“College. It’s a rush.”

For my people my age Monday evenings were reserved to watch the popular show, Greek. Teens anxiously followed the show and dreamed of what college could be like when the time arrived. Fraternities, sororities, drama, and a few cute guys ... what could be better?

Although this show only aired from 2009 to 2011, I have just begun watching the show on Netflix. After completing my first year at University of Oregon, I have noticed many similarities and differences between the show and the real college experience. Watching the show once in college offers a completely different insight than watching the show pre-college.

Similarities: 

1. Drama, drama, drama! One thing that really keeps me captured in this series is all of the drama, which can be somewhat relatable, at times. Of course some things on the show are exaggerated because it’s for the entertainment value, but a lot of the drama is similar to situations you can experience in college. Drama with boys, friends, and peers always comes up throughout college, so watching the show gives relatable advice to real world problems. 

2. The characters are actually what you see at fraternities/sororities. The creator did a great job on creating the roles of Casey Cartwright, Evan Chambers, and the infamous Cappie, along with the others. The roles of the traditional, preppy sorority president, the douche-y big man on campus and the party animal aren’t too far off. These characters instantly hook you emotionally from the first episode and make you want to seek their same experiences.  

3. There will be parities. You will always encounter parties in college. College is the time to be young and live it up because there won’t be a better place. That being said, there will be a wide range of types of parties, including small kick-backs and huge ragers. The parties in Greek do look amazingly fun, but I can guarantee that not all parties will be as big and exaggerated as they are shown on Greek, because the president of the university won’t show up at your function, that’s for sure.  

Differences:

1. Hazing is never tolerated. There have been scenes of hazing throughout the series, but I assure you that hazing is a rare thing now. Fraternities and sororities have very strict policies as far as hazing goes. In most cases, if a house if reported to have ties to hazing, they can get in a great deal of trouble and possibly lose their charter. 

2. Many stereotypes are not correct. I did previously say that there will be some people who are similar to the characters in the show, but not all people in Greek life are the same. Greek life includes a wide variety of guys and girls which do not fit the stereotypes portrayed, so don’t think that we’re all robots who say and dress the same way. 

3. Community service and philanthropies are a big deal. Getting out into the community and doing work is rarely shown on the series. In reality, giving back to the community is something every single fraternity and sorority partake in. It can be a fun way to get involved and also bond with your brothers/sisters.

Greek, nonetheless, is a highly entertaining show which makes it a go-to for Netflix binge watching. Even though it sadly ended three years ago, when watching, make sure to not get too caught up in the stereotypes that are shown. Greek life can be even more exciting in more ways than portrayed on this TV show. If you have not seen Greek or you just feel like re-watching it, all six seasons are available to relive the magic that occurred at Cypress Rhodes University.