Tag Archives: Greek Life
The 15 Best Things About Being in College
“Your college years will be the best times of your life”. This well-worn cliché has been trotted out so many times, it triggers eye rolls in some people.
However, it is undeniable that there is a lot of truth in that statement. Below, we’ll run down just a few of the reasons why you should be excited to start your freshmen year.
1) Starting again with a clean slate
In high school, just about everybody knows your business. In college, nobody will know your back story, meaning that people you meet will judge you on the content of your character rather than on your reputation.
2) You meet people from a variety of backgrounds
Unless you are attending a super-tiny private college, you will be in an environment where there are many thousands of people from various socioeconomic backgrounds.
This makes it easy to find friends that get you, challenge your prejudices, and broaden your horizons.
3) Belonging to a Greek organization
Looking to develop deeper friendships during your time at college? Seriously consider rushing and pledging a fraternity/sorority.
With anywhere from a few to dozens of houses to choose from, there’s a group of guys/girls out there that’s right for you.
Once you get initiated, you’ll be able to wear super cool greek clothing that will make you feel like the king/queen of campus.
4) Freedom from your parents
From the moment you were born, your parents lorded over your every move. In your later teens, though, this amount of control becomes tiresome.
College will be your first taste of freedom, and it will feel … good. For the first time in your life, you get to call the shots.
It isn’t always perfect and you’ll make plenty of mistakes, but there are few moments in your life more exciting than the moment your parents pull away from your dorm for the first time.
5) You can explore countless interests
Astronomy. Photography. Cricket. Anime. These are just a few interests which have clubs dedicated to them on campus.
Join one. Join a lot. Explore your curiosities – there’s no telling where they’ll lead you.
6) The social events
From Halloween parties to sorority formals to last class throwdowns, the calendar of campus social events is diverse and action packed.
Have fun, meet new people, but don’t go overboard – that essay won’t write itself, after all.
7) You have the opportunity to study overseas
There is more to the world than just America. Fortunately, most colleges offer study abroad programs that allow you to complete your courses on the other side of the globe.
From Brisbane to Brussels, the possibilities for cultural immersion are endless.
8) You actually get to learn
The sorry state of secondary education in America means that if a subject isn’t on a standardized test, it isn’t taught, and most lessons are taught by rote.
In college, your professors will encourage you to think critically, allowing you to grasp concepts that can’t be appreciated simply by being memorized.
9) Meal hall (sometimes)
Crispy chicken burgers for lunch. The ability to go back for seconds (or thirds!). Soft-serve ice cream machines. Theme nights.
While there are low lights in the rotation of any meal hall, when they get it right – it’s magic.
10) College sports
Think you experienced school spirit when you cheered on your high school football team? Wait until you tailgate outside a stadium for hours and sing school fight songs before filing into a stadium with tens of thousands of fellow students/alumni/local sports fans just as hyped as you are.
Fasten your seat belt.
11) Sleeping in
Hate being dragged out of bed by mom after hitting the snooze button for the third time? Yeah, you won’t have to worry about that anymore.
Unless you have a mandatory class that’s scheduled for 8:00 am, you can build your class schedule so that you won’t have to wake up before 10 am if you don’t wish to do so.
12) Midday naps
Sometimes, you can’t avoid waking up early (stupid mandatory classes). Unlike high school, though, you can go back home and nap between classes. Ahh, blissful slumber!
13) A deeper dating pool than at home
Dating can be a bit of a drag during high school. Limited partners, psychotic Dads – it’s a minefield out there.
At college, you have thousands of potential mates to pick from, and you won’t have to worry about keeping up appearances with near-homicidal fathers.
14) The feeling of accomplishment
There will be times in college when your back is up against the wall. You have 12 hours to finish a term paper that’s worth 30% of your grade. If you don’t ace the final, you’ll get an F.
When you pull off these miracles, though, the feeling of accomplishment will make you feel like a champ. And when you walk across the stage to pick up your degree when you graduate? Damn.
15) You’ll have a new appreciation for home and your folks
When you leave home, it might not be soon enough for you. Given the constraints your parents place on you while growing up, it’s understandable if you hold some resentment toward them.
After trying to make your way in the world without their help during your freshmen year, though, you’ll see them in a whole new light.
Appreciative for what they have done for you over the years, your time away will do much to strengthen the relationship between you and your parents.
The Best Time Of Your Life: Top 10 Colleges With the Happiest Students
Of all the colleges with the happiest students in America, Clemson ranks in our top 10…!
While the point of college to learn about a selected field in deep detail and graduate with a degree that stands as your proof of competency in it, if you spend your whole time there bored out of your gourd, what’s the point?
Happiness needs to be factored into the equation as well, and to aid you in factoring that aspect into your decision-making equation, we have put together a list of ten colleges that stands heads and shoulders above the rest in this important category. Let’s review each of them, starting with…
1) Texas A & M University
If college athletics is important to you and you are looking for a university in the Lone Star State, you’re in luck, as Texas A&M is a big sports school, with its students whipped into a mad football frenzy every home game weekend. Those looking for a plethora of living options will be pleased that there are many apartment choices near the university, and those looking to celebrate Spring Break in style won’t have to budge an inch, as South Padre Island is practically in A&M’s backyard!
2) Vanderbilt University
Want your degree to actually mean something? Vanderbilt has some of the highest quality professors around, meaning that you’ll actually have the knowledge to back up the letters by your name after college. On the social side of things, there are tons of restaurants to choose from, which is quite fortunate, because you’ll be frequenting them after the countless parties you’ll be attending, as the party scene here is outrageously huge.
3) Virginia Tech
Despite the horrible tragedy several years back, Virginia Tech is a safe place that boasts one of the most down to earth student bodies in the nation. Those that are looking to ride a team all the way through to college bowl season will be in luck here, as football is a way of life for many students, faculty and alumni at VT.
4) Claremont McKenna College
Taking in the stunningly beautiful campus at Claremount McKenna College will be the first of many positive experiences you’ll have at this school, as the well-entrenched party culture will be the scene of made friendships forged over beers and shared interests. Those who claim Judaism as their religion will love the fact that there is a strong Jewish presence on campus, and those that live, eat and breathe academics will love the fact that their professors clearly know the subjects that they specialize in.
5) Stanford University
Despite being a school of Ivy League caliber, Stanford continually surprises newcomers with the friendliness of its faculty and student body. An open environment ensures that people of all creeds, races, orientations, etc are made to feel welcome and accepted, and the campuses’ Californian location grants it photogenic looks that will the background of every experience you have over the next four years.
6) Clemson University
Well known for its great social scene and incredibly friendly people, socially extroverted types will thrive at Clemson. Those that consider themselves outdoors will love the fact that the natural splendor of South Carolina will be at their finger tips, as the Appalachian Mountains are 45 minutes away, and the sandy beaches of the Atlantic are a mere 4-5 hours from campus.
7) University of Wisconsin
Those that yearn to get involved on campus will find plenty of opportunities to get involved socially at the University of Wisconsin, and for those that would rather paint their face and cheer on their school’s team until they lose their voice, being involved in D1 athletics creates a lot of spirit on campus. What if you’re introverted though? A variety of dorms enables people of all types to find a living arrangement that suits them best, eliminating friction being portions of the population that are less compatible with each other.
8) Florida State University
In the relative warmth of the Northern Florida autumn, football season is a blast from start to finish, as enthusiastic students crowd the stands to cheer on the Seminoles to victory. A vibrant Greek life only serves to fuel that fervor on game days, as well as the party scene on weekends. Those that were hoping to actually get some learning done in all this aren’t left out in the cold though, as the professors here are reported as being very competent and knowledgeable in their area of expertise.
9) Tulane University
First point in Tulane’s favor: it’s in freakin’ New Orleans, so when the books shut on Friday afternoon, the nightlife that ensues will make you the envy of your old high school friends. Those looking to meet people different from themselves will love the fact that Tulane attracts a diverse student body from across the country and around the world, all seeking the Nawlins lifestyle.
10) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jocks and partiers rejoice: the parties and social events that revolve around sports never seem to stop here, so enjoy the four years you spend here if you go, as they will invariably be the best ones of your life. Despite its location in the midst of the Deep South, UNC at Chapel Hill is actually one of the most open-minded and accepting places in the country, standing in stark contrast to the uber conservative countryside that lies outside this bubble of liberalism.
How to Choose a Fraternity or Sorority!
With the latest crop of graduates just starting to spread out into the world after high school, many have chosen to attend college in order to give themselves the best possible chance at competing for a great career in the challenging world of the 21st century. While the focus of many students upon arrival at their post-secondary institution is to attain good grades, they should also be considering the benefits of aligning themselves with a quality fraternity or sorority as soon as they get settled.
While smarts and knowledge still count for something in this world, the power of networking simply cannot be ignored. Greek organizations provide a large organization of alumni that branches across all industries and businesses, which can give you a leg up in today’s dog-eat-dog job market. Besides, these organizations offer socialization opportunities that few others can match in this environment, making for some of the best parties that you’ll ever attend in your life.
So, which fraternity or sorority do you pick, since there are so many of them to choose (especially at large schools) from? Going over the following points will ensure that you make the right choice, thereby increasing your odds of getting in with the right crowd, which will enhance your life at college, and in the years that follow. Here’s how to choose a fraternity or sorority for the right reasons:
Do they align with your interests?
When you join up with these guys/gals, you’ll be their brother/sister for the rest of college, and throughout the rest of your adult life. Do you really want to rush an organization because you perceive them as cool, only to find out months later that you have almost nothing in common with your fellow brothers/sisters in the bond?
The burden of dishonesty only gets heavier with time, so don’t pick up the weight in the first place. If you love sports as much as you like breathing, join the jock fraternity. If you value involvement in extracurricular activities, don’t try to hang with a bunch of unambitious party animals. Like to play the clarinet or violin? Find a musically-themed Greek organization and rush them.
You’re going to share a bond with your fellow family members from different parents that is as strong as blood, so don’t fake it, man.
Make a short list of prospective house and attend their Rush events
Now that you have a list of houses that you feel will fit your personality, it’s time to go shopping for a second family. Come to the events with the intent of having fun and meeting people (both active members of the house and fellow rushees), but also come armed with targeted questions. They should determine how much of a time commitment is involved, the amount of cash dues that are owed and what they go towards, and where their values and interests lie.
You love them, but do they love you back?
Despite appearances at the outset that a certain fraternity or sorority may appear to be right for you, sometimes the personality of the house may be completely wrong. Sometimes the people in charge are just jerks, and they only pick jerk type guys or gals for their little club. Don’t try to copy or endure them just for the networking benefits.
At the end of the day, having a group of guys or girls that would give the shirt off their back, spend their last dollar on you, or be there for the death of one of your family members because you would do the same for them is exactly the type of organization you should be aiming to join in the end. Even if they don’t match up precisely with your professional or hobby interests, the former point should take precedence, as true brothers and sisters will support you fully regardless of what floats your boat.
