In today's society, Greek life has a variety of stereotypes, but there's a special experience that comes with going Greek at a small college. There are some people that have spent their whole life dying to go Greek and that's a huge part of where they choose to go to college. For me, it wasn't like that. I didn't really have a preference for whether or not my college had Greek life, but once I ended up at a school of 1,600 I learned that Greek life is a whole lot more than the way it is portrayed in movies and at big schools.
1. You form closer relationships...
Something that I hear from friends at larger schools that are in Greek life is that they don't really know everyone in their fraternity or sorority. They may know who everyone is, but they don't hang out with them regularly or know much else about them. In a small chapter, you have the chance to get to know everyone and become a close group that is comfortable with one another. Personally, I can say there is not one person in my sorority that I would not feel comfortable grabbing lunch with or texting to hang out randomly. We are there for one another in a way that larger chapters sometimes cannot be simply because of their size.
2. You all know each other...
A small school comes with having a small Greek life community. This allows us to come together and have each other’s backs. We work together to support one another in each others' philanthropies and fundraisers. When you directly know many people in the other respective chapters, it makes you want to support them because you realize you are really all in this together, as cheesy as that may sound.
3. The majority of the chapter can hold a position...
A great aspect of small chapters is that it allows more members to hold positions. While you may not want to be a member of Exec, you still have the ability to hold an important position. Having a professional role in your chapter will benefit you more than you might realize upon you initial entry into Greek life. You learn to implement some sort of organization, time management, leadership skills, as well as find a voice through your position. You’ll be able to have an influence on your chapter and have the ability to gain professional experience that can go on your resume.
4. You can make an impact...
In my small sorority, I have been able to see how a smaller group of people can still have a large impact on one another as well as the community. We come together to support one another no matter what. When someone has something bad happen in their life, we work to figure out what we can do to support her. If someone has a passion or cause they have a tie to, we try to work it into our sorority as much as we can through philanthropy and fundraisers, including our alumni who helped us get to where we are today. Once someone cares about something, that makes the rest of us care about it too because it is important to our sister. When something isn't working, we come together to find a way to solve the problem. We each know that we can have a voice if we want one and that is special.
5. It creates a never ending and supportive community...
It’s easy to feel like you know everyone at a small school, but as the years have passed I have realized that there are always new faces in my classes and around campus. Through Greek life, you will meet people that you may never have known otherwise. It’s crazy to think that you may never have met them, but now they are some of your closest friends. Greek life creates a great community for yourself to be a part of, but it certainly doesn’t limit you to just that community. At smaller schools, the demands of Greek life typically feel like less than that at big schools, which means you can play your sport, get a 4.0, hold leadership positions in other student organizations, and still be involved in Greek life.
If you're at a small school with Greek life, give it a try and go through recruitment. Who knows you may meet 50 sisters or brothers that will have an indescribable impact on your college career and life.
