College students-Anyone else pledging for a frat?

[mrd6]

Just to balance things out a bit since it sounds like no one commenting in here has any real experience whatsoever with frats, I'll throw out some opposing arguments and my experiences.

I pledged Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity at the University of Washington back in '08. I lived in the house for three years and then moved out to an apartment down the street with 5 of my best friends from the frat. Joining the house was the best decision I have ever made. I am confident I would not be anywhere near as successful in life or near where I am right now with out it.

First off, it pisses me off when people say "its dumb to pay" and "they are just buying friends." In reality most real fraternities (the ones where you live in the fraternity house with everyone and eat your meals there prepared by your private chef) provide a much less expensive living option than the college can provide through the dormitories. To reiterate, more often than not it is CHEAPER to live in a frat than to live in the dorms...so the idea that it is only for the wealthy is simply not true. Over half of the house (100+ member house) had some sort of financial aid.

The connections you make and the people you meet who can help you out with career opportunities is endless. Lets put it this way, every single member of my pledge class had a career job lined up before they graduated. It was very common to find internships through alumni and or other brothers. I have helped two of the younger guys in our frat get engineering internships where I work at Boeing.

Academically, ill just show one statistic and that is the "all greek" GPA average is consistently higher than the school average (true at UW and most other schools with prominent greek communities). Keep in mind this is a house full of hard working college students. As a freshman or sophomore, 9 times out of 10 there is an older guy in the house who already aced the classes you are taking and can basically act as your private tutor if you need some help.

Sure, there are some douchy people out there, my house was no exception. But its not like frats are the only place they exist, you just learn to deal with it. I think I am a pretty normal dude, Chris (Snowdrifter on here) knows me pretty well and I like to think he would agree lol. And most of the guys in my house and other houses were very similar to me in that regard.

Pledging can suck. It really can sometimes, but honestly part of the reason that certain aspects are difficult is to help bring you together with other members of your own PC. My best friends are all guys I met at the frat and never knew before. The crazy part is that if I were not forced to live with them and get along with them, I probably never would have become friends with them in the first place. It is easy to take that as a negative, that they are forcing you to be friends with people you don't like. But, how well do you know those people really? Maybe the frat is just forcing you to learn about someone beyond their outer shell and your first impressions? Something to tink about.

Granted, I think frats where you dont actually live in a house together are a bit of a joke...but I dont have really have any experience with that eaither, I am just guessing they arent nearly as effective as the real deal.

Edit: Oh yeah....and the parties.....good luck finding anything like that anywhere else in the world.......for the rest of your life.......seriously.........it can be like the god damn penthouse penthouse.....

work hard play hard? haha

[HunterJohnson]

Everyone who isn't in a Frat shouldnt say a frat is stupid.

There's a process to get in, and you're going to have a better time in college if you like partying and meeting tons of people.

Deal with the pledge process if you want that, everyone else had to do it. and for the pledges that are doing shit actives never did, that sucks shoulda joined it a while ago.

haha but seriously its fun, and it sucks at the same time so its either you like it or you dont

[Crandis16]

I was one of the founding fathers of Triangle fraternity at Penn State Erie, the 3rd Triangle chapter now in PA. So I haven't experienced that, nor have we put that kind of hazing on other members. When we started up we basically said fuck hazing it isn't fun, and that's how it's been. We still give assignments to recruits, but that's how they got to know each other well.

I'm graduated now, it was definitely more fun when I was single though.

[n8ball2013]

So everyone who isnt in a frat shouldnt hsve an opinion on a frat...............

[Crandis16]

Aleast arround us when a frat throws a paty it usually turns out decent.

With that being said they are still all douches

I didn't know I was a douche

[Crandis16]

So everyone who isnt in a frat shouldnt hsve an opinion on a frat...............

I think he means "don't knock it til you try it"

[mrd6]

So everyone who isnt in a frat shouldnt hsve an opinion on a frat...............

I mean, in a sense yeah. Im not saying don't comment but if the guy asked "anyone else going to basic training?" I doubt you would give much credit to my opinion on the topic either...

[Nikitaaa]

Just to balance things out a bit since it sounds like no one commenting in here has any real experience whatsoever with frats, I'll throw out some opposing arguments and my experiences.

I pledged Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity at the University of Washington back in '08. I lived in the house for three years and then moved out to an apartment down the street with 5 of my best friends from the frat. Joining the house was the best decision I have ever made. I am confident I would not be anywhere near as successful in life or near where I am right now with out it.

First off, it pisses me off when people say "its dumb to pay" and "they are just buying friends." In reality most real fraternities (the ones where you live in the fraternity house with everyone and eat your meals there prepared by your private chef) provide a much less expensive living option than the college can provide through the dormitories. To reiterate, more often than not it is CHEAPER to live in a frat than to live in the dorms...so the idea that it is only for the wealthy is simply not true. Over half of the house (100+ member house) had some sort of financial aid.

The connections you make and the people you meet who can help you out with career opportunities is endless. Lets put it this way, every single member of my pledge class had a career job lined up before they graduated. It was very common to find internships through alumni and or other brothers. I have helped two of the younger guys in our frat get engineering internships where I work at Boeing.

Academically, ill just show one statistic and that is the "all greek" GPA average is consistently higher than the school average (true at UW and most other schools with prominent greek communities). Keep in mind this is a house full of hard working college students. As a freshman or sophomore, 9 times out of 10 there is an older guy in the house who already aced the classes you are taking and can basically act as your private tutor if you need some help.

Sure, there are some douchy people out there, my house was no exception. But its not like frats are the only place they exist, you just learn to deal with it. I think I am a pretty normal dude, Chris (Snowdrifter on here) knows me pretty well and I like to think he would agree lol. And most of the guys in my house and other houses were very similar to me in that regard.

Pledging can suck. It really can sometimes, but honestly part of the reason that certain aspects are difficult is to help bring you together with other members of your own PC. My best friends are all guys I met at the frat and never knew before. The crazy part is that if I were not forced to live with them and get along with them, I probably never would have become friends with them in the first place. It is easy to take that as a negative, that they are forcing you to be friends with people you don't like. But, how well do you know those people really? Maybe the frat is just forcing you to learn about someone beyond their outer shell and your first impressions? Something to tink about.

Granted, I think frats where you dont actually live in a house together are a bit of a joke...but I dont have really have any experience with that eaither, I am just guessing they arent nearly as effective as the real deal.

Edit: Oh yeah....and the parties.....good luck finding anything like that anywhere else in the world.......for the rest of your life.......seriously.........it can be like the god damn penthouse penthouse.....

work hard play hard? haha

I can also voch for him. Very stand up guy. As non-douche as they get.

Awesome post by the way.

[79 cutty]

So everyone who isnt in a frat shouldnt hsve an opinion on a frat...............

I mean, in a sense yeah. Im not saying don't comment but if the guy asked "anyone else going to basic training?" I doubt you would give much credit to my opinion on the topic either...

If it means validating my thoughts, I did the rushing at UWStout, and was asked to rush a frat at the U of Mn when I was getting my degrees. I have been around them enough to say yes, there are some amazing parties, and yes, I am sure there are opportunities presented to people through the connections they made. But as far a I am concerned, and I have made it clear it is solely my opinion.....is time-and-time again the only benefit people say to being a part of a frat is the parties. Does you no good come real world.

That is excellent that you had a different experience....but as far as my experiences concerned, and the people that stuck it out and joined a frat........paying for friends!

[LoudBimmer]

So everyone who isnt in a frat shouldnt hsve an opinion on a frat...............

I mean, in a sense yeah. Im not saying don't comment but if the guy asked "anyone else going to basic training?" I doubt you would give much credit to my opinion on the topic either...

If it means validating my thoughts, I did the rushing at UWStout, and was asked to rush a frat at the U of Mn when I was getting my degrees. I have been around them enough to say yes, there are some amazing parties, and yes, I am sure there are opportunities presented to people through the connections they made. But as far a I am concerned, and I have made it clear it is solely my opinion.....is time-and-time again the only benefit people say to being a part of a frat is the parties. Does you no good come real world.

That is excellent that you had a different experience....but as far as my experiences concerned, and the people that stuck it out and joined a frat........paying for friends!

Exactly. Once you're out of frat, you're on your on. You can't start calling people up and asking for a job opening. Defeats the whole purpose of having life goals.