Why You Should Go Greek In College

Running head: WHY YOU SHOULD GO GREEK IN COLLEGE 1

WHY YOU SHOULD GO GREEK IN COLLEGE

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WHY YOU SHOULD GO GREEK IN COLLEGE 2

Introduction

People have opposing views on what explains success in life. In the academic

perspective, many may concur that development of IQ, studying and acquiring skills from a top-

rated college is the beginning of success. However, I could argue that there is more to it than

studying and acquiring skills; that is the development of the ability to understand others

mindsight is the primary key to becoming successful. These traits cannot be developed elsewhere

than only in Greek colleges. Greek colleges are well known for their positive impacts on

communities and nations at large. They are extensively involved in community service,

philanthropy and often make a significant contribution to the diversity of the students. Each

college in Greece has its own unique, rich legacy that defines their traditions and strategies. The

two most common groups associated with Greek colleges include sorority and fraternity. It is

believed that members of these organizations invest ample time and effort to attain and maintain

their memberships, whereby they live often end up assimilating towards the principles revolving

those particular groups. In a nutshell, these organizations provide an avenue for students to

engage their activities and aspirations while they are still students.

Correspondingly, there are several benefits and overarching values that are guaranteed

when one opts to join Greek colleges. The Greek colleges offer various values such as helping

students’ initial transition to college, providing unique opportunities for working with peers,

offering social-cultural opportunities, fostering friendships and fraternal spirits. Additionally,

these higher academic institutions provide opportunities for leadership development, provision of

an enabling environment whereby students can develop a feeling of mutual interest and

responsibility and lastly they facilitate in instilling a healthy professional spirit among members

WHY YOU SHOULD GO GREEK IN COLLEGE 3

and other students within the institution (Pike, 2003). These benefits are extensively argued as

follows.

First and foremost, it is of great significance that one enrolls in Greek colleges because

there is a guarantee of forming long-lasting friendships. Pursuing college degree in an

environment which encourages one to relate to one or two particular organizations is

advantageous for forming mutual friendships. The Greek colleges with their embodied

extracurricular activities offered, especially to sororities and fraternities form the basic umbrella

to which one can attach himself/herself to avoiding loneliness (Pike, 2003). Thus, one-way

students enrolled in Greek colleges can start by making friends is by engaging themselves with

groups that advocate for his/her interests and values and thereby ending up meeting one or two

friends. It is believed that students with similar interests often end up pursuing extracurricular

activities together; hence the like-mindedness attribute gets to make them become friends.

The extracurricular activities often act as driving force to the formation of friendships

could include organizations and clubs that are focused on particular majors or careers or rather

those that are devoted to charity. Additionally, these extracurricular activities may also include

intramural sports, surfing clubs, dancing clubs, theatre clubs and paintball clubs among others.

Once students attach themselves to a particular extracurricular activity, they tend to get the

opportunity to explore their interests while also establishing solid friendships (Pascarella et al.

1991). In a wider perspective, sororities and fraternities are meant to provide students with a

sisterhood and brotherhood belonging thereby also facilitating and cementing friendships.

Secondly, another advantage one can get once he enrolls in Greek colleges is that of

academic support. It is believed that both the Greek life and extracurricular activities in colleges

are fundamental in facilitating academic support. It is evident that once a student joins Greek

WHY YOU SHOULD GO GREEK IN COLLEGE 4

colleges he also his introduced to fraternities and sororities organizations which particularly are

useful in providing academic support to students through peer tutoring, upperclassman tutoring,

or sometimes they offer chapter study hours. Despite that these programs are not formally

guaranteed, being part of a sorority or a fraternity group there are high chances that one can meet

and interact with upperclassmen who could give guidance about classes since they have already

covered the system. This is advantageous to students as they get helpful advice about classes and

their tutors or professors including the possibility of getting assistance on assignments and

projects (DeBard, 2006).

For instance, studies indicate that out the 100% students who enroll in Greek colleges,

about 70% of them get to finish their studies. This figure is 20% higher than that which is

associated with the number of students who finish school and graduate in America, this report is

according to the U.S Department of Education. It is believed the reason why there is a margin in

the percentage of students who finish and graduate in these two countries is mainly due to

academic support that is offered by the Greek life through sorority and fraternity organizations.

The Greek colleges also provide a variety of options whereby if a student does not want to relate

to sorority or fraternity can join a club or an organization that is in line with his or her major. In

one way or the other here too they can mingle with upperclassmen who may offer guidance or

tutoring lessons pertaining classes they have already undertaken. Alternatively, a student can also

meet a network of students who may be willing to possibly form a study group or other academic

support system thereby enhancing his/her academic milestone.

Subsequently, it can be claimed that joining Greek institutions is an investment for

future. This can be ascertained by the glorious networking that is associated with Greek

educational systems. The Greek educational system offers extracurricular activities in their

WHY YOU SHOULD GO GREEK IN COLLEGE 5

colleges that often become the opportunity for career networking. It is believed that the two

groups that one associates with college; sororities and fraternities happen to have successful

alumni in a variety of careers and professionals, and in case one graduate, they alumni have the

ability to help their ‘sisters' and ‘brothers' with job leads, internships, placement opportunities

and sometimes career advice. It is also certain that joining Greek colleges would also increase

the chance of meeting with a current fraternity or sorority members who may end up being

leaders or employers in the career field that you may aspire to pursue. Also, it is established that

that for any extracurricular activity, interest or club that you associate yourself with, there are

high chances that you could build bigger networks, that may be of great significance after

college, as they may serve as a lead to information about jobs that are recruiting, connections to

prospective/ important employers and unlimited opportunities (Boschini & Thompson, 1998).

Consequently, joining Greek colleges molds one to become a socially responsible person

in the community. It is the norm of the two groups in the Greek educational system (sororities

and fraternities) to frequently organize and community service related projects. Arguing from

this perspective, it is a clear indication that one joining this institution one can develop empathy

and generosity attributes to become a productive member of the society through giving back to

the community (Neuberger et al. 1997).

Additionally, with the Greek colleges, there are many extracurricular organizations that

are purely ascribed towards establishing volunteering channels to various charities or fundraising

that one can associate with. For instance, it is identified that students pertaining their major

studies often have opportunities for relevant career work; some volunteer in struggling schools.

The practical example of the impact that the Greek education system has on the society can be

borrowed from Fox News. According to Fox News, the research conducted by Bucknell

WHY YOU SHOULD GO GREEK IN COLLEGE 6

University in Pennsylvania highlighted that the Greek society ranks the top in performing

community service in America, an approximate of 22, 000 hours per year. They also have a

record of raising more than $100,000 for philanthropic and charitable causes (Boschini &

Thompson, 1998). Increasingly, it was identified that the fraternities and sororities form the

largest volunteer network in the United States alone. This can be deduced that attending Greek

colleges and its extracurricular activities molds one to become a positive difference in the

community.

Evidently, enrolling in Greek colleges there are high chances that one could gain

significantly by tapping into the extensive leadership opportunities the curriculum provides. It is

evident that fraternities and sororities, and the several extracurricular organizations within the

Greek colleges’ offer academicians’ opportunities to develop leadership skills that ultimately

become useful in the workforce. Considering the richness of activities that the various groups

have, it is believed one can be assigned a certain task to help organize events thereby acquiring

leadership skills just in case you are not the officer or a committee member. This perspective

holds that the various activities that are tasked to individuals belonging to certain organizations

within the campuses are key to the development of fundamental leadership skills, as they teach

one to be responsible (Neuberger et al. 1997).

Additionally, with the participation in the extracurricular activities, every academician

has a voice, he/she is likely to have the opportunity to speak in public and communicate with

others. It is mesmerizing how Greek life has shaped leadership in various regions of the world.

For instance, in the United States, reports indicate that about 85% of Fortune 500 executives and

about 80% of America's presidents since 1990 their leadership skills are oriented towards them

embracing the Greek life. Thus, it is evident that enrolling in Greek colleges, there are high

WHY YOU SHOULD GO GREEK IN COLLEGE 7

chances that one can get an opportunity to attain the same skills or rather sharpen their leadership

skills through extracurricular involvement.

In a greater perspective, the social benefits associated with enrolling in Greek colleges

are far more essential in aiding one's development. It is believed once in Greek colleges one has

the ability to influence the physical aspect of his/her body. The tendencies that college students’

have of getting overweight or out of shapeless likely happen when at Greek colleges. The main

reason the cases are minimal is that the colleges are extracurricular oriented. The many

extracurricular activities in these colleges are centered on sports, games, and fitness. Thus, once

one joins the Greek colleges, there are high chances that he/she will get an opportunity to

participate in one or two games (Schulken et al. 1997). The colleges offer intramural sports such

as volleyball, football, rugby, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, though the latter is depended on the

particular campus. Alternatively, a student enrolling in Greek colleges can attain physical fitness

even if he/she’s extracurricular activities are not related to sports or fitness, since the colleges

have reliable trusty gym buddies that can motivate the students to stay active and healthy. It is

evident that the fraternities and sororities organizations in these Greek campuses hold

participative intramural sports and tournaments that enable members to attain additional

motivation to exercise and get physically fit. It happens that the extracurricular intramural sports

are essential in attaining physical and mental health.

Conclusively, based on the above perspectives it can be purported that enrolling in Greek

colleges is of great significance to the developing of students to live and work skillfully and

socially within communities. For instance, the Greek college life helps one to attain individual

psychological value, whereby it is believed that centrality within a friendship network facilitates

increased emotional attachment to a group. Additionally, Greek colleges help students to meet

WHY YOU SHOULD GO GREEK IN COLLEGE 8

the challenge of balancing academic milestones while still gaining the most of social life through

collegiate experiences, thus, they facilitate the enhancement of scholastic achievement. Also,

regarding leadership value, every student in these colleges have an opportunity to be a leader or

to be involved in acquiring leadership skills such as budgeting, speaking in public, holding

meetings and motivating others. In the perspective of the community, Greek colleges and

surrounding communities reap big the benefits of these Greek colleges; the students organize

events that help local and national charitable organizations, thus developing a sense of civic

responsibility. Therefore, it is really beneficial to go to Greek colleges if one wants to develop

academically and socially.

WHY YOU SHOULD GO GREEK IN COLLEGE 9

References

Boschini, V., & Thompson, C. (1998). The future of the Greek experience: Greeks and

diversity. New directions for student services, 1998(81), 19-27.

DeBard, R., Lake, T., & Binder, R. S. (2006). Greeks and grades: The first-year

experience. NASPA Journal, 43(1), 56-68.

Neuberger, C. G., & Hanson, G. S. (1997). The Greek life self-study: A powerful process for

change on campus. NASPA Journal, 34(2), 91-100.

Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1991). How college affects students (Vol. 1991). San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Pike, G. R. (2003). Membership in a fraternity or sorority, student engagement, and educational

outcomes at AAU public research universities. Journal of College Student

Development, 44(3), 369-382.

Schulken, E. D., Pinciaro, P. J., Sawyer, R. G., Jensen, J. G., & Hoban, M. T. (1997). Sorority

women's body size perceptions and their weight-related attitudes and behaviors. Journal

of American College Health, 46(2), 69-74.

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