You've heard it from a billion Odyssey articles before: "Rushing was the best decision I've ever made." Joining a fraternity or sorority is for many, a cesspool of opportunity. You'll meet and interact with people you never would have otherwise. You'll build friendships with people you would've never in your life imagined befriending. You'll do some honorable deeds for your community, you'll always have somewhere to be on a Friday night, and most importantly, you'll do these things while upholding traditions that those before you worked so diligently to create. Though there are endless benefits to joining a fraternity or sorority, there are some important details they neglect to tell you when you sign up to rush. Below are the top 4 aspects of Greek life that those optimistic Odyssey articles don't warn you about.
1. It Will Take ALL of Your Money
You're already broke. You are so broke that you're stealing toilet paper from various bathrooms on campus and your 4 hours per week campus job isn't doing you any favors. If anything, that biweekly paycheck is insulting, and joining a sorority (or fraternity) comes with a price tag. There are annual dues, formal dues, big-little dues, seasonal clothing orders, mandatory clothing orders, fines, charity donations, and other miscellaneous costs that completely suck the life out of your already crucified bank account. Sure, your treasurer will cooperate with you on payment plans for certain things, but just when you start to feel relieved about one financial burden, another one manifests almost instantly. You must then choose between paying for "The Norton Anthologies of American Literature" for your English class or that neat sweatshirt you ordered a month ago that you've already received and worn six times.
2. You Will Have to Censor Yourself
Sure, being a part of a group comes with some restrictions, but being in a Greek group means you have to constantly monitor what you're doing, saying, and even posting. Potential new members are just lurking in the depths of the night, waiting to see what members of your sorority upload to Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter. For this reason, you must maintain pristine social media accounts void of any inappropriate behavior. You must also refrain from speaking about anything other than how awesome your Greek group is while in public. You, as a member, are a walking advertisement for your group, and if you behave or speak in a manner that doesn't align with its philosophy, you could be susceptible to punishment.
3. The Parties Aren't That Cool
Take everything you've learned about frat parties from the movie "Neighbors" and disregard it. Let me instead illustrate what a typical Greek party at a liberal arts college looks like: As soon as you descend down the dark and musty staircase to the basement, the pungent scent of cheap beer -- probably Keystone or Milwaukee's Best -- possesses your alarmingly sober body and pollutes the air above the usually vacant dance floor. There are probably some Christmas lights strewn haphazardly around the room, more often times there are shards of broken liquor bottles littering the sticky, cement floor. You look for people; there are a few from your sorority, a few from the hosting fraternity. You seek some sort of redemption through dancing, but can't seem to jive appropriately to the beat of Justin Bieber's "Cold Water" or The Chainsmokers' "Closer." (This song, AGAIN?) You've all but lost hope until a few rowdy frat boys dressed in jerseys come barreling down the stairs with some of your long lost "sisters." They're generally 12x more intoxicated than you and EXTREMELY excited to hear "that Drake song" for the fourth time that day. Some awkward jumping/fist pumping/hip thrusting ensues. You're sweating extensively through your thrift store Hawaiian shirt that you always wear for beach-themed parties. Your hair is frizzy, makeup smudging. You start checking your GroupMe to see if any stragglers are on their way when the master of the house orders everyone out so the upperclassmen can go to the local bars. There is no Zac Efron. Nobody wants to make out with you.There are rarely any notable dance battles. Most of the time there isn't even alcohol. You'll down some drinks and share some laughs, but at the end of the night it's just a tad bit forgettable.
4. You Won't Be Friends With Everyone
Movies love to portray sororities as giant quasi-orgies in which hundreds of young women come together in their teeny-tiny underwear and tickle each other.This is so far from reality that it's almost hysterical. First and foremost, it is unrealistic to expect one hundred or so women to befriend each other. It isn't possible nor practical. For one, it is an extremely rare occasion in which every member of my sorority is in the same place at the same time. It's challenging enough to get to know even a simple fact about each girl. It is even more difficult to build and continuously foster an everlasting friendship with someone you rarely see. You also won't like every single member of your Greek group and that's okay. Just because you wound up there by some common denominator, fate, or whatever, that doesn't mean you are destined to attach your soul to every girl who mumbles the sacred oath. Ironically, there are cliques within these already isolated cliques, and you will probably fall into one. You will find a few girls who like annihilating corn dogs and peeing with the door open like you do.You will find girls whose company you genuinely enjoy and who you can consistently rely on. And, though there are many around you with their arms stretched open, willing to lend you kindness and support, you may find yourself most comfortable with a small few.
These aforementioned warnings are not meant to discourage you from joining a sorority or fraternity, they are only to depict some aspects of Greek life that most Odyssey articles choose not to include. Greek life isn't like the movies and it isn't perfect. Sometimes you'll hate it, but mostly you'll love it. You may be poor and starving, but at least you'll have those few friends to complain to. You will meet people. You will make friends. You will have fun. It's up to you to balance the good with the bad and make the most out of the four short years you have with your peers and your Greek community.
