On Instagram and other social media, I often see a college student (or sometimes even a former student) in a fraternity or sorority often mention their organization’s letters on their profile bio, as if it defines their identity. I was never in a fraternity in college, so I never had a full understanding about this, but is membership in these organizations really a significant thing which could define who you are at this point in life?
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It can be for some people.
For others it isn’t.
Some colleges and universities don’t have a notable Greek Life presence.
Like many things the further you get away from college the less notable it is unless you are actively involved in the organization.
Yes it’s a really important part of your life while in college.
I went to a state school of like 40,000 undergrad and my fraternity was a small enclave of people that I could find a home – I only really interacted with other Greek life so the school went from 40,000 to like 4,000.
I lived in my fraternity house my second year, and then all of my friends were in my fraternity or another fraternity whose pledge class we were close to. I met the best friends I have ever had in my entire life while there who were more aligned with my values too which I did not really have while in highschool.
I am not involved with them at all now – but I still have those friends to this day. And I do not have any of my friends from highschool.
For some people, sure. You’d have to pay me a lot of money to even consider being in a frat, so it wasn’t important at all for me.
Once you get your first job and start building a professional resume, it doesn’t really matter. I put it on my resume because I held leadership positions so was trying to highlight my character. If I went to apply somewhere now, I’d feel compelled to leave it off.
I guess it depends on the person and school. In some schools, fraternities and sororities are a HUGE part of the social scene of the school, and for someone who goes to such a school, and is actively involved in their frat, they may very well consider the frat to be an important part of their life. On the other hand, at my school, the Greek scene was only moderately big, and many of the friends I had in these frats and sororities (I wasn’t in one either) didn’t seen to consider their membership a big part of their college life. That being said, for some people, the frat membership helps them in post-college life, such as getting jobs, thanks to networking with others who were in their frat, so they may feel thankful towards their frat. My wife was in a sorority as well, and some of her closest friends today were her sorority “sisters” in college, although for her the sorority wasn’t a big part of her life either. So these organizations can also be another avenue to make close friends.
Frats and Sororities are among the pre-internet social networking.
It depends on the person and college.
Some colleges don’t have them, some colleges it only involves a small percentage of students, some people aren’t interested in them at all.
Some colleges Greek life is a major part of the social scene. Some people really like it and want to join.
Considering, generally, those involved are going to make a lot of friends through Greek life and connections, it can be very important and a big part of their social lives.
Many who join make friends that become life long friends for life. I was not in a fraternity but I was at a bachelor party for my friend who is in his 30s and he invited some of his fraternity brothers.
So to answer, if you are part of it then yes it would be important. If you’re not then it really isn’t.
A good comparison, if you play college athletics, is your team a major part of your life? I would say so as well.
It depends on the person.
I work with adults in their 50s and 60s who are still heavily involved in their sorority chapters, with lifelong friends.
Other people never join fraternities or sororities.
it was fun but not something important in my life by the time i was in graduate school.
Yes, people even get branded to represent their sorors. It’s an important part of peoples lives and you get to network and sometimes easily get hired at jobs, just because your “sis” or “brother” was in the same sorority. I’d say so, since you make new connections and family.
Tbh idk a lot of people who joined fraternities, and most that did joined a more community service oriented one. I’ve always gotten the sense that frats/sororities are a lot more regional.
It can be. I was in a fraternity in college, it was fine, I had fun. But I don’t have any connections to anyone from that fraternity in my current life.
For some, but not for most. Schools with the highest percentage of frat members is about 50 and the vast majority is probably more around 30-40, with plenty of schools not allowing frats at all. Taken together, it’d part of the college experience for a minority of people.
It is associated with a certain stripe of life that not everyone is down with.
I did Greek life in college, it’s just a social club where you do some community and school service to justify partying and hanging out with your brothers the other 6 days a week.
As with all organizations you need to recruit to stay alive so we’d post on social media and wear letters around campus. But it’s not something I advertise these days, it’s more of a “fun fact” about myself than an identity.
Did it define who I was? No.
Did others in my fraternity use it to define themselves at the time? Yes
Did strangers use it to define who I was? Yes.
Is it sad when people graduate and still want to be involved? Yes
It’s not as common as it seems. Greek Life is a very old practice, and it is very glorified in college culture due to the history behind it, or should I say…the MONEY that comes from Greek alumni. Fraternities and Sororities are huge sources of donor income. It’s frankly the only reason they are still held in high standard anywhere.
Many schools don’t have Greek Life at all, and it continues to become less and less popular due to how many problematic cultures and practices are associated with it. The purpose or reason why Greek Life exists doesn’t hold up to the changing social landscape of today either.
I was in a fraternity in college but graduated over 20 years ago. For me the Fraternity was essentially a group of people I was close friends with, and now it’s occasionally useful for networking. But it is certainly not a big part of my life. I do not donate money to it nor do I visit my old chapter. But I have helped people get job interviews and it has gotten me some as well.
About 3% of the overall US population has joined a fraternity or sorority and is either a current or former member of one. So it maybe important to those 9 million people.
I go to a college that has relatively small fraternity and sorority chapters compared to the big university chapters. They don’t really control the social aspect for my college, that’s mostly the Student Association’s job. Relatively most students are more focused on their studies/graduating rather than the party/social aspect that some people believed is part of the college experience.
I actually tried rushing for a frat as a freshmen, but then came to a conclusion that the frat life wasn’t really for me.
It can be. It is for me. But if you aren’t interested, it’s pretty easy to not be touched by Greek life at all and still have a fulfilling experience
It can be. Often times it really feels like it at the time. Frats and sororities differ drastically school to school, especially within the same fraternity/sorority. I will say that many of the friendships end up being forced, thus they do not last long after college. However, those forced friendships can become real long lasting ones. The majority of the time, many of those who were “greek life” become barely involved, if at all, at 5 years post college. Often times not still being friends with most of the people from their chapter. Usually a couple survive, like any other structured group of friends (work/highschool/sports team/etc). I was in a one of the largest frats in the country but was part of a small chapter at a midsized school. I only really talk to a couple of friends I made from the chapter/greek life and am not involved in any capacity with my old chapter anymore, especially since having moved away. However, at the time, it felt like these were people I would be with forever. Additionally though, they did help me a ton with going through different problems I had at the time, as the whole “brotherhood” thing is very real when you’re in it. The experience at a small chapter is vastly different often times from a large one, from my experience. this is usually for the better.
I think having been a part of “greek life”, it did help me grow more as a person, especially growing into an adult. You are thrust into more situations I think within a frat/sorority than than the normal college experience.
-There are usually grade requirements which is at least an additional incentive to get good grades.
-There is also usually a community service requirement or at least competition that does help a person grow and appreciate things more, even if it is forced.
-Running a frat is a little like running a small business. There are dues for everyone and deciding how to spend those dues and usually managing a large house it big at that age. Fundraisers are usually run and some significant money can be brought in. Many life lessons with money there, good and bad for sure.
-Parties turn into their own animal, both good and bad. Given that it is an organization throwing the party (frat), structure and responsibility takes on a whole new role. Many chances to learn the hard way for sure.
-Forced friendships and “brotherhood” does work in the positive the majority of the time in that there is always (usually) someone willing to help and you don’t feel so alone. Structure helps with that basic scenario.
In the end, it helped shape me as a person, to the better I hope lol. The experience is fleeting though, very real at the time and does change you, but that experience usually ends post college.
Greek life really is it’s own world to some extent in college. If you or any other geeds (kidding lol) has any questions, please ask.
In the big scheme of things very few Americans were part of college fraternities. Most of those that were don’t have much connection to them after they graduate. Plenty of long-term friendships are created, but it really is not that important for all but a few.
That being said, there are a handful of traditionally African American fraternities and sororities, and those members tend to remain far more active long after they graduate and it is a much “bigger deal” on a social level for them. I am not sure why this is the case. The current Vice President, Kamala Harris, was in one.
It is especially if it’s a legacy in their family.
My school had a lame Greek life and I didn’t understand why my friends at other schools were excited to be in one. Once I visited them I understood. It can be really fun, but also seems once they turned 21 they were over it and just wanted to go to bars not have random theme parties
Can be.
Depends on the person and the frat/sorority.
My mom still volunteers with her college sorority for their volunteer work and my mom is 70.
I went to a small school where something like 97% of the men were in frats. The total was a little lower for women but if you weren’t in one, you were a social outcast who had no life. We were in a very small town so everything revolved around the frat parties. When you told your friends that you met a cute guy, the first question was which house he belonged to as some were more acceptable than others.
After I left school, it was no longer the slightest bit important. Although, you can sometimes call upon your affiliation for networking purposes.
It certainly can be at the time. That significance obviously lessens and lessens over time though.
Joining a frat is no different than joining anything else.
Generally it stops being important when you graduate. There are exceptions, like if the organization has prestigious members that are worth networking with. But I don’t know any active members of my old chapter and I only keep in touch wit 2-3 of my brothers now – 14 years later.
One of them graduated a couple years after me, and he invited me to the fraternity house for his graduation party. I ended up meeting my wife that night, who was ALSO visiting a younger friend at their graduation. He was groomsman at our wedding, and I was a groomsman at his, just last month. These lasting relationships certainly made my time in the fraternity worth it.
But if you’re in your 30’s and still using your college fraternity as part of your identity, I think the base assumption is that you’re a loser who failed to launch.
Some people only get where they are because of those connections, others just have strong social bonds while at the university. I am 40 and never went to college and thus never belonged to such an organization. It has not held me back.
Only if they are a very sad person. It’s fine to be in a frat/sorority when your in college. But anyone still into frat/sorority life after college is a very sad person.
I loved my time in a sorority. It was super fun and a net positive in my college days. But it is not a part of my identity at all. I don’t have my letters anywhere, I don’t tell people about it ever. I have a few sisters I’ve stayed in touch with but that’s typical of most college friends.
Everyone is different. I met good friends freshman year and never had the desire to join a frat…other people I know loved their frat experience.
For some people. It’s important to people that are/were in one, and I suppose it can be useful for networking to an extent. I had no interest in Greek like in college and as a “real adult” I find it unimpressive when other real adults brag about it in professional settings, but whatever makes them happy.
> I often see a college student (or sometimes even a former student) in a fraternity or sorority often mention their organization’s letters on their profile bio, as if it defines their identity.
Probably is a piece of their identity if they’re still actively attending college and part of this group (comparable to a sports team or club). Later in life? I doubt it’s relevant at all.
when you’re in college, yes
Ive lived down the street from all the big houses at my university for 6 years and I still have no idea what the fuck they even exist for.
My wife was in a sorority. She had fun, met her best friend, etc. She doesn’t bring it up too much though.
What it is to you varies from person to person.
I went to college in the us and I always figured it was paying money for friends
I mean if you take stock in it sure. I wasn’t. Having friends in both were good enough for me
During college it usually is, after varies a lot.
For some people that organization becomes the basis of a professional and social network so they stay involved with that shared background and even go back and contribute to the organization, stuff like that.
For others it just fades away as a thing they did in college and maybe have a few friends left from, maybe not.
I was in a sorority in college and I wouldn’t say I define myself by it. I loved it and bring it up when appropriate but it’s not as big in my life as it used to be.
When I was in college it was a big deal for me. I was very involved with my fraternity and Greek life as a whole.
Now that I’ve been out of college for a number of years, it’s not important at all anymore. I still maintain close friendships with brothers, but I would have otherwise even if I had met them through a different way back in college.
I don’t wear my letters anymore, even though I have a box full of old tshirts and hoodies. Unless the topic comes up or I get asked about my time in college directly I don’t even mention my affiliation.
I will say that the brotherhood still runs in some facets even at this stage in life: for example a person is hiring at their company and they advertise it to brothers (on a group page or what have you), if the person is any good they’ll go to the top of the stack for an interview. This is especially true for internship/entry level opportunities for younger guys just coming out of school. And while I haven’t called in any professional favors myself, nor do I believe (hope) I will ever, it’s nice to know that it’s there.