Fraternities and Sororities in College: Should You Join? + Hidden Benefits of Greek Life

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You probably heard the dark side of fraternities and sororities in college, as they are often associated with brutal initiations or hazing, violence, and other upheavals that disrupt college campuses. While this can be true for some unsupervised groups, those who stay intact with college safety rules can provide benefits to members.

Greek life often places students in leadership roles, from organizing events to overseeing philanthropic projects. This hands-on experience can even help prepare students for leadership positions in their future careers, since employers look for early skills, such as teamwork, time management, and communication, even for fresh graduates.

Academic Performance

While Greek life is often bemoaned for social activities, many fraternities and sororities focus heavily on academics.

In fact, College Scholarships shared that most Greek organizations have scholarship programs and study groups that encourage members to maintain high academic standards. They create a supportive culture in which the students strive to do better academically. In most cases, fraternities and sororities have specific academic chairs that may help facilitate tutoring and such, plus make academic support services available.

Members usually keep each other on track toward their goals by focusing their minds on their academics, thus pushing them to perform better academically.

Philanthropy

Greek organizations are celebrated for community service, College Scholarships reported. In fact, most fraternities and sororities engage in fundraising activities, volunteer work, and community involvement with local organizations. As a member, you also have a role in these philanthropic sidelines, such engagements allow you to contribute to specific communities, which also builds you to become responsible, and socially aware.

Lifelong Friendships and Networking

Fraternities and sororities in colleges are particularly recognized as close-knit communities that foster student bonding for life. With these organizations, the University of New Mexico stated that students instantly have a built-in social network which can be very helpful to freshmen or first-time students navigating their way on campus. The sense of camaraderie that is developed in coordinating events, living together, and thus supporting each other can often stretch far beyond college years.

Many Greek alumni maintain strong connections with their chapters, which can provide valuable career networking opportunities. These friendships and connections can help members both socially and professionally long after graduation.

Personal Growth

The structured nature of Greek life encourages personal development and accountability since members are expected to balance their role and their academic lives, which in return, instills values like respect, integrity, and personal responsibility. In return, you can use these values as a benchmark when you're now a young adult facing interpersonal challenges. If the college version of you, with all the deadlines and organizational commitment, can surpass these challenges, why can't an adult version of you?

Is It Good to Join Fraternities and Sororities in College?

Some fraternities and sororities in college are beneficial for your transition from your university life to professional life, something you may not get by just attending your usual classes. From leadership development, academic performance, community contribution, and network, Greek life provides some of the most valuable opportunities for growth personally and professionally.

But at the same time, it must be recognized that Greek life is not entirely ideal. Many fraternities and sororities do promote healthy experiences and values while others are responsible for countless incidents of violence and hazing. Hazing is among the worst of these issues since there are still incidents where dangerous practices in some organizations may result in injury, emotional trauma, or worse, death for students. Violence, alcohol abuse, and unhealthy power dynamics characterize some of the environments in Greek organizations.

Ultimately—the decision of whether to join the fraternity or sorority should be preceded by research on the particular chapter one is considering. You must speak with current members and learn about the chapter's reputation, values, and importance. After all, you want to find the right fraternity or sorority for you—what you stand for and feel for as well as what can be academically accomplished.