Some say joining a fraternity or sorority limits your college experience, but they couldn’t be more wrong.

Being in a sorority has been not only the most fun part of my college experience, but it’s also been the most rewarding.

Yes, the majority (though not by much) of my friends are my sorority sisters, but in no way has being in a sorority made me feel restricted friend-wise. I have plenty of friends in other chapters and friends who didn’t join Greek life at all, which is perfectly fine. It’s not for everybody, and I get that. For me it’s been great, especially since we go through recruitment second semester here at the University of Maryland. I was able to maintain all of my friendships from before recruitment and grow my friend group exponentially.

Knowing that I now represent an entire organization and not just myself has also made me a more cautious person. Instead of making snap decisions that I might later regret, I think about the implications. If I really mess up, it doesn’t just make me look bad, it makes my sisters look bad as well. However, if I end up doing something dumb, I know they’re always there for me no matter what. Knowing I represent my entire sorority has kept me from doing a few stupid things without ever making me second-guess myself.

Greek life really makes the campus of 26,000 students feel smaller. I see sisters everywhere, whether it’s walking to class, at the gym or at the dining hall. It makes me feel like I’m not surrounded by thousands of strangers. There is always something to do and someone to do it with. On any given weekend, girls are always up to go out, but there are always girls who want to stay in too. It helps me remember to balance my social life with academics, as well as reminds me that it’s okay to stay in on a Saturday night to watch Frozen for the millionth time.

Contrary to popular opinion, being in Greek life has made me more focused on my academics, not less. Girls who do exceptionally well in their classes are acknowledged and rewarded. When I first joined my sorority, I found out that nine other girls were in my Economics class. We all started studying together for the exams, and I really doubt I could’ve pulled off that B without them (journalism major here, anything with numbers and graphs is out of my league). The point is, they showed me that there are always going to be people who make that impossible class seem just a little bit less impossible.

One of my personal favorite things about being in a sorority is the work we do for our philanthropy. Before recruitment, I tried to get involved on campus by joining clubs that did fundraising and community service for larger organizations, but I never really felt a sense of belonging with them. Once I joined my sorority, it was completely different. Everyone is so passionate about making a difference. I’m not just talking about my chapter, either; across the board, the Greek community does so much good. Seeing the hard work and support everyone gives each other makes me really proud to be a part of Greek life at Maryland.

Another great thing about being in Greek life is that it doesn’t end with college — my membership is for life. If I move to a new city, I can join that region's alumni network and find women to befriend instantly. Job-wise, if an employer is in my sorority or even Greek life in general, it could make a huge difference in standing out in the résumé pile. If nothing else, it’s a conversation starter. The bottom line is, it can’t hurt.

So there you have it. Joining Greek life has been nothing but a great experience for me. Hopefully, these opinions resonate with the rest of the Greek community, and for those who haven’t gone through recruitment, maybe you’ll reconsider. As a totally unbiased third party with nothing to gain by having a fuller Greek system, I definitely think you should.