A new school year means a chance for a fresh start. Whether you’re an incoming freshman or you have a year (or two!) under your belt, the beginning of fall semester is a time to make new friends and get involved. But with the excitement of new faces, new classes and all the campus-happenings, you may find yourself drowning in a sea of fliers from campus clubs and organizations, leaving you unsure of which one is right for you. And while I’m not a guru who can pinpoint you to the exact organization “where you belong”, I can give one solid piece of advice: don’t knock it until you try it. Now what exactly does this apply to? Well, everything – but more specifically in this case, Greek Life.
Yes, Greek Life may not be for everybody but I am a firm believer that until you have talked to the Greek organizations and acquainted yourself with what they’re all about, you will not TRULY know if it is something for you. The words fraternities and sororities seem to be automatically attached to negative connotations, which have been generated by society to create a form of entertainment. What people should realize is that what they see in movies or on TV or have heard about is unrealistic to what Greek Life actually entails. So the big question – why go Greek?
Fact number one, students who get involved in the Greek community have an overall higher GPA than those who do not. Contrary to popular belief, being in a sorority or fraternity isn’t all just fun and games. SDSU requires students to maintain at least a 2.0 in order to be in a Greek organization. In addition, many of these organizations require an even higher GPA than a 2.0 based off of their national standards. Greek organizations also provide networking opportunities to help you find better jobs in the future. Overall, Greeks tend to stay in school longer than non-Greeks.
Going Greek is also the easiest way to get involved in a variety of activities. All Greek organizations have social aspects for those who want to have fun but also involve lots of community service, with different beneficiaries for each house. Greek organizations also play in intramural sports and compete with one another in philanthropy events.
Like any other organizations, what you get out of going Greek will depend on what you put into it. The more you get involved in your organization, the more likely you will have a positive experience. Being Greek opens the doors to new opportunities and new friendships and you will realize that SDSU is not that big after all.
(For more information about Greek life in general, check out the SDSU Student Life and Leadership Page). For more information about Panhellenic [sorority] recruitment, check out:
http://www.sdsuphc.com/recruitment or register for recruitment at http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/cfsl/greekregistration/index.html