"Frat boys" and "Srat girls" are among the most stereotyped of all college students. From their appearance and clothing to their party reputation, there has always been a certain stigma towards Greek life on all campuses. To shed some light on this issue, here are seven stereotypes of Greek students that aren't necessarily the most accurate, written by a University of Tennessee "frat boy."
1. We Are All Dumb And Ditsy
Most Greek students are stereotyped as being stupid. For sorority girls, everyone just assumes that you can't walk and chew gum, that you like to act dumb for the attention of boys, or that you're too busy doing your make-up to pick up a book. For fraternity guys, everyone thinks you can't make it through a sentence without saying "dude" or "bro" because your vocabulary is so limited, or that you cannot think properly due to all of the brain cells lost from alcohol.
However, Greek students collectively have among the highest GPAs across campus. Most Greek students are also enrolled in challenging majors such as law, accounting, business, or political science. Furthermore, most fraternities and sororities have a certain number of study hours each member has to meet and a minimum GPA that they have to reach. Greek students are among some of the most intelligent students on any campus.
2. We Party All of the Time
While the social aspects are certainly an important part of Greek life, the "partying" that is broadcasted in movies and reported in the news is nowhere near what actually happens in fraternities and sororities. For the most part, parties are only a Friday night affair, with the exception of date parties, formals, and mixers. Furthermore, it may certainly seem like there are always Greek parties going on across your campus, but they are not the same people partying every night. Kappa Delta might be having a date party on Tuesday night, then Delta Tau Delta having a house party on Wednesday night, followed by a Zeta Tau Alpha and Chi Phi mixer on Thursday. Each of us has five classes a week; so, none of us can be getting trashed every night.
3. We Are All Stuck Up
"Who do you know here?" "Are you even in a sorority?" These are the sayings that are NEVER actually said by a Greek student. Not only my brothers, but brothers of other fraternities are some of the most down-to-earth, personable people I've ever met. Same goes for sorority girls; I've never felt like I've had to try and impress a sister or act like someone I'm not to get their attention. Greek students are typically easy to talk to and get along with, which is why we recruit so well.
4. We Are All Spoiled Rich Kids
Many people think that sorority girls and fraternity guys are all spoiled kids, with their parents' money, who will never have to work a day in their lives. This is most certainly not the case. The number one reason behind dropping a Greek organization is that they are so financially demanding. Many Greeks, including myself, have to work during the school year in order to pay dues. Also, a large number of us can only afford to live in their chapter houses or pay their dues because they can be covered by scholarships.
5. We Only Affiliate Ourselves with out Brothers/Sisters
Even I have noticed that fraternity and sorority members tend to travel in packs. This causes people to think, "They only hang out with their brothers/sisters." Not the case. While brotherhood and sisterhood is the backbone of Greek organizations, Greek students are actively involved in a number of other campus organizations and have friends from various non-Greek backgrounds. Personally, I am lucky to hang out with my brothers three times a week. Any other time, I am busy with friends from my residence hall, friends in other campus organizations, or friends from home. Believe it or not, we can survive without being around other people in our letters.
6. All We Want Is Sex
"You're in a frat? I bet you bang girls all the time!" "Who'd you have to sleep with to be Sigma Chi's sweetheart?" Believe it or not, we are not the same sex-hungry, hormone-driven horndogs that we were during the days of puberty. A girl going to a fraternity house does not mean that she is sleeping with every single brother. A guy taking a girl to a date party does not mean that he is having sex with her that night. The majority of fraternities pride themselves on their respect for women, and the majority of sororities pride themselves on their respect for themselves.
7. We All Act The Same
"If you've met one, you've met them all." "All sorority girls lampshade and always cake on their makeup." "All frat guys wear boat shoes and button ups." While these might apply to SOME Greek students, this does not mean that we are all exact clones of one another. I have no two brothers who act exactly alike, and I have never met two sorority girls that act exactly alike. Being in Greek Life encourages each of its members to embrace their individuality and accept each other's differences. Each of us have separate goals, backgrounds, values, and personalities.
