Close your eyes. Now, what do you think of when you hear the word fraternity? You're probably picturing a giant party that they throw almost every weekend, or a bunch of guys just sitting around getting drunk together. Well, you're mostly right, but it is also so much more than that. I have been lucky this past year to hang around some amazing fraternity guys. They have taught me so much, like how being a part of a group or "family" is forever, and you can put your issues with each other to the side to get the job done. Each and every one of the brothers has welcomed me with open arms, and it has been one of the greatest journeys of my college career.

Here are some of the biggest reasons why I love my boys so much:

1. You never know who you will see sleeping on your couch in the mornings.

There have been plenty of mornings when I wake up and walk downstairs to see one of the boys passed out on my couch or to be told that they slept there the previous night. When I ask why, they don't just go back to their room. They reply, "Well I couldn't remember where I lived, but I knew where your house was."

2. You have about 80 guys who will tell you everything straight up.

Whenever I have a problem and need some advice, I always go to them because they don't BS me. They will tell me if I am wrong in a situation, and I appreciate that.

3. Guys don't like drama.

We're always having fun because we're not worried about who hates whom and what Jane is doing with her life. When we are with each other, we focus on the people in the room, and that's it. It is quite nice.

4. You get the best phone calls.

I have several voice mails on my phone saying, "Mom where are you?" "Mom, what are you doing?” They make me feel old for my age but significant.

5. They love you unconditionally.

One memory that comes to mind is when I got some really upsetting news. I just went to one of their houses and talked and cried for a couple of hours. They helped me get through a tough time and supported me during the whole process. I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to help pick me up when I fall.

Now to the guys this article is about:

Thank you for everything that you have done for me and will continue to do for me. I enjoy the multiple phone calls asking for differently kitchen supplies and asking if you can come hang out in my living room. I love the late nights spent jamming out to music while we try and get our homework done, and even though it might be a hard topic to talk about, I still enjoy our political conversations no matter what state of mind we are in.

Last summer when we spent a couple days at the beach was the first time I realized that you guys were my people. Thank you for helping me plan surprise birthday parties and always taking pictures with me no matter how much you don't want to. Thanks for swiping me into the dining halls when I run out of swipes and I'm starving, and having unplanned lunch dates with me. Thanks for coming with me on my random Target shopping sprees just so we can drive in the car and talk about life problems. Thanks for driving me around all the time and making the executive decision to not let me have the aux cord. Thanks for teaching me how to play poker with pretzel sticks and not real money, because I would probably go broke. The countless times that I have walked into your room and there has been a mini-rager going on will forever make me laugh and will probably be a story I tell to my kids when they are about to go to college (along with the plenty of times we have tried to fit five grown men into my tiny Ford Fiesta. Hint: It doesn't work).

Thanks for always greeting me with a smile and hug -- it really means the world to me. Thanks for forgiving me when I forget to text you back (I'm sorry, by the way). Thank you for always being there when I need a shoulder to cry on, or when I spill my entire life story in about five minutes. Thank you for making me laugh with your incredibly funny jokes even though I'm probably the only one that laughs at them. And even though you may be miles and miles away, you still end up being one of my biggest support systems. You boys have been the greatest blessing of my life, and I have no idea what I would do without you.

So I urge you to look at fraternities not as a group that produces party animals, but as an organization that has values and sticks to them.