Pledging to a sisterhood is a big commitment, and the decision to do so should not be made lightly. It is best to go into it with a clear understanding of what you’re signing up for. Some previous sorority members have shared what they felt were the advantages and disadvantages of belonging to a Greek organization. Keep reading to see what they found beneficial and what was difficult about being in a sorority.
Carlee Nussbaum
Carlee Nussbaum is a Certified Nutrition Health Coach, former sorority sister, and founder of Clarify Wellness with Carlee.
Use a Sorority for Growth
All sororities are different but no matter where or what the sorority is, you are joining a large group of girls that you have never met before and have no idea what to expect. There are many advantages and disadvantages to joining a sorority.
Advantages:
- Friendships. You will meet some of your best friends. You are joining a group that has the same values as you, and that approaches life the same way you do. You will make bonds with other females that you never knew existed. It is truly a magical experience.
- Networking. You will have the opportunity to network and make connections. This will allow you to meet new people of all ages. Take advantage of this for your future. You never know, but the person sitting next to you in chapter meetings could get you your dream job in four years.
- Growth. This is a chance for you to grow. For you to find yourself and figure out who you are and what you want to be. These are all new people who have never met you before; take advantage of being yourself and not faking who you are! Within a sorority, there are so many leadership opportunities that you will want to take advantage of.
Disadvantages:
- Finances. Finances can get stressful during college, and sometimes joining a sorority can add a stressor to your financial life.
- Comparison. Sometimes when you’re surrounded by hundreds of other women, you compare. It's easy to get insecure when being around so many powerful women. Even if everyone lifts each other, people struggle.
- Distractions. Even though sororities will sometimes have specific grades that you have to keep up to be in the sorority, it can be a major distraction from school work. If you have a test to study for but you have a sorority requirement to go to, having this commitment can sometimes get in the way.
As you can see, joining a sorority has many pros and cons, but in the end, it is important to use the opportunity for growth. The growth within and around you. Use it to learn who you are, who you want to be around, and what you want to do in life.
It is very easy to get caught up with the social stressors of joining a sorority, but you want to take advantage of the positive parts. Use the disadvantages to learn. Learn to balance distractions and finances. Find ways to love yourself and the people around you, and find the right support that you may need!
Karrah Keaton
Keaton is currently the Area Manager at Scissors & Scotch for the Nashville, TN market.
Prepare for Life After College
When I was preparing to go to college, I knew I wanted to be part of a sorority because of how service-focused they tend to be. I do think a huge advantage of joining a sorority is being able to help the community in ways you might not be able to on your own. I knew service and volunteering were important, which is why I stepped into leadership my second semester as a freshman, becoming the assistant to the Philanthropy Chair.
Being in a sorority allows you to become a leader and gives you experience in paths in life you might want to pursue after college. Another advantage is friendship and community. There tends to be a stereotype around sorority women - all looking the same or you need to have a certain body type or be a certain type of person.
But that is not the case. You have women from all over the United States attending these colleges, and you are going to get a huge melting pot of individuals. With that, you can learn about cultures and lifestyles that are different from yours while making lifelong friends. Lastly, I believe that being in a sorority, being in leadership, and participating in philanthropy events I wouldn't normally, helped me prepare for life outside of college.
Moving into my roles after college, I have been able to effectively manage individuals and resolve conflict in easy and less heated ways. I have become more organized and able to host events internally and externally after doing it for my sorority for the time I was philanthropy chair. It has not only helped me become a better employee but also a better boss.
One disadvantage of being in a sorority is there can be a lot of conflicts. When you have so many different personalities in an organization it can cause a lot of friction between people. Of course, this is not necessarily a huge disadvantage because you want to be able to share different viewpoints and have the ability to have conversations that spark debate.
Another disadvantage is how sorority women are treated by others. In my experience, when I tell people I was in a sorority, there can be a shift in how they view me. A lot of times people think sorority women aren’t intelligent or are only interested in party culture or are tone deaf to issues happening within our society.
Pledging is a Huge Commitment
Some advantages of being in a sorority include the network you have after college. Most college organizations are solely for you while you're in college and are not relevant once you graduate. Sorority alumnae are always welcome to give back to their sorority and are always fond of meeting new sisters, even after they graduate.
Being in a sorority also comes with its disadvantages. A sorority is a huge time commitment and may take time away from other things you want to do in college. You may also feel like your sorority life is your identity and you can't do anything outside of it. It's important to make time for your social and professional life outside your sorority so that you won't feel like something is missing when you graduate and leave the full-time sorority life.
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