Greek Life

Three years into my college career I decided that I needed a change. I was a pretty good student but I wasn’t very involved in very many extracurricular campus organizations.  I was involved in a few but I wasn’t involved too heavily. I realized that a very important aspect of college was meeting, connecting, and creating relationships with new people to expand your network. I had friends from my hometown whom I lived with for 3 years but I felt that because I was so close to home and my friends from high school, I was limiting myself by not meeting new people and starting new relationships. I began looking into Greek Life and decided that it may be something I wanted to try.

I know that my parents will support me in whatever I decide to do. They have always stressed that throughout my life. However, I knew that my parents weren’t sold on fraternities and when I approached my mother and asked her what she thought, she explained that she didn’t see any benefit in them. I’m not positive but I have a feeling she had the same opinion of fraternities that a lot of the public does. She probably thought that they are all “Animal Houses” with lots of drinking being done and bad decisions being made.

I eventually decided to go against my mom’s opinion and I joined the fraternity I felt most comfortable with. I am extremely glad that I did. I’ve only been part of my fraternity for a year but I wish I had joined earlier. As a generally shy person I think that even in a year, the fraternity has done wonders for my communication and social skills. Through involvement one gets trained on how to work and communicate with others; a desirable skill in many aspects of life. They teach of brotherhood and sisterhood and allow students to make unique and valuable connections. I believe that a fraternity or sorority can greatly benefit one’s character. They teach of ethics and integrity through unique social situations. Great leaders are often the products of fraternities and sororities.

I would recommend that all students at least investigate the benefits of campus Greek Life. Most aren’t the stereotypical dirty, party focused organizations you see on television. As I stated, I am incredibly thankful for my opportunity and decision to join a fraternity and wish that I’d made the decision sooner.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog, 80 Miles From Home. Moving out of your parents' house and going away to college is an unique and exciting experience. It is even more unique and exciting when you're the first in your family to go. The title of the blog reflects the fact that I was the first of my family to attend college and I chose one approximately 80 miles from my hometown. Through this situation I have come to realize that there is a lack of knowledge and understanding in parents and family who are experiencing college life for the first time through their children. There is an absence of access, which leads to an absence of literacy, which leads to misunderstanding. As I am very familiar with this situation, I would like to share selected parts of my college experience in order to educate and inform. I hope you enjoy it.