# Join a frat/sorority?



## poot (Jan 31, 2009)

Hi, I'm a sophomore in college. I transferred after freshman year to a better/more urban school. Even though I liked my friends at my first college, I wasn't happy there (little did I know this was my genetic depression kicking in). So, I transferred. 

I started my sophomore year at my new college as a transfer student. Unlike, my first year at my old college, I found it verrrrry hard to make friends. I was put into apartment style housing (not the close quarters dorm housing like my first college). I met people in classes but never got very close with them cause they all had their groups already.

There aren't many clubs on campus I'm too interested in so I feel like I've hit a barrier with making friends. I'm taking this semester off to figure out my depression/anxiety meds (I just started Prozac about 6 weeks ago).

When I go back in the fall, I'm considering joining a frat (frats rush late September at my school so I don't really have time to stall once I'm at school). Would anyone suggest this? My school isn't too big on greek life but I feel like maybe a "friend organization" like a frat would be good for someone like me who is very shy naturally. Of course I'm afraid I wouldn't be accepted into a frat but thats another topic I guess......

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated =)


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## engima (Feb 3, 2009)

its hard to say whether the experience will be positive, I recommend trying to find out the activities the frat/sorority does, and if it interests you then take a shot at it, don't like it then bail


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## LostOne (Jan 30, 2009)

It might work for you. Didn't for me. I was able to get into a pretty popular frat with some nice guys but the pressure was too much for me. After a few weeks I holed up and wouldn't even leave my room. I too was hoping to get dragged out of my shell and make some friends, but I wasn't ready so the plan backfired.

That was a long time ago and it probably would be a different experience altogether if the me of today were to join back then, so it very well may be the right thing for you. I don't think you should force it though. A club that meets once or twice a week may be a more casual way to make some friends at school.

Either way, good luck!


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## Prodigal Son (Dec 11, 2005)

Yeah, joining a Fraternity...there is a lot of obligations usually and even more social pressures. I think it helps a lot if you join as a freshman your first semester in college and you can slowly ease into the situation.


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## Zero From Outer Space (Jan 10, 2005)

I visited one a few weeks ago - I was with some friends and they wanted to go. They (the frat guys) all seemed like real nice people and it would actually be cheaper living there than the apartment I currently live at. Great networking opportunities, too.

I might have joined when I was younger, but I'm too old for that sort of thing now. lol


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## R (Jun 13, 2006)

When i went to college, i joined one. 

They have you do a lot of social things and there are friends to be made. It didn't help my SA, but it got me out there. For me at least it wasn't anything like the stereotypes, a lot of cool people. Not all prepie kids their, it was a good mix of people, and it was maybe the second most popular frat on campus. 

The hazing was more fun then anything else, its hard though, eating nasty stuff like eating whole onions, or drinks with chew in them. Anything that would make you puke, then having you tuck in your shirt and puke down it or making beer all foamy and having you run upstairs each step you come back and drink a cup off beer foam then back to the second step and then doing that till you get to the top or a other recruit will take over for you... if they aren't puking themselves. There was fun stuff like stealing a painting out of a rival frats founder out of a sorority house, which we pulled of successfully. stuff like that.

I made it passed all that and got in. The reason i am posting though is that the thing that ended it for me was that we partied 3 or 4 nights a week and these were huge keg parties, with 3-5 kegs each night and i ended up failing all my classes. It didn't bring me out of my shell, sometimes i wonder if it would have if i had stayed longer. I was with them for about a year, but in the end I don't think its a benefit to people with SA. At the parties I was still the quite one. haha I even got a brand on my leg, after i was drunk for 3 days straight. 

If you can pull off good grades when you party all the time then give it a shot. Don't expect it to help SA though. Its crazy though thats for sure, good times. I'm not really a frat kind of person though.


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