Recently, while scrolling through Facebook, I’ve come across articles titled “Why You Shouldn’t Join a Sorority” and “To the Girl Who Would Never Join a Sorority.” Thinking that these were articles that I could relate to I clicked the links. Nope. After not paying attention to who exactly had shared these articles, I managed to start reading what should actually have been labeled “Why You Should Consider Sorority Life.” These authors cleverly warped the meaning of their articles so that the titles weren’t inaccurate but could also pull in the non-sorority girls like me in an attempt to change our minds. Sorry, girls, but I’m still not convinced.
Now, I don’t dislike sororities, and I definitely don’t despise sorority girls. In fact, a majority of my college friends are in sororities—several different sororities. I love my friends, and I don’t care what Greek letters they paste on their chests. I’ll admit, I’ve been tempted to join on more than one occasion. I’ve felt jealous of the freshly minted Littles as they received beautiful and heartfelt gifts from their excited Bigs—I love the thought people put into handcrafted gifts, and I love the feeling I get when someone else appreciates a gift I put as much thought into. But gift giving is not a reason to join a sorority.
My reasons for not joining a sorority are stronger than my desire to receive a bunch of painted canvases. My first setback is—I’ll say it now to get it out of the way—money. Sororities are expensive, and the paychecks I get from my on-campus jobs do not provide enough for me to make an actual income. Though girls can brush away dues by saying it’s only a couple times a year, and the money goes beyond that. Sorority sisters probably spend more money on their craft materials than they do on dues. But I am too stingy with my money to justify paying that many hundreds of dollars a year.
Money aside, I’ve forsworn sororities because I am too independent, in the general meaning of the term. I prefer doing things myself, and I also enjoy a lot of alone time. While visiting my sorority friends, it shocked me when girls would waltz in and out of their sisters’ dorm rooms. It didn’t matter what time it was or what the resident was doing—a sister could walk in at any moment and strike up a conversation. When I’m doing something, I’m set on my task—I would probably end up hanging a Keep Out sign on my door. Plus, some sisters would scream and laugh and joke so loudly in the hallway that I couldn’t imagine being able to get any work done thoroughly. It ticks me off when, within one hour, one person blasts their music for five minutes. I couldn’t handle that much chaos while doing my work—and I typically do homework in my room rather than the library.
Above all else, the number-one reason I won’t join a sorority is the strict time commitment. I understand that sororities must reach a certain quota of recruiting and fundraising events. However, many of the sorority girls I know tend to rank their sorority duties higher than their education. They spend hours doing this sorority event and that sorority event, all the while leaving their homework on the wayside. Sometimes, yes, the events are required, but not all of them are, and those are often the events that still take girls away from their schoolwork. I’ve seen so many of my friends lose sleep due to these events and the homework all-nighter that ensues. We go to college for an education and a degree—that should be a priority.
Some girls have also had to drop out of clubs and organizations they loved because the time constraints between their sorority events and homework left no wiggle room in their schedules. Liberal arts colleges promote students’ participation in a variety of activities, but being in a sorority sometimes forces girls to choose what they are more willing to drop. Bless the souls who do magically have time for sorority commitments, homework, and extra activities, but it appears that, more often than not, girls simply choose their sorority or slack on their schoolwork to remain in their club of choice. I personally am involved in several student organizations and honor societies, in both of which I have held executive positions. My schedule is busy enough as it is—I don’t need to stretch my time any farther.
Sorority recruits have their reasons for pledging, and I have my own for remaining independent. I wouldn’t force any of my friends to avoid or withdraw from a sorority, but I would warn them of the commitments they would take on if they chose to join. I won’t deny that there are pros to joining a sorority, but to me, the potential costs outweigh those benefits. As long as I still have friends who will listen to me no matter my Greek alliance (or lack thereof), I don’t feel I’ve made the wrong decision.
