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So You Want To Go Greek....

As a college student, making the decision to join a fraternity or sorority can be a very personal decision.  The first step in deciding to go Greek, is going through recruitment, or the intake process. Recruitment is when the organizations look at all perspective members, and a mutual decision must be made in order to extend membership.
 Some students, like myself, may come into college knowing they will go through the recruitment process. Others, may be inspired by someone they meet on campus or see their friends doing it, and then there are those who sign up to go through recruitment with no idea what they are getting themselves into, making the decision to dive in and try something new. No matter which category a student may fall into, deciding to join a Greek-lettered is a big commitment, and recruitment is just the first stage.
 Joining a fraternity or sorority may seem scary. It can be a financial, time, and emotional commitment. It means meeting new people and becoming a part of a larger community, learning a whole new vocabulary (we’ll get to that later), and strengthening oneself through service. It actually opens up many doors for the people who decide to join. This article by ThoughtCo. highlights 10 of the benefits of going Greek in college, including a strong network base after graduation, as well as potential scholarships.
 It is important for potential members to do their research before they make the choice, as it can impact the entire process. There are the basics of knowing fraternity = boys, sorority = girls, but there are more details within that. While you may think you want to join a certain chapter because someone you knew was in it, it is important to look at all of your options. The key to going Greek is keeping an open mind to everything. Members should figure out which Greek organizations their school has and learn about these individual chapters, as well as learning more about if it falls under a national council (hint, there’s 4!) and check out their own school’s Fraternity & Sorority Life page, you can find my school Longwood University’s FSL page here!
 Although it is scary, and could at first seem like more trouble than it is worth, joining Greek life is exciting. It opens new doors, and builds relationships that will last a lifetime. Finding the right organization is essential, and through this blog you will learn more about the recruitment process and all it entails!

           


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