Lots of Greek Life (2024)

FAQs

What does having a Greek life mean? ›

A1: Greek Life is the collective term referring to the sororities and fraternities on a campus. Each fraternity and sorority is a group of students bound together by brotherhood or sisterhood, common goals, and aspirations. Together these members learn, grow, and make the Greek organization stronger.

Joining a fraternity or sorority is a great way to meet new people and build lasting connections. Many fraternities and sororities offer academic support and leadership opportunities. Greek life requires a significant time commitment throughout the year.

Are Greek life students more successful? According to some studies, students in Greek organizations are more engaged during college and have higher financial and social well-being after graduating. However, research shows they also have higher rates of alcohol use disorder compared to non-affiliated students.

Big: Short for “big brother/sister,” a mentor assigned to a new member. Many organizations have special names for these pairings. Brother: An active or alumni member of a fraternity. Brotherhood: The common term for the bond between members of the same fraternity.

Fraternities and sororities are called "Greek life" because their names, symbols, and organizational structures are inspired by ancient Greek culture. This tradition started in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when the first Greek-letter organizations were founded in North American universities.

Today, both social and multicultural sororities are present on more than 650 college campuses across the United States and Canada. The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) serves as the umbrella organization for 26 international sororities.

Social-based fraternity and sorority organizations exist to help you strengthen your social skills. They provide a way for you to experience personal growth. You can also build character and connect with like-minded people who share common interests.

A huge portion of membership is the sense of belonging and friendships gained. This is what encourages many women to join a sorority. When women go to college they may find themselves searching for a place to call their own.

A new survey finds college graduates who were members of a fraternity or sorority are generally happier than their peers who didn't pledge. Greeks have higher engagement in their jobs and a better sense of well-being. They are less stressed about money, have more supportive social lives and are physically healthier.

Clients affiliated with Greek life tend to report lower levels of social anxiety and depression symptoms than clients from the general student body at the beginning of counseling. However, Greek-affiliated clients also report higher levels of alcohol-related symptoms.

Why do colleges allow Greek life? ›

The point of a sorority is to create a tight-knit community for women within a college or university. They provide a supportive network and are often part of national organisations. These have multiple chapters or groups on different college campuses, each with its own members and local traditions.

Depending on how demanding your chapter is, being Greek is roughly the equivalent of adding a class or two to your schedule. Of course, this isn't a bad thing if you're ready to make that sort of time commitment.

Fraternity and Sorority Councils

Approximately 38% of undergraduate students at Elon are members of the fraternity and sorority community, which is comprised of 26 Greek-letter organizations.

Joining a fraternity or sorority provides you with excellent leadership skills as these organizations are self-governing and rely on the talents of their members for success. Serving as on officer can teach you many skills such as time-management, budgeting, event-planning, marketing, and mentoring to name a few.

Finally, most fraternity and sorority houses do have a grown-up living on the premises, oftentimes lovingly referred to as “House Mom” or “House Dad.” These individuals are employed by the local chapter and run the management of the house and staff.

The point of a sorority is to create a tight-knit community for women within a college or university. They provide a supportive network and are often part of national organisations. These have multiple chapters or groups on different college campuses, each with its own members and local traditions.

Fraternities and sororities strive to enhance your college experience by challenging you to achieve academic excellence, develop your leadership potential, and give back to the local community.

“Greek life” is a term for different exclusive societies—fraternities for men, sororities for women—that have an association with the university or college where they are established. Some fraternities and sororities have chapters across different campuses.