John Wesley Cochran- How Greek life impacts personal and professional development

Background Information

There has been a debate for sometime over how relevant Greek life on college campuses actually are. Fraternities and Sororities receive many stereotypes due to many social events and occasional misconduct cases. Behind all of the backlash, Fraternity and Sorority Life(FSL) has been one of the biggest enhancements for young adults to excel in their personal and professional lives. While many people go through the process of joining a Greek organization for social reasons, many seek out a group specifically that will benefit their future careers. The cost of education has been a big ordeal with questions being asked on relevancy on certain aspects, but FSL has shown to be a valuable asset to students across the country.

Mary Catherine McClaine did research for The National Career Development Conference  on the how membership of a Greek organization correlates to strong vocational identity, career decision making, and greater sense of the direction they want to take after college than students not affiliated with a Greek organization. It showed within the study that 436 seniors at a large public university had more confidence in their career choices and future being in Greek life despite having an overall lower GPA than non-Greek peers. This goes to show that the involvement in these organizations complements academic learning with a connection base that will last for many years.

How Greek life is orchestrated brings about many positive outcomes. Every organization will typically have an executive board made up of students that leads the campus chapter. These positions will offer real world responsibilities that are appealing to future employers. These responsibilities include: managing budgets, planning large events, recruiting, and resolving conflicts which are all qualities that translate into the job market. While these can be seen as fun extra-curriculars, it is a resume-builder. The role of president, treasurer, or philanthropy chair is a preparation of what is to come..

Stepping into Greek life can be daunting for some, but the mentorship model that is implanted throughout Greek-life has been the “big/ little system”. This has allowed new member to have emotional support and guidance in their career pursuits. Having an older peer to go to for tips, advice, and internship connections goes a long way. These organizations also have strong alumni networking events, job shadowing, and mentorship. Greek life adds a level that a formal degree cannot offer, and that is a connection.

Membership of a fraternity or sorority allows students to stive for stability and clarity. These are essential when it comes to navigating college and entering the job market. There are so many factors that come into play, like paying dues, maintaining GPA requirements, and obligations that force students to develop time management and organizational skills.  Through different research, the structure of Greek life has proven to reduce instability. Commitment to a fraternity or sorority can help keep students on track for success academically and professionally.

In this day in age, many people are not gaining a return on their investment from their undergraduate degree due to the rising cost of higher education and the expenses, but the benefits of Greek life are worth pointing out.

Ultimately, Greek life is more than just a social club, but a stepping stone for life after college. If students take advantage of the opportunities within their organization, they can leave with not only life long memories but leadership skills, a strong network, and direction in life while it looks good on a resume. There is pressure now more than ever to get your money’s worth out of your college education. McClain’s research shows that Greek life doesn’t help with social life but our outcomes in life.

Personal Take

With the research that I have done I believe that joining a fraternity or sorority would drastically change a student's college experience for the better. While Greek life is most known for social events, I believe the personal and professional outcomes outweigh any negative connotations. The growth that comes because of the Greek life process has helped many people today.

One of the biggest opportunities that Greek life offers is to be a leader. Through fraternities they allow that opportunity throughout their executive positions. I saw in my interview with Logan Nowell and Brianna Croft that they benefited greatly from their leadership positions personally and professionally. It gave them a new balance of work and social life and these roles helped them get into their respective post graduate paths. While there are a variety of positions that offer a unique set of acquired traits. More of the presidential positions allow students to build public speaking, problem solving, and communication skills. Other role like philanthropy chair or treasurer offer real life skills like managing a budget or organizing events that add a layer of experience that not internships or entry level jobs can offer.

Every fraternity and sorority has a pledgeship process. This can very from 6 to 10 weeks depending on the organization, but through this time is the most growth. It allows students to connect with other members, manage their time, and commit to their goals. Each Greek organization has to teach their pledges the traditions and make sure they make it through the process without failing. Through this time frame growth will happen for everyone in the chapter that puts in effort.

College can be overwhelming at times for students. There can be stressful times inside and outside the classroom, so to have brothers or sisters who can check in on you or keep you in check makes a difference. Whether its help with studying or encouragement during a rough season in life, Greek life can be a beneficial resources for students.

At the end of the day, Greek life isn’t just about letters that a student identifies with but an experience that can grow them in many ways. I believe that being in a fraternity or sororiety makes college meangingful and prepares students for the next stage of life.

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Email me at jc4773@msstate.edu with any questions

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