Everything you need to know before going Greek

Everything You Need to Know Before Going Greek!

So you are thinking about going Greek but your'e not really sure, huh?  Well this is your 5 point guide of things you probably should know before going Greek.

1. What is Greek Life?

Greek Life refers to all of the sororities and fraternities on campus. There are many different organizations and each has it's own unique set of Greek letters from the Greek alphabet.


2. Don't take it personally.

If one fraternity or sorority does not show interest in you, do not worry about it.  There is always a perfect match for everyone, you just have to be patient.


3. Don't be intimated.

There will be fraternity guys and sorority girls everywhere, introducing themselves left and right.  Do not be scared, they are all just super friendly.

4. Every organization has a philanthropy.

You will hear the word philanthropy a lot throughout recruitment, each organization has at least one - it just stands for the community service they do. Every sorority and fraternity raises money for their philanthropy('s) throughout the school year.  For example, Make a Wish Foundation, Wounded Warrior Project, Breast Cancer Awareness, to name a few.

5. Vocabulary 

Greek Life uses some of their own words that would be helpful for you to know before recruitment..
-Potential New Member (PNM): Someone who is interested in Greek Life and may join an organization.
-Bid: A formal invitation to join an organization
-Pledging: After recruitment, the Greek organization sends invitations to join, known as "bids." If the PNM chooses to join, he or she is "accepting the bid: and then becomes "a pledge" for the fraternity or sorority. During the pledge period, pledges learn even more about the organization and form close bonds with the other new members.

If you end up choosing to go Greek, do your homework about the organizations on your campus and keep an open mind. Meet as many different organizations as possible and get to know what they stand for! Going Greek has lifelong benefits and will be something you have forever.