As freshmen begin to move into college and start the next chapter of their lives, many ask themselves whether joining a fraternity or sorority would be the right choice for them. Coming into college, some students may have preconceived notions about what Greek life is all about. Fraternities and sororities are often associated with drinking and partying, but is Greek life really all about the drinking and partying? The answer is no. As a proud sorority woman, I can wholeheartedly say that there is so much more to Greek life than getting drunk in a fraternity basement.

First and foremost, Greek life allows students to create ever-lasting friendships – even more so than just in their particular affiliation. Students will meet other fraternity men and sorority women throughout the rush process and at Greek activities, allowing them to form bonds and friendships with people from all different chapters. Throughout my years spent in Greek life, I have made countless amounts of friends that are always there for me. Starting fresh at college and leaving high school friends behind may cause students to feel alone and scared, just like I was. Joining Greek Life can help to eliminate that fear of the unknown, and allow students to feel like they found their home away from home.

Greek life also allows students to gain leadership opportunities by providing a wide range of positions a chapter member could choose to hold. There are so many different positions and opportunities that allow students to practice their skills, gain experience, and show leadership.

Greek life also helps students network and make connections when they are searching for a job. Often times there are people within an organization who wish to follow the same career path as one of the alumni or current members of their chapter. Being a part of the same affiliation allows students to have automatic connections in the business world. Students do not only have to have connections with people in their own organization. Many times, just including a fraternity or sorority affiliation can help an interviewer identity with a student if he or she was in Greek life as well.

Many students worry that their grades will suffer when they join a Greek affiliation; however, academics play an extremely important role in Greek life. To even join a fraternity or a sorority, students must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Students must meet academic standards each semester or they will be placed on academic probation, which restricts them from attending social events throughout the semester if their grades are not up to par.

The most rewarding aspect of Greek life is giving back to the community through charity work and philanthropy. Each organization has a different philanthropy on campus. This means that each chapter promotes the well-being of others, expressed especially by large donations of money towards the individual cause that they are supporting. Fraternities and sororities raise money through various fundraisers held during the academic year. Often times, fraternity men and sorority women will attend events and fundraisers held by other chapters at their university to help them raise money for their philanthropy. Fraternities and sororities also give back to the community by doing charity work. For example, Greek life at West Chester University participates in Adopt-a-Block, in which each organization is given a particular block that they must clean up at least once a month. This allows the members of Greek life to give back to the community through volunteer work.

Students who join Greek organizations for reasons such networking, building friendships, and developing leadership qualities, will most likely receive a positive college experience that will benefit them later in life.