Nothing beats the Greek life, they say. Or is it?
College life can be daunting for young girls who have to leave home and immerse themselves into a new place. Everything is new – friends, environment and culture. And as pop culture would tell you, being in a sorority is an in thing, especially if you get accepted into one with a great reputation.
And as films and television shows would tell you, sororities can either be a really good idea or a really bad one. But is it really worth being in one for the sake of bonding with fellow females? Let’s look at the reasons for each:
List of Pros of Joining a Sorority
1. You get to grow your circle of friends.
Sororities welcome new members a lot and add that to the already existing members: you’ve got a whole lot of friends to swap stories and hang out with. With numbers comes variety: not everyone will share your interests but you’ll surely find one or two who do. And it’s not just during college that you’re friends with them, the bond you’ve established over the years lasts even after you graduate.
2. You get a lot of support.
You tell your sorority friends just about everything – they know your life story. And the best part is: they’ve got your back. It doesn’t matter what you need, a a member of your sorority will be there to help you out. Whether you need help with English literature or need to eat a pint of ice cream after a breakup, your sisters will be there for you.
3. You will be plenty busy.
In other words, your social calendar will be full. You never have to decide on what fun thing you should do on the weekend because that slot is already filled up. Sororities organize mixers with different fraternities and even with varsity teams, so yes, you get to meet a whole lot of people. In other words, there’s a good chance you’ll get a love life.
List of Cons of Joining a Sorority
1. It costs a lot.
While the Greek life sounds appealing, it does cost money. For one, you need to pay for rent for the house you live in. Plus, there’s the fact that not all Greek organizations are the same. For instance, some collect fees to pay for functions and such.
There are times when you have to fork over cash because you’re forced to donate to charity or pay for unsold tickets to certain events.
2. It is a commitment.
As mentioned in one of the pros, there’s never a dull moment in your social life. The Greek life means attending sponsored functions, pledging activities and Greek Week events. But that’s not all, there are parties and informal get-togethers you have to be at as well. So yes, it’s basically your introduction to having work-life balance.
3. It makes socializing outside of the circle hard.
Sorority girls are stereotyped and some may not want to hang out with you because of that. Or, you get into arguments with others because it doesn’t feel right to be judged by the company you keep. Then again, some of the stereotypes are true such as being overly dramatic and hungry for gossip.