<p>I will have to reluctantly second take3’s comments. Though as an Allen Haller, I do have some alternatives to the standard frat party scene. Yes, we do drink and you can find puke in our sinks too (but it’s still not as bad as Six Pack). You’ll more likely see us getting baked and hanging around Krannert :).</p>
<p>If you are a practicing Christian though, then that’s a separate (but still huge) social scene apart from Greekdom. There are about 3 or 4 different church groups on campus, and they have about 600-700 members each. I was part of one of them for a year and we did do a lot of fun things - e.g. paintballing, ‘christ olympics’. You’ll be placed into a small group of about 7 or 8 people which pretty much becomes your spiritual, surrogate family for a year (hanging around your group leader’s apartment and eating together). And did I say worship? There’s lots of that, in big groups, twice a week, with spiritual revivals and guest speakers…</p>
<p>Ahem. That’s a great, valid alternative if you are religious. Otherwise, you can still be social with a smaller cadre of other independents (seriously).</p>
<p>Take3, I am not implying that it is difficult to make friends as an independent after the first couple weeks. However, the first couple weeks of college usually go like this: first you get there and there are a lot of new people and you have to find your way around, then you start to make friends with people on your floor and people in your classes, then the Greek recruitment starts. If you don’t want to rush, but every one of your friends that you have made so far does want to rush, it would definitely limit what you have to do until you can make new friends, which, depending on your personality, could be easy or difficult. At no point did I say that an independent can’t make friends, I just said that the only scenario where I think it would be hard to have fun as an independent is if every one of your friends is Greek and you are not. As long as you have one or two independent friends, even that is enough to give you something to do on weekends and some weeknights.</p>
<p>I think the biggest difference is is scheduling. If you are independent, there are definitely some nights where most or all of your friends will be busy with homework or meetings of some kind, so while you will have a free night, you won’t have much to do. If you are Greek, you are living in a house with 100 other guys, and there is bound to be at least a handful free, so you can find someone to go out with. I know I have had my fair share of nights where I had nothing to do for school, but couldn’t find someone to go out with so I ended up staying in and watching baseball or something, but I still do not think that not being Greek detracted in any way from my experience here at UIUC. In fact, if not for the fact that I had a girlfriend left over from high school that made me basically drive home every other weekend freshman year (a sad chapter of bad judgment in my life), I think I would have had an even better time at UIUC than I already had as an independent.</p>
<p>My advice, is if he wants to go Greek, then go Greek, but if he doesn’t, there is ample opportunity to meet people and make friends and have fun without it. I just replaced Greek life with Illini Pride, so I was surrounded by a gazillion Illini fans at all the sporting events pretty much year round. Plus, you have to join that organization to be a part of the Block I or Orange Krush, which I would suggest anyone who is a fan of sports should do at least once to give it a try. I made innumerable friends doing this.</p>
<p>I actually transferred to UIUC, but lived in the residence halls among numerous freshmen. So I got some sense of what life was like for incoming freshmen.</p>
<p>The organizations you mention seem like fun. I agree that joining organizations is a good idea for someone who wants to attend UIUC but doesn’t want to go Greek.</p>
<p>Even so, joining Registered Student Organizations is a wash when comparing different universities. An independent can get involved in student organizations at UIUC. But they also could on almost any other traditional college campus. So at most other universities, someone could still get involved on campus and simultaneously have access to a social scene in which the Greek system isn’t as pervasive.</p>
<p>I’m going to have to disagree with take3 as well…and I AM a part of the Greek community! The major bar scene at the U of I significantly outweighs the frat party scene, seeing as how you only have to be 19 to get into the bars here. Join some clubs, make some friends, and you’ll be golden.</p>
<p>But since we have one of the top engineering programs in the nation and world…yeah, you’ll be hard-pressed for time. Still doesn’t mean it can’t be done, you’ll just have to really know/learn how to manage your time. </p>
<p>Really though…as one of the top engineering AND party schools…if that’s what you’re looking for, UIUC’s the place to be!</p>
<p>hollywooddiva-love your honest and common sense comments. Can I ask what college you are in at U of I? Did you find it hard to balance studying with pledging your freshman year? ANy comments would be helpful…</p>
<p>I’m an advertising major in the College of Media, but there are many engineers and business students (and other majors like biochem, mcb, etc. which are commonly considered ‘difficult’) both in my house and in other houses. It’s really not too hard balancing pledging with academics, at least in most sororities, because those in charge of the process know school > pledging haha. If you have more questions, feel free to ask! :-)</p>
<p>hollywood diva…since you are a part of the greek system I was hoping you could clear something up for me. would you say the atmosphere in the different sororities are really of friendships or is it more clique-ish? I really like the idea of being part of a sorority and having all of the social opportunities, but I can’t help wondering if there’s some kind of catch. Any info would help thanks</p>
<p>I agree with boneh3ad on most of his points, Ive been at U of I for 2 years now studying as an engineer. I never joined a frat and never had problems finding a social life. On the weekends, I generally head out to the bars or to friend’s apartments to party. It isn’t very difficult to find and get into frat parties seeing as you’ll most likely make friends with a lot of people who did join the greek system.</p>
<p>Being greek is important if you have trouble finding people to connect to and hang out with or if you simply want to party every other day of the week. Instead of joining a frat, I joined the Men’s Ultimate Frisbee team at Illinois which was one of the best choices Ive made since arriving on campus. In reality, your social life will be dictated by your closest group of friends, not by whether or not you go greek.</p>
<p>Sorry it’s taken me a while to get back to you! This summer’s just been too busy haha. </p>
<p>Anyway, I would say the atmosphere definately varies from house to house. You really just have to keep an open mind and think about where you as an individual feel most comfortable during rush. There are some girls I know who ended up disliking the houses they were in, dropped, and rushed the next year…there are even some who disliked their house after they were initiated.</p>
<p>That being said, the good experiences and stories far outweigh the bad! So many close friendships are formed through the Greek system, and I know I’ll be friends with some of the girls in my house for many years to come and see the same close friendships all around me regardless of the houses the girls belong to. </p>
<p>Another thing is you also WILL become good friends with girls from other houses that you meet either during rush or in your dorm or through high school friends! One of my best friends is in another house, thus I’m friends with a ton of girls in her house as well. </p>
<p>Hope that helped, feel free to ask anything else!</p>
<p>Im in the greek system too. I love it the social scene is awesome being part of a frat, and its much easier to meet people that way…</p>
<p>that said, you dont HAVE to joina frat to party your balls off. UIUC is one of the BEST party schools in the country. If you cant have fun here youre probably socially ■■■■■■■■. </p>
<p>Im also an engineer, and just having completed freshmen year with a solid GPA and joining one of the top houses on campus, i can tell you from experience managing social and academic life is not terribly difficult. Just know your boundaries, and what you want out of college—namely a great education and a good time. Just don’t get carried away with the latter.</p>
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It isn’t very difficult to find and get into frat parties seeing as you’ll most likely make friends with a lot of people who did join the greek system.
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<p>This wasn’t my experience. Even if I’d wanted to get into fraternity parties, I didn’t have any friends in fraternities who could have made it possible. Nor was I the only person I knew who had this problem.</p>
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[QUOTE=NwestvWashU]
I love it the social scene is awesome being part of a frat, and its much easier to meet people that way…
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<p>This implies that it is much more difficult to meet people if one is not in a fraternity.</p>
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[QUOTE=NwestvWashU]
If you cant have fun here youre probably socially ■■■■■■■■.
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<p>I had no difficulty fitting in and being included at McGill. This wouldn’t have been the case if I were “socially ■■■■■■■■”. Yet I had difficulty being included and finding my niche socially at UIUC.</p>
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[QUOTE=NwestvWashU]
Just know your boundaries, and what you want out of college—namely a great education and a good time. Just don’t get carried away with the latter.
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<p>This is very good advice, regardless of where one chooses to attend.</p>
thanks</p>