What a hectic year! As the end of the school year has arrived, we are all preparing for our future plans. For high school seniors, that means preparing to start college! Many of us have an idea of what “college life” would be like in our head, and for some of us this may mean joining a sorority or a fraternity.
Greek life is like a staple in American college culture.
Greek Life on Campus
Some are drawn to joining an organization that helps boost your
social skills with peer support. For others, the party scene is what grabs most of their attention. In both cases, it gives students a sense of community.
In order to join Greek life, you have to rush. Rushing is usually a week-long process, where you can get to know the organizations, and sororities and fraternities invite you back to get to know you better. At the end of it, you match with the organization that recruited you. This week is usually themed, with different requirements to meet every day (think spirit, dress-up days in high school).
Despite the positive, there are many things that you should consider before you apply and rush Greek life. This article will be going over some of the
cons about Greek life, which are important in order to weigh out your options. After all, joining Greek life can make-or-break your college experience.
The Expenses
The expenses of Greek life are no joke. In order to rush, there is a registration fee, which can range from $50-$150. Just joining an organization once they accept you can cost from $600-$6000 dollars, per semester! The semester fee is the bare minimum to be associated with the organization.
The sorority or fraternity may require other outside fees on top of that, such as requiring you to buy supplies for events (that they may not reimburse), requiring you to buy nice dresses for formals, and even making a mandatory, expensive trip for the organization! An organization can also charge you for missing a meeting or an event, which may not even be your fault.
If you are planning to
save every penny during college in order to pay for your necessities, maybe Greek life isn’t the best idea, for you or your finances. It all adds up in the end.
The Party Scene
As stated previously, some people really enjoy the parties that fraternities and sororities have. Others, not so much.
Greek life parties are a center for the use of alcohol and drugs; not just at parties, but around the organization as well.
If you are not a huge fan of this kind of lifestyle, joining Greek life may be a risk. However, not all sororities/fraternities are like this; some harbor a healthier lifestyle! You just have to be careful with where you rush, to make sure their parties aren’t too extreme for your lifestyle.
Takes up a Lot of Time
Joining a Greek Life Organization means that you will have to partake in many activities, whether that may be
philanthropy work, sorority or fraternity events, or meetings. Some sororities and fraternities require a certain amount of service hours in order to continue eligibility with the organization, and for many this can be very stressful.
Many who chose not to join a fraternity/sorority have very packed schedules, such as taking a lot of credits and working on top of that. If you feel that you are one of those people, maybe the Greek scene isn’t for you at that moment in time.
You Can Feel Limited Socially
Being in a sorority or a fraternity can make you feel like you can only can be
friends with people in the same group. However, that is not the case, you can venture out and meet new people as you wish!
Despite this, because you are always going to be around your sisters/brothers with such a big time commitment, you may not have time to go out and meet new people away from Greek life. Some people find this idea comforting, that they don’t have to go out of their way to meet new people since they have friends in the sorority/fraternity. Others may feel trapped, being with the same people time and time again.
If you know you need to branch out of your social circle occasionally, Greek life may not be the best choice for you. It can cause you more harm than good at the end of it.
Despite all of this, some of these “cons” may not be cons to others! Greek life is not meant for everyone, so do not be too hard on yourself if you decide that Greek life isn’t for you. And if you are considering Greek life and your pros outweigh the cons, don’t let this discourage you!
For some, Greek life is the
best experience of their college years. For others, it can be a rough time. Because it is such a huge commitment, it is extremely important to figure out for yourself what is best for you!
