Quote Originally Posted by Anonymous View Post
I'm thinking about joining a social fraternity on campus.

pros:
-I went to highschool with and am good friends with some of the guys
-I know a good portion of the members already
- I'm a little shy so it could be a great opportunity to meet people
- Could be a lot of fun
- I feel like this fraternity has some standards. Aka, not your typical "get drunk 24/7 party house."

cons:
-A big time commitment, especially since im a chemical engineering major
- Possibly some drinking during weekdays. (I really don't like being hungover for class, though once in a while its alright).
- Costly, about 500-1000$ a year, depending on how much optional stuff I do
- Could lead to less interest in school

Also, I talked to a guy who sounded like he was in a similar situation as me. He wasn't particularly fond of the school or social life before rushing. However, after rushing he loves it.

Thoughts?
I don't know where that $500-1000 figure comes from, but I was active in my fraternity at both schools I attended and neither of them came out anywhere near $1000 a semester, much less a year. Your dues may be in the $500-1000 range, but there's a lot of incidental costs that your dues simply will not cover... T shirts, social events, gifts, special clothing, pledge activities, etc. Not to mention that the whole point of a fraternity is to be social, which often translates into bar tabs.

That said, I would recommend it. It really is an opportunity where you get out everything that you put in.