/fraternity has a house or not usually affects the due cost.</p>
<p>Also, know your limits. I understand people in Greek life will use the excuse of how hazing brings the initiates and members closer together, but if it gets to the point where it risks your health or humiliates you, then drop out. It’s not worth it to be tortured like that.</p>
<p>Try going to RUSH events of two or more organizations so you can get a feel for different sororities/fraternities. If they give you a bid, weigh your options in which one interests you so you can start pledging to become a brother or a sister. You want to be in a group where you feel like you belong.</p>
<p>If you find one that you like, be yourself, ask a lot of questions, get to know the members better to show that you have interest.</p>
<p>Depends on the school. Depends on the Frat/sorority. They’re usually known as other names, such as here there’s the sorority for fat chicks, weirdos, and girls who still think they’re in high school. But that’s just here, and greek life pretty much rules the school. There might be hazing, there might not be, I suggest making really good ‘not fake’ friends in your house.</p>
<p>Frats vary. There are frats with dou***bags, there are frats with really nice people, there are jock frats (frats that are extremely into sports- not necessarily a bad thing unless you’re not too much of a sports fan). The one I’m in (Theta Xi) has chill people and its also a pretty big outdoors frat (which is nice since I’m big with outdoors stuff too).</p>
<p>As far as what to know, here are a couple things</p>
<p>-Its a huge time commitment. They may say that you only have 1-2 meetings to go to every week and that everything else is optional, but if you truly want to form the brotherhood with the house and become really good friends and make the most of it, then you will have to go to many more events</p>
<p>-Pledging varies for each frat- some don’t haze at all (like my frat) and some do haze a little (nothing that is traumatizing, but its still not stuff you would want to do). When I say haze a little, its basically more like time-consuming things (interviewing all the brothers, setting up for parties, cleaning up afterwards, helping clean up the kitchen after weekly meetings). Still, nothing too bad</p>
<p>-Don’t just join a frat for the parties. They do many more things, and you just won’t get a lot out of it if you are only there for parties. There are so many more things you can get out of a frat besides the parties (though the parties are a good thing).</p>
<p>-Choose a frat with which you click with the people better. This may be common sense, but I know that many people who get 2 bids usually choose the more popular frat when they clicked better with the other one. </p>
<p>-You won’t be good friends with every last person in the house. Just make sure you at least get along.</p>
<p>-People in Greek life have a higher GPA then people who don’t go Greek. Who would have thought. But in all honesty, many houses give scholarships to everyone who gets a certain GPA, so there is a little more motivation to do good in school</p>
<p>In conclusion, just rush many houses and talk to at least 5-10 brothers to at least get some feel of how the people in the house are. If you get a bid, choose the house if you click really well with the brothers and if you like the house. There are many benefits of going Greek, so definitely at least rush if you are even slightly considering it. I didn’t even plan on going Greek and I’ve ended up liking the experience so far.</p>
<p>Thanks you guys, but there are some vocab that i don’t get: rush and haze.
Can someone explain that please?</p>
<p>Haze = hazing</p>
<p>Use Google for more info.</p>
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<p>Where could you have possibly gotten that idea from? You yourself say that going Greek is an unbelievable time commitment, so I find it very hard to believe that these people have less time to study yet get better grades anyway. </p>
<p>I don’t have statistics on this either (just like you don’t have any proof for your statement) but from what I observe, it’s the more studious types who avoid Greek life because they know it will just be a distraction from their studies.</p>
<p>Ruella: Perceptions don’t equal reality: <a href=“http://www.northwestern.edu/gogreek/wp-content/uploads/Winter-2010-Greek-Grade-Report3.pdf[/url]”>http://www.northwestern.edu/gogreek/wp-content/uploads/Winter-2010-Greek-Grade-Report3.pdf</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://www.sa.psu.edu/greeks/pdf/ParentsManual0910.pdf[/url]”>http://www.sa.psu.edu/greeks/pdf/ParentsManual0910.pdf</a></p>
<p>scroll down to page 9.</p>
<p>Don’t mention any specific fraternities or sororities here. The people vary from chapter to chapter.</p>
<p>"Don’t mention any specific fraternities or sororities here. The people vary from chapter to chapter. "</p>
<p>Yea good point. Thats true.</p>
<p>Oh and for the GPA, I was mainly referring to UCLA where Greeks (3.16 I think) outdid non-Greeks (3.04). But as strange as it seems (even I was skeptical at first), Greeks tend to have a slightly higher GPA. There are some possible reasons. Many brothers in the house have already taken the classes you are taking, so they can help you out (possibly even 1 on 1 help which can be hard to find without paying $). They’ll give you advice on majors, classes, and what to do and what not to do. Most houses are large- there WILL be at least 1 or 2 people that have taken a class you are taking, even if it isn’t one of the common introductory classes. And in addition, many of the pledges will be in the same year as you so you will probably have a couple classes in common (which = study groups). And some houses do encourage study hours as well.</p>
<p>As for the vocab:</p>
<p>rush= week (or 2 weeks depending on the school) long process where you visit the houses and talk to the brothers or sisters. If its fraternity rush, you basically hang out, tour the house, eat free food, and get to know the brothers. I think for sorority rush, you have interviews and more formal stuff. Then, for frats, if the brothers like you, they give you a bid (which you decide whether or not you want to accept). For sororities, I think you rate the houses to which ones you like the most and at least 1 will give you a bid (though it may not be your top choice)</p>
<p>And hazing= making the pledges do stuff they don’t want to do. It can vary in severity. It really only happens in frats. Sororities usually don’t do that stuff according to what I’ve heard.</p>
<p>Rush is usually fun too. Typically consists of activities that require a little teamwork so rushees can know brothers. </p>
<p>I disagree with theespys69’s post on hazing. BOTH sororities and fraternities have chapters that haze. IMO, I think non-Panhellenic sororities haze more often then Panhellenic sororities. </p>
<p>[Rutgers</a> sorority members are accused of beating pledges during hazing | - NJ.com](<a href=“http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/rutgers_sorority_members_hazin.html]Rutgers”>Rutgers sorority members are accused of beating pledges during hazing - nj.com) is an example of a recent, sorority hazing incident.</p>
<p>Sorority hazing is pretty unusual though. It definitely doesn’t happen as much as frats. Based on what my friends in sororities have told me, they were treated very nicely</p>
<p>Ask questions! Don’t believe in everything a president or recruiter says. Things in theory tend to very from things in practice. Check their reputation in school, make sure they have a good relationship with alumni and make sure that the management is organized. </p>
<p>Fraternities/sororities should not need you to join them badly. If you sense they are “too friendly” to you though they do not know you too well yet then I would be wary of such organization. </p>
<p>Also make sure you are joining open, nice people, not the one who are prejudiced, biased, leaned only on one way of thinking.</p>
<p>@Jimgotkp I disagree about panhellenic hazing less. Both of my parents are members of panhellenics and they both went through a lot of hazing. Maybe it was the times, maybe it was the schools but I don’t think the hazing is really any different.</p>
<p>Punkchique, we have different responses from people then. Most of my friends who are in Panhellenic sororities said they didn’t go through much. However, my friends who were in cultural fraternities/sororities, etc. said they went through “hell”. I guess it really does differ by chapter as well.</p>
<p>^^ Yeah a lot of different things come into play, also on how much the different frats and sororities value secrecy. Because technically my parents were never supposed to tell me, I just overheard conversations they had, haha.</p>
<p>I’m an alumna of a Panhellenic sorority and we never had to do anything dangerous or demeaning. It was more silly stuff, like answering the house phone by the second ring, or dressing up in crazy outfits, going to bars and doing one of our cheers. Certainly never anything involving drugs, alchohol or bodily harm. It was all in good fun, but looking back, it would have been easy for things to get out of hand … it only takes one person.</p>