Greek Life: What is it Really Like?
When you’re a freshman walking onto a new campus, you have tons of new opportunities that await you. Like high school, you have your friends, your sports teams and your school work but what high schools don’t have is Greek Life. Many schools have a bunch of different sororities and fraternities to pick from. Although I am not involved in Greek Life at URI, I considered rushing when I was a freshman.
Greek Life Photo by Chiara Mara
When I look back on it, I don’t regret not joining a sorority because I have so much on my plate as it is, I just wouldn’t have the time. But I still think it’s a great way to get involved on campus. When you’re a freshman, it may be intimidating to make friends but by becoming a part of Greek Life instantly connects you with a whole bunch of people! At URI, we like to say that Greek Life is “the cool thing to do and the cool thing not to do”. If you’re a part of it, you will have so much fun and be exposed to so many different opportunities, but if you’re not a part of it, like me, you can still find so much to do and other clubs and activities to take up your time.
Joining a sorority or fraternity is a great way to network. You have an instant bond to your own chapter while you have the relationship all over the US with the rest of your chapters. I’ve even heard stories of people getting jobs because they were involved in Greek Life which makes you a “brother” or “sister” for life.
When you think Greek Life, you often think of parties, but signing up to join a sorority or frat doesn’t just guarantee you something to do on a Saturday night. The Greeks are heavily into philanthropy and giving back to the community. It’s also a plus to have endless study buddies!
I really think that Greek Life is a huge aspect of college but it’s not the only thing. When I was a freshman, we had “Freek Day” where all the freshman were able to meet the Greeks and see if they thought signing up for rush was a good fit for them. After talking with a bunch of sororities, I just felt that my place was somewhere else which is why I ended up joining the Public Relations Society and being a campus tour guide. I have a whole bunch of friends involved in Greek Life and they absolutely love it!
If you want to find out more about Greek Life from some people who are involved in the community, here is a great blog to read about the real in’s and out’s of what Greek life is all about!
