To many people, Greek life in college is an absolute must. Joining a fraternity is a great way to make friends and ensure that you always have something to do on the weekends. The idea of becoming part of a frat attracts so many students because it serves as a way to have an eventful college career, with ready-made friends and even useful connections.
Although Greek life can be a huge step in the right direction for many, there are definitely some costs that come along with it. Becoming a member of a fraternity is definitely time-consuming, especially as a busy college student, not to mention the actual cost of everything you need just to be a member.
With all of that being said, here’s a list of the many pros and cons of fraternities.
Pros of Fraternities
Easy friend making: Look, college is hard. A lot of times, students barely even have time to eat a full meal, let alone go out and try new things and make friends. Greek life can be a quick, generally easy, way to make lifelong friends. This can be especially helpful to students who struggle with social anxiety or have difficulty connecting with others. Frats can serve as a great way to bond with others.
Academic support: A study done by the University of Nebraska showed that Greeks are more likely to have a high GPA.
Networking: Fraternities can serve as a great way to connect with other people. Greek alumni organizations are huge and can serve as a great way for students to gain access to mentors in their chosen fields.
Frat members are less hostile towards women: A recent study from Loyola University New Orleans found that non-affiliated students actually ha a more threatening attitude towards women than fraternity members.
Cons of Fraternities
Time commitment: Fraternities can take a lot of time and commitment. Any student that generally needs more time for studying or has interest in a lot of other activities besides greek life should be cautious of the time that it takes to be a member of a fraternity.
Cost: The national initiation fees for the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity are $265 in addition to the $130 annual fee. Although these numbers might sound manageable at first, after all of the other college expenses are paid off, those fees might seem like a bit too much to handle for a college student.
Partying: Although this is a huge pro to most college students, a study done by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that four out of five members of Greek life are binge drinkers. Statistics like that mean that a frat party can easily get out of hand and you can wake up having no idea where you are.
Hazing: Although colleges have really been cracking down on the hazing recently, it is absolutely still a thing, especially in fraternities. According to the National Study of Student Hazing, 70% of students that are a part of greek life are hazed. Students continue to get hurt and even die from the abuse and negative mental health impact that hazing leaves, regardless of the fact that most fraternities have anti-hazing policies.
