Greek social organizations are not all alike, nor are their members. Fraternities and sororities can be a rich source of friendship and support. Some students love them. Other students find them philosophically distasteful, too demanding of time and finances, or too constricting. Members of Greek organizations sometimes associate exclusively with other members, and this exclusivity can cause them to miss opportunities to have a more varied group of friends. Greek rush (member recruitment) on your campus might happen before you have decided whether you want to go Greek or before you have determined which fraternity or sorority is right for you. There is nothing wrong with delaying a decision about Greek membership. In fact, we would argue that it’s better to learn your way around campus and meet lots of different friends before committing to a particular organization. As you may have become aware through the news media, fraternities and sororities can be positive or negative social influences, so you’ll definitely want to take a good look at the upperclass students who are members. If what you see is what you want to be, consider joining. If not, steer clear.

If Greek life is not for you, consider the many other ways that you can make close friends. Many campuses have residence halls or special floors for students with common interests or situations, such as first-year students; honors students; students in particular majors; students with strong ethnic or religious affiliations; students who do not use tobacco, alcohol, and drugs; environmentally conscious students; and so on. Check them out. Often, they provide very satisfying experiences.