TFD fans! You can help make TFD better by taking 5 min to fill out this survey: forms.gle/i7XdPn9t12mhvRpGA. By completing all questions you'll be automatically entered to win a $250 Visa Gift Card. We'll notify the winner using the email they provide in the form. Thanks in advance!
So grateful that my sorority experience was nothing like this. We had conversations about mental health, feminism, and politics. The university also had strict rules against requiring matching outfits for events -- so we got to dress in a way that was comfortable for us. Greek life can be a positive thing, but stories like this show how harmful it can be.
Just genuinely curious though - even without forced matching outfits, was joining it this expensive? As a european, it really feels like the last sentence in the video portrayed this phenomenon best - are you just paying for friends (and societal approval)?
@@teamene9034 My dues were only $300 a semester (my university owned the greek houses so we paid regular room and board when we lived in the house). This covered formals, educational opportunities, and small events throughout the semester. I didn't view it was paying for friends...but I also didn't have crazy high dues
I agree, Claire. My experience was like yours. There were mandatory events, but they were centered around recruitment of new members, interacting with alumni and official visits by our national organization, and philanthropy. I was never told what to wear, only the standards (such as casual, dressy, etc.). The dues and fees were made known to us before we initiated. I don’t know where the author of this went to school, but like most of the financial horror stories on this site, it’s another example of buyer beware. Frankly, I would expect an 18 year old to be able to ask the questions about finances, and if a direct answer wasn’t given, walk away. In addition, my daughter joined another sorority at another university (she graduated 2 years ago), and she also had a similarly positive experience. We both gained leadership experience while we were in college which helped when we got our first job. Of course, you can get leadership experience in other ways, but no one in the Greek system would claim it is for everyone. The big takeaway is first, know yourself, and second don’t commit to something without having all the facts.
Germany has super expensive private (boarding) schools for people in I think the last couple of years of Gymnasium ("highschool" for those who don't understand). You pay 3'000 Euros or so each month, you don't receive a better education or some kind of higher degree than a normal Abitur ("highschool diploma"), which the students are aware of, and pretty much all you get that's special is the opportunity to make connections with the children of other rich parents (who may or may not be influential people themselves - there are many ways to get wealthy enough to be able to pay 3'000 Euros a month for possibly your only child) and with people who actually are moderately influential who used to attend that (boarding) school. Of what use is it to be able to meet some town major for your future career?
@@camelopardalis84 Many young people who go to private Gymnasium or private University in Germany actually also do so, because they didn't get into a decent public one.
I got the same cult-ish vibe from sorority and fraternity life when I arrived at college. I grew up in the South and went to the University of South Carolina, where sororities are a BIG part of campus life. And I knew several women who were desperate to get into the same sororities their mothers had been members of, so the legacy aspect makes it feel even more elitist. However, my parents are immigrants who knew nothing about Greek life, and even though they probably could have afforded the dues for me to be in one, I just didn't see what the big draw was. It definitely felt like paying for friends, and a lot of the sororities seemed to relish forcing dress codes and certain values upon new members. As an 18-year-old, I wasn't about to give up my free will just so a bunch of girls I had little in common with could tell me how to dress and what events I had to go to.
I know it gives cult vibes but reminds me of my British friends (exchange students female and males) who said their football clubs were worse 😬 with drinking and physical bullying.
at my college, even though we didn’t have traditional sorority houses, any girl who deactivated was basically shunned by all the members after the fact. i strongly considered rushing during my loneliest moments, but when i look back on how broke i was for most of my college life, i know it was the right choice to skip it because it would have put me straight under water financialy
Wait, why would anyone even consider paying money to an organization so they can tell you what to wear, how to spend your free time and who to be friends with?? Maybe I'm missing something (i'm not from the U.S.) but the whole concept sounds like a scam!
My roommate freshman year of college rushed a sorority. She always had to buy new stuff and had rules about what she could and couldn't wear. I have no idea why she thought it was a good idea. At least her dues included a shared room and meals. I'm so so glad I didn't rush. I saved money and still made friends that I didn't have to buy or fake being something I wasn't to for in. I could also focus on school and not required activities.
I noticed right away when I got to university that sororities were a sham and stayed far away from them. The way I saw it, it was basically an on campus job that you would have to pay for to be in.
I'll never forget one day during my freshman year, I was in an elevator, and two sorority sisters got on. I turned my headphones down and stood there listening to them make disparaging remarks about what a lot of the girls had worn the night before, and how they only let the girls with the best cars and the best clothes and the hottest boyfriends in. What lovely friends to buy. Eff that noise. If my daughter ever wanted to join one of those, I would think I done something seriously wrong.
While I respect that this is someone’s experience, this in no describes Greek Life across the board. Every state, even every college campus is different. Comparing one colleges Greek life to another is like comparing apples to oranges. Even two college campuses with the same sorority or fraternity organization can be extremely different. I am still proud of my Greek letters which is why I’ve continued my involvement in my sorority as a volunteer advisor and am active with our alumnae chapter.
So like ancient Grecce,i mean Athens(Attica?) was a democracy while Sparta was a diocratic monarchy who worked like NK+original US+woman right's. P.S.:learn that romans didn't give more right to womans because of Sparta
I was in a sorority at a mid-sized university and it actually SAVED me money. My dues were reasonable, and recruitment outfit and event costs were inexpensive as well. At my university you’re required to live in on-campus for 2 years (which is $10,000/year). However, those in Greek live could live in their houses to fulfill this requirement. I was fortunate that my house cost much less to live in, saving me around $4,000-$5,000 in one year alone. This more than made up for my dues for 4 years. Not everyone has an experience like mine, but Greek life can be extremely positive (and fiscally doable!)
Agreed. My housing was less when l loved in the sorority there were no uniforms, no expensive retreats. I learned so much from those years that l use to this day, and keep in touch with many friends, even while living across the ocean.
I was in a sorority and it was definitely expensive. However the only time we needed to buy certain colors of clothing was for recruitment (and usually we repeated the color schemes each year, so you only had to buy it once). Apart from dues, it was honestly pretty inexpensive for me. However I know that in other states that it can get really bad. I loved my sorority and stayed all 4 years, but there were plenty of my sisters who dropped due to financial pressure. We did have scholarships for a number of sisters who needed it, but it honestly wasn't enough to support every sister who needed it.
Wow...I am often asked why I didn't join a sorority when I was in college and this was one of the reasons...I was able to afford college but the extras that would be required to pledge a sorority were not in my budget. I preferred to graduate...and I am grateful as the friends I made along the way are still friends.
My Greek experience wasn’t like this at all. Granted it was back in 1985, but it was overall a very positive experience. We were encouraged to be ourselves and diverse. Grades were important and to get in the sorority (as a pledge) you needed a certain GPA. Plus, we did a lot of community service, giving back to the community was awesome and one of the reasons I went into Social Work. I’m still friends with many of the girls today. The house we lived in was a beautiful old mansion, meals were included and yes, there was typical cattiness at times but overall it was a true feeling of support. The dues were not outrageous and tuition was on par with the dorms.
We don’t have these in the U.K. we have “societies” (clubs) like the Harry Potter Society or Baking society. It’s for fun. You don’t have to pay. I will never understand what these sororities are or why they’re allowed 😂 strange world
We have a sorority row in our town. Each year, hundreds of girls dress the same to see who gets picked up by a house. Sounds like my worst nightmare. Being judged by rich, white, women?! No, thanks.
I had the same situation and ended up leaving after a year in. My leaving motivated two others to leave and honestly it was the beat decision we all have ever made.
Wow. 900 for dues without a house. That's ridiculous. I was VP of Finance for my sorority (no house) and dues were about 250 a semester. It mostly went 2 places: planning a large charity event and planning a large formal. Both of which require event venues and we were playing city prices so the respective VPs of those events still had to scrounge to make that work. But we did. My sorority experience was super healthy for me but I was fortunate enough to be able to afford it. No one should go in debt over it.
I work on a college campus with student employees and never understood why they subjected themselves to paying to be part of these organizations. Several end up quitting because it's cheaper for them to be broke for a few weeks while looking for a job than to pay fees for missing rush events if they couldn't get shifts covered
I’m glad my experience in Greek life wasn’t like this. I picked the group that made me feel the most comfortable and because I didn’t feel like I fit the cookie cutter mold. I remember that when I asked about finances everyone was very upfront about the cost and that we could pay in installments/scholarships were available/etc. The finance chair told me that if I had any difficulties or concerns to talk to her so we could work something out.
When I was younger adults would love to tell me about how all this petty behavior would end after high school and that college would be totally different. However, I defiantly saw some incredibly petty behavior in college.
Wow. This doesn't even sound remotely like my sorority experience with Gamma Phi Beta in the late 90s. Our chapter at Nortwestern University was diverse in all the ways and we were never expected to dress alike or any of the other things mentioned here... what year was this? I grew up at the poverty line and worked through college which is how I afforded the dues, no funding ever came from my parent(s) for it. And we're all still in touch today, reuniting at reunions and supporting each other through life's up and downs. I did take care to select a down-to-earth house, but it sounds like both the college and the sorority may make a huge difference in the experience!
My experience was also very different from what was portrayed in the video. It's a shame that the author didn't ask other people about their experiences. My sorority also gave scholarships and assistance to members in need. I worked part time to pay my quite affordable dues, and was never required to dress in a uniform. I'm sorry for the authors choice, but it was her choice to make. Having made a mistake, don't be bitter about it, but move on to better things. But viewers deserve to know that her portrayal is not universal.
Never been in a sorority but it seems like you pay for the experience which is worth it to some. Not sure that I would spend my financial aid money though!
im in a national service sorority (that's not panhellenic) that isn't exclusive (YOU choose to be in it, not the other way around) and it only costs me $90 a semester (yes that might be too much for some people, but it's not $7000). yes, some sororities are not worth it, but some are, so don't discredit EVERY sorority bc of this video.
I'm Europan an I love watching videos about topics like this just so I can think that we're better off here. Especially this chanel covers many issues exclusive to the US (student loans, a very materialistic world view and so on). At least you don't have to evacuate your neighborhood because they found an old bomb from ww2 :D
haha, when they close down half the campus (including the dining hall :( ) because they want to detonate an "old bomb" and then it turns out to only be buried trash #Europeanstudentstruggles
I notice quite a few RUclips videos denouncing sorority membership. This explains why🙄 My son did join a music fraternity at Tennessee State University. Even though he ended up graduating from another school he remains in touch with the brothers.
SERVICE sororities and fraternities are a different thing entirely. Phi Delta Epsilon, for instance, is a medical "fraternity" that admits all genders, has dues less than $200/year, and promotes a TON of philanthropic endeavors. This article is about SOCIAL greeks, which is a peculiar American institution that really needs to stop.
@@claressalucas8922 Interesting perspective. One thing I notice on my job is the managers in the same fraternity or sorority cover for one another🙄On a good note my son stays in touch with Phi Mu Alpha brother including several of his school teachers who have mentored him. So I have seen positive and negative things🤷♀️An there is another layer of joining at an HBCU.
@@auntiedeesorganizedrandomn976 Service fraternities/sororities are completely different from social ones. Service fraternities, like Phi Delta Epsilon for folks in healthcare, do not come with any of the social responsibilities detailed here and I have found them useful in my professional career. Unfortunately, the distinction is not always clear.
I work and pay for my own sorority dues!! We all share outfits so that we can wear "new" clothes and dress on-theme for things without spending money. Our all-inclusive dues do include all our sisterhoods and formals. I know it's trendy nowadays to be negative about sororities or Greek life in general but not all of them are that way and to imply that sororities are only good for rich blonde skinny girls is a huge generalization that invalidates the positive experiences of women of color like myself who are beginning to make our mark in Greek life!
It’s even worse that colleges like I went to, penn state, say they are a “dry campus” and abhor hazing and underage drinking, yet they let these frats and sororities still exist on their campus. Greek life has too much stake in the administration and funding of marketing events like THON to actually live up to what they claim. Anyone who tells you that THON is all about the kids, is lying. It’s an official event to make Greek life look like productive members of college life. The funding raised for cancer research is great, don’t get me wrong, but we still have young adults dying ON CAMPUS due to Greek life every year.
I really love TFD but honestly this whole video is such a generalization of other women. Are there some sororities that are super stereotypical? Totally. Are the national organizations all couched in a pretty evil history? Also totally. But this was so focused on whether someone was able to look the same or pay for things, and didn't acknowledge the context of where she was going to school or her purposefully joining the stereotypical sorority because she felt it had a higher status. For my sorority, it was often something folks joined because they felt isolated on campus, needed companionship, and struggled to fit in--and I've found that's true generally at small schools across the country vs the state school experience it looks like they're talking about. The vast majority of us were not straight-sized, not actually straight orientation wise, and incredibly accomplished academically, alongside a super high percentage given how white of a state we're in of folks of color, including myself, who led our chapter and prioritized social justice at every turn. I've felt the same things about other sorority girls at national conferences, but it's definitely worthwhile for videos that are targetted at people considering their financial decisions to also address /why/ other women have spent this money and not demonize them for something that makes them happy and in many cases gave them a community they desperately wanted and needed.
I went to a smaller school with very small Greek life and it was nothing like this. We had payment plans to help with our dues and extra costs. To be honest as a senior who joined her freshman year I've spent less than half of what the girl from the video spent. So this might be true at larger schools but definitely not at mine. I look nothing like the typical support girl but I still found a wonderful sisterhood.
I'm part of the european equivalent of a sorority and everything in this video sounds so crazy! Sororities in german speaking countries are really about preserving tradition, learning manners and working together to keep everything running. During the first year, you don't have to pay anything, but you get some duties working at the bar, cleaning or other duties at events (but fewer than normal members). You also have to learn about german history, the history of sororities and fraternities as well as proper manners which you'll have to take a test on to become a real member after a year. Then, you get more specific duties which also develop important soft-skills (planning events, making a budget,...) and pay 10€ per month. When you've got your master's degree, you pay 40€ a month, but get all the privileges and a lot of respect from younger members without any duties. We also always get a budget out of the earnings and host parties to earn money to donate (and keep a bit for ourselves). Quite often, the sorority pays for things like food, train tickets or entrance fees if it's a sorority event and every year, the new members host a party to raise money for a trip. (Which will usually be completely covered by the earnings) So TL:DR: What I heard in this video is crazy. Come to Germany.
I only knew people who joined sororities at this private Chrotsian university, and they said they had to pay a fine if they couldn't make an event. So essentially you pay if you go and you pay if you don't. That blew my mind! And the reason was that the fine was to pay for the attendees food and make the skippers (who had jobs and other commitments) consider how inconvenient/inconsiderate they were to other members for not showing up when those who did had "made time for their sister's despite their busy schedule so why couldn't you" 🙄 Idk how true any of that is since I can't tell you theta from Thelma but ooph.
It's very unfortunate for the woman who experienced this, but I must say that this is only one person's experience. This is not true for every sorority or school. Each chapter is different. Some dues are all inclusive of events and required clothing items that are event specific; others are not. It is absolutely true that sorority life isn't always accessible to everyone (something that will hopefully change over time), but chapters all over the country work hard to provide an upfront understanding of exactly how much it costs and work on scholarships for women who are struggling (both for dues and school tuition). My main point in posting this comment is to hopefully discourage people watching this video from assuming this is the end all be all. If you are passionate about joining a sorority and you can afford it (please try to be realistic and don't use your financial aid), I would absolutely suggest you do.
It's unfortunate that you had experiences like that in your chapter, thankfully, my chapter's not insane like that. Your chapter sounds like Scream Queens. I love being in my sorority. We're not "cookie cutter" and care deeply for one another. I don't fit the mold of a stereotypical sorority woman, at all, and had no interest in joining a chapter, but I took a chance and went through informal recruitment and am so thankful my shy, freshman self decided to be curious. P.S. I specified chapter, because there are hundreds of sororities and thousands of chapters across the US and Canada. While each chapter of a sorority follow the same basic guidelines, each one is unique and has their own ways of handling things. One chapter at a large university may have a very strict hierarchy and dress code, while one at a small college is more relaxed and everyone knows each other and are very close.
When I was in school I joined a sorority that was all about volunteering. Dues were $90 a semester and I still talk to several of my sisters. I think the problem was that she wanted to be something she wasn't and felt that by surrounding herself with people she thought had it all she would become like that.
I went to college in 1988 at the University of Alabama where Greek life was Animal House levels of unreal. Back then, all the girls in the Honor's Dorm (of COURSE I was a geek) called it Rent-a-Friend. The sororities would fine you if you did not wear mascara! I spent $8000 to get a PhD. Other girls from my hometown spent three times that to do what? Sit in the Greek section at the football games? Get sexually assaulted by their partner frat at Homecoming? Sleep 12 to a "porch" while paying double what I paid for the largest rooms on campus? That, my friends, is the ultimate math tax.
I am a little disappointed because this isn’t a full picture of what Greek life is or can be. Unfortunately, there are chapters and universities like the one portrayed in the video, but the video stereotypes Greek life. And I thought TFD was better than stereotyping anything.
interesting to see how different these organisations can be. In my city, you get a badge and you're good. rooms are about 70% cheaper in sororities/fraternities compared to apartments or rooms in the rest of the city. There are however certain ones that require you to dress in a particular way, e.g. only skirts and dresses or polo shirts. But those are the heavily conservative ones. The problem is, depending on what organisation you are in, you are required to take care of the whole, giant, ancient house, some bully their "freshmen" (we call them foxes), some develop alcoholic problems because you can't say no if an older member asks you to drink with them, and some of the dudes even show up with wounds on their head because there seems to be this weird over the head fetching as a way to settle disagreements. People are even proud to show off with this. However, all these in my perspective very negative aspects are the one I notice. Most fraternities aren't like this and I don't know a single sorority who does fetching, but the bullying seems to be worse in some sororities. Of course, there are organisations for music, for sports, whatever you like, also 'traditional' ones, that are very open and nice and everything - however, as I am not religious, none of them would have me anyways.
I had nothing to do with Greek life in college, joined the RPG club (about 2/3 guys, 1/3 girls) and we had tabletop gaming sessions every Friday and the occasional LARP session. It was free (unless you count everyone pitching in to order Pizza) and tons of fun with zero pressure. Loved my time in college.
It really sounds like primary school kids mentality here. " You can only be part of our Barbie club if you have the right toys" or whatever . I just wonder who benefits from those raised money. Because clearly not the members .
I think it’s unfair to make a blanket statement about sororities like this. It definitely can be like this, but if you’re in a chapter where your voice and your comfort and your needs aren’t respected you need to get out. At my university, most chapters are moving toward less uniform outfits at recruitment events so everyone can dress how they feel comfortable, we do dress swaps for formals and recruitment events and there is no pressure to buy anything new for any of those events. We also have financial aid you can apply for if you can not afford the dues. Our dues really do include everything and if there is anything extra to pay for (sisterhood events, philanthropy events, shirts, etc) none of that stuff is mandatory. You never HAVE to buy a shirt and if it is required it will usually be paid for and if not you might be able to borrow it from someone. I totally agree all of this is a problem in many chapters but it sucks to have all of Greek life dragged like this when so many chapters are working so hard to erase all those negative stereotypes
I was lured in by their promises of support. Suddenly when I'm in the hospital, and just asking someone to tell me it's going to be ok, I'm kicked out. I was alone and was dealing with the fact that I could die any day, and even questioning why I was even in college. I dropped out and got better, but I could still die from my illness.
My only Greek experience in college was the co-ed music honors fraternity I rushed my sophomore year. We certainly didn't have many expenses beyond dues each year, plus we got to spend our time enjoying our common interest of being music nerds together. Sororities were never particularly appealing to me, and I knew that I didn't fit the "cookie-cutter" mold of what most of them were looking for. Most of all, though, I wouldn't have been able to afford it!
"Going Greek" was the best decision of my life. I truly made life long friends, had amazing experiences and even built my career from the basics I learned in greek life. It was the most incredible 2 years of my life (I joined after switching universities).
Geez! What a terrible sorority! Though I will say that the sorority experience (and the associated price tag) probably varies wildly from sorority to sorority (and even between different chapters of the same sorority). I went to a private college that didn't have actual sororities, and thankfully most of the equivalent groups were not like this at all.
My daughter wants to go through rush but my concern is time. She wants to get a part-time job as well. I assume the sorority leaves very little time left for anything else.
I loved my sorority experienced and my dues were very cheap like $200 a semester. We didn’t have a house as we were only founded a few years ago. I know sororities that pay $0 in dues. I also know sororities paying less than $100 a semester. The $0 in dues sororities are at small schools.
I hated my sorority experience. I still wouldn't change it if I could go back because I made my best friend through it and actually learned a lot of social skills when I think about it, but it was all around terrible, stressful, expensive, and down right fake!
As an old, all I can say is that every college atmosphere and chapters are different. Do your research! I know some girls that had amazing experiences and made strong life-long friendships with majority of people in their chapter. I know some that only made one or two friends. I know others that are embarrassed by it. I know some people that are ambivalent about it. I know people that hated their experience. I was heavily recruited because I was a legacy, but it just wasn't my jam and my parents weren't big on Greek life like other families are. So I joined academic clubs/fraternities (which you pay a fraction of what dues cost compared to social GLOs). Professional fraternities and clubs can be something very important to put on your resume depending on your field of work. Hearing from girls later in life that were kind of outcasts in their sororities or dropped, they wished they had spent their time and money elsewhere. Also, they never benefited from the "amazing network and sisterhood" because they didn't look the part. That's one of the sadder points for me. I've heard one of their biggest selling points to keep girls in who have doubts is getting job opportunities through their network, when we all know in certain circles if you're not rich or look a certain way, that's really not applicable to you. Being in a certain sorority does not open doors for a lot of people, so if they are pushing that a lot, do not believe them.
I've always given Greek life the side eye. Shouldn't the person be enough to make friends with? Why do people need to buy their way into friendship? Or "friendship".
i dont like any of these clubs, sorities, etc because they always charge money from their members and get tons from donations, investments, etc. but only the upper inner circle gets to decide how to spend the money and they mostly spend on themselves. and unless you stand out, you will never get a chance to be part of inner circle.
What sorority was this?! This is a horrible experience, and exhibits policies and procedures that should have been brought to the attention of the national main office to be rectified. As a sorority alumni and having served as a collegiate chapter advisor, what's described in this video is worthy of disciplinary action. No one should accept a pledge offer if they are not a good fit - that goes both ways. No pledge should be expected to spend beyond their financial limits, especially for apparel for social actives. No pledge or member should be left without support of a house mother, or chapter advisor when there are issues as described. A sorority should support you, encourage diversity, coach you on team building and working within a structure that prepares you for the working world. It should offer you a network so that wherever you might move, you have built in connections.
My stepsis is forbidden from joining a sorority by her mom solely because of stories like this. She gets good grades and is good with money but she begged her mom to let her join freshman year. Honestly, I don’t see the point when she already indulges in weekend partying and underage drinking lol. She’s doing well now and having fun without the Greek letters.
A sorority has the same cost in time in money has a university course. If you can't afford the time or the financial cost of adding a course to your schedule, you should not look into pledging. Rush should cover that fact honestly and thoroughly. What you get after pledging is what you put in, and that might be very little. Greek life is not for everyone and should be looked at objectively. There is transparency in all Greek organization and you should be honest with yourself and finances before joining, and more importantly what you want out of it. If you are looking to join to gain self esteem and a status, don't be surprise if you experience revolves around just that. I personally struggled with the time commitment, and my organization was understanding that I was doing what I could and I do not regret joining. I also discouraged some of my GDI friends from rushing when I thought they wouldn't get the most of it.
This is a VERY dumb question- but when I was in school, Greek life was just another form of housing. Of course, there was more to it, but to be part of the university, they had to house and feed the members. For those of us who are not aware of this form of Greek life- can you explain what it is? I've never heard of any of these kinds of "clubs".
Luckily for me, the sororities and groups on my campus were standoffish anyways. I was a spring transfer which was awkward enough but AKA actually glared at me when I tried to buy cookies at THEIR fundraising booth. Later that fall during club rush everyone mistook me as a new student and were all in my face complimenting me and trying to get me to sign up. Same for the AASU. Being a 22yr old transfer student meant I didn't have time or money to spend every moment on campus trying to extend some high school experience (I didn't have btw due to homeschool). I grew up talking to all people of varying ages and backgrounds so I didn't appreciate the level of fakeness around these student organizations. I felt disenfranchised and isolated most of my time there and didn't really connect with anyone until I did study abroad and met other international students and people from different schools in the states because we all had the same mindset of being open instead of insular. That old school movie idea of college is only for 18yr old middle/upper class white people. In reality people have a wide range of interests and don't just fit in one group, we have jobs to get through school and can't afford unpaid internships and organizations that demand a lot of time and extra crap that has nothing to do with our goals. But unfortunately those groups names stand out and the kids who participate in them get the job over those of us with work experience just because they could afford to be cute in college.
In the UK we don't have sororities and though I've tried to piece together what they are from movies I still don't fully understand it. But our sports clubs can be insanely expensive and cruel too. I did cheer at university and loved it but there were bits I didn't like- for example at the Christmas party we were all forced to buy expensive "sexy" santa dresses and also buy secret santa presents. I wish I'd listened to myself more and refused, but I wanted to fit in.
I find your whole sorority/fraternity thing really creepy... if they're after your money they don't care for you, it's a fool's game to think you can buy friendship, and the whole secret society/influence is just damn freaky, aren't you capable of going places without buying influence? I'm so glad there's nothing like that in the UK.
My roommates wanted to join a sorority. It was ridiculous. Money money money and jumping through hoops. Neither got in and afterwards the girls wouldn't even say hi to them. It's bullshit.
My sorority literally costs less than student housing would have. Almost all my friends in this sorority are POC, and I don't look like the cookie cutter sorority girl. the only problem I've had is people treating me differently OUTSIDE of the sorority for being in one...
If you’re watching this because you’re considering sorority life then please listen to this video lmao I was in one and what a f*cking waste. I joined a business fraternity and instantly got all of those connections and friends and skills that were just empty promises from my sorority. The girls were nice and everything but it’s a stupid system.
Melanie Ovalles, I googled it a few years ago after an episode of Being Erica had an episode where her brother was in a frat. It does seem painfully lame and I was pretty disappointed to find out we have them, mostly at U of T and McGill.
Not all Greek life is like this, although yes I will acknowledge some orgs are. One experience does not speak for the whole. Thanks for perpetuating stereotypes TFD.
Whatever... the whole fraternity culture is horrible. It has a negative impact on everyone. And look, stereotypes come from truth. Dare we discuss the deaths from hazing in male fraternities?? This is all elitist bullshit and needs to to die in US college life.
@@teamene9034 I agree with what they describe. Yes, that expensive, with some being less and some much more. It IS an odd concept and IMO we should banish fraternities from our culture.
Tea Mene No, I wouldn't agree. I, and others who commented, had a very different experience. My dues were affordable on a part time job wage, no one told me what to wear, and I sure as hell wouldn't have slept on the floor when told to do so.
TFD fans! You can help make TFD better by taking 5 min to fill out this survey: forms.gle/i7XdPn9t12mhvRpGA. By completing all questions you'll be automatically entered to win a $250 Visa Gift Card. We'll notify the winner using the email they provide in the form. Thanks in advance!
Just filled it in!
Done! and I am clearly not your target demographic...
So grateful that my sorority experience was nothing like this. We had conversations about mental health, feminism, and politics. The university also had strict rules against requiring matching outfits for events -- so we got to dress in a way that was comfortable for us. Greek life can be a positive thing, but stories like this show how harmful it can be.
Same here. My Greek experience was nothing like this. Sounds like this chapter needs to be reported to their national headquarters.
Just genuinely curious though - even without forced matching outfits, was joining it this expensive? As a european, it really feels like the last sentence in the video portrayed this phenomenon best - are you just paying for friends (and societal approval)?
@@teamene9034 My dues were only $300 a semester (my university owned the greek houses so we paid regular room and board when we lived in the house). This covered formals, educational opportunities, and small events throughout the semester. I didn't view it was paying for friends...but I also didn't have crazy high dues
I agree, Claire. My experience was like yours. There were mandatory events, but they were centered around recruitment of new members, interacting with alumni and official visits by our national organization, and philanthropy. I was never told what to wear, only the standards (such as casual, dressy, etc.). The dues and fees were made known to us before we initiated. I don’t know where the author of this went to school, but like most of the financial horror stories on this site, it’s another example of buyer beware. Frankly, I would expect an 18 year old to be able to ask the questions about finances, and if a direct answer wasn’t given, walk away. In addition, my daughter joined another sorority at another university (she graduated 2 years ago), and she also had a similarly positive experience. We both gained leadership experience while we were in college which helped when we got our first job. Of course, you can get leadership experience in other ways, but no one in the Greek system would claim it is for everyone. The big takeaway is first, know yourself, and second don’t commit to something without having all the facts.
Same, my sorority was relaxed, diverse, and not this expensive at all. Totally depends on the school and the particular organization.
Coming from Germany, to me this sounds like some sick cult.
coming from America having never participated in greek life, it sounds like a cult to me as well.
It is! It's a social club to gets jobs.
Germany has super expensive private (boarding) schools for people in I think the last couple of years of Gymnasium ("highschool" for those who don't understand). You pay 3'000 Euros or so each month, you don't receive a better education or some kind of higher degree than a normal Abitur ("highschool diploma"), which the students are aware of, and pretty much all you get that's special is the opportunity to make connections with the children of other rich parents (who may or may not be influential people themselves - there are many ways to get wealthy enough to be able to pay 3'000 Euros a month for possibly your only child) and with people who actually are moderately influential who used to attend that (boarding) school.
Of what use is it to be able to meet some town major for your future career?
Went to college. Not about that group mentality. No sorority for me.
@@camelopardalis84 Many young people who go to private Gymnasium or private University in Germany actually also do so, because they didn't get into a decent public one.
Lol I’m British so I’m confused..this is giving me cult vibes 😂
I got the same cult-ish vibe from sorority and fraternity life when I arrived at college. I grew up in the South and went to the University of South Carolina, where sororities are a BIG part of campus life. And I knew several women who were desperate to get into the same sororities their mothers had been members of, so the legacy aspect makes it feel even more elitist. However, my parents are immigrants who knew nothing about Greek life, and even though they probably could have afforded the dues for me to be in one, I just didn't see what the big draw was. It definitely felt like paying for friends, and a lot of the sororities seemed to relish forcing dress codes and certain values upon new members. As an 18-year-old, I wasn't about to give up my free will just so a bunch of girls I had little in common with could tell me how to dress and what events I had to go to.
Yeah, we Americans see it too
Just crazy rich people
I know it gives cult vibes but reminds me of my British friends (exchange students female and males) who said their football clubs were worse 😬 with drinking and physical bullying.
You are not wrong 😄
at my college, even though we didn’t have traditional sorority houses, any girl who deactivated was basically shunned by all the members after the fact. i strongly considered rushing during my loneliest moments, but when i look back on how broke i was for most of my college life, i know it was the right choice to skip it because it would have put me straight under water financialy
Wait, why would anyone even consider paying money to an organization so they can tell you what to wear, how to spend your free time and who to be friends with?? Maybe I'm missing something (i'm not from the U.S.) but the whole concept sounds like a scam!
"networking"
My roommate freshman year of college rushed a sorority. She always had to buy new stuff and had rules about what she could and couldn't wear. I have no idea why she thought it was a good idea. At least her dues included a shared room and meals. I'm so so glad I didn't rush. I saved money and still made friends that I didn't have to buy or fake being something I wasn't to for in. I could also focus on school and not required activities.
I noticed right away when I got to university that sororities were a sham and stayed far away from them. The way I saw it, it was basically an on campus job that you would have to pay for to be in.
I'll never forget one day during my freshman year, I was in an elevator, and two sorority sisters got on. I turned my headphones down and stood there listening to them make disparaging remarks about what a lot of the girls had worn the night before, and how they only let the girls with the best cars and the best clothes and the hottest boyfriends in. What lovely friends to buy. Eff that noise. If my daughter ever wanted to join one of those, I would think I done something seriously wrong.
@@1MegArbo SMH...most of them are shameful...
While I respect that this is someone’s experience, this in no describes Greek Life across the board. Every state, even every college campus is different. Comparing one colleges Greek life to another is like comparing apples to oranges. Even two college campuses with the same sorority or fraternity organization can be extremely different. I am still proud of my Greek letters which is why I’ve continued my involvement in my sorority as a volunteer advisor and am active with our alumnae chapter.
So like ancient Grecce,i mean Athens(Attica?) was a democracy while Sparta was a diocratic monarchy who worked like NK+original US+woman right's.
P.S.:learn that romans didn't give more right to womans because of Sparta
This sounds like a cult. In my country this kind of stuff doesn't exists.
I was in a sorority at a mid-sized university and it actually SAVED me money. My dues were reasonable, and recruitment outfit and event costs were inexpensive as well. At my university you’re required to live in on-campus for 2 years (which is $10,000/year). However, those in Greek live could live in their houses to fulfill this requirement. I was fortunate that my house cost much less to live in, saving me around $4,000-$5,000 in one year alone. This more than made up for my dues for 4 years. Not everyone has an experience like mine, but Greek life can be extremely positive (and fiscally doable!)
Agreed. My housing was less when l loved in the sorority there were no uniforms, no expensive retreats. I learned so much from those years that l use to this day, and keep in touch with many friends, even while living across the ocean.
I was in a sorority and it was definitely expensive. However the only time we needed to buy certain colors of clothing was for recruitment (and usually we repeated the color schemes each year, so you only had to buy it once). Apart from dues, it was honestly pretty inexpensive for me. However I know that in other states that it can get really bad. I loved my sorority and stayed all 4 years, but there were plenty of my sisters who dropped due to financial pressure. We did have scholarships for a number of sisters who needed it, but it honestly wasn't enough to support every sister who needed it.
Wow...I am often asked why I didn't join a sorority when I was in college and this was one of the reasons...I was able to afford college but the extras that would be required to pledge a sorority were not in my budget. I preferred to graduate...and I am grateful as the friends I made along the way are still friends.
If they don't pay for your housing and food, it's just not worth it.
Wow the dress code sounds like the Mean Girls rules.
My Greek experience wasn’t like this at all. Granted it was back in 1985, but it was overall a very positive experience. We were encouraged to be ourselves and diverse. Grades were important and to get in the sorority (as a pledge) you needed a certain GPA. Plus, we did a lot of community service, giving back to the community was awesome and one of the reasons I went into Social Work. I’m still friends with many of the girls today. The house we lived in was a beautiful old mansion, meals were included and yes, there was typical cattiness at times but overall it was a true feeling of support. The dues were not outrageous and tuition was on par with the dorms.
We don’t have these in the U.K. we have “societies” (clubs) like the Harry Potter Society or Baking society. It’s for fun. You don’t have to pay. I will never understand what these sororities are or why they’re allowed 😂 strange world
Same. I'm in the US and my school didn't have Greek Life. I just joined a few clubs to make friends.
Emily Curtis same. My school doesn’t have it either. And I don’t understand why anyone would pay for this kind of experience.
We have a sorority row in our town. Each year, hundreds of girls dress the same to see who gets picked up by a house. Sounds like my worst nightmare. Being judged by rich, white, women?! No, thanks.
I had the same situation and ended up leaving after a year in. My leaving motivated two others to leave and honestly it was the beat decision we all have ever made.
Wow. 900 for dues without a house. That's ridiculous. I was VP of Finance for my sorority (no house) and dues were about 250 a semester. It mostly went 2 places: planning a large charity event and planning a large formal. Both of which require event venues and we were playing city prices so the respective VPs of those events still had to scrounge to make that work. But we did.
My sorority experience was super healthy for me but I was fortunate enough to be able to afford it. No one should go in debt over it.
I work on a college campus with student employees and never understood why they subjected themselves to paying to be part of these organizations. Several end up quitting because it's cheaper for them to be broke for a few weeks while looking for a job than to pay fees for missing rush events if they couldn't get shifts covered
My sorority life was nothing like this at all. It's really unfortunate that video is like this make it appear that all sorority life is like this.
I’m glad my experience in Greek life wasn’t like this. I picked the group that made me feel the most comfortable and because I didn’t feel like I fit the cookie cutter mold. I remember that when I asked about finances everyone was very upfront about the cost and that we could pay in installments/scholarships were available/etc. The finance chair told me that if I had any difficulties or concerns to talk to her so we could work something out.
When I was younger adults would love to tell me about how all this petty behavior would end after high school and that college would be totally different. However, I defiantly saw some incredibly petty behavior in college.
When college was foe elites,yes that statement would have been true but now with mass academia is just a few not good at learning and/or poor people.
Wow. This doesn't even sound remotely like my sorority experience with Gamma Phi Beta in the late 90s. Our chapter at Nortwestern University was diverse in all the ways and we were never expected to dress alike or any of the other things mentioned here... what year was this? I grew up at the poverty line and worked through college which is how I afforded the dues, no funding ever came from my parent(s) for it. And we're all still in touch today, reuniting at reunions and supporting each other through life's up and downs. I did take care to select a down-to-earth house, but it sounds like both the college and the sorority may make a huge difference in the experience!
My experience was also very different from what was portrayed in the video. It's a shame that the author didn't ask other people about their experiences. My sorority also gave scholarships and assistance to members in need. I worked part time to pay my quite affordable dues, and was never required to dress in a uniform. I'm sorry for the authors choice, but it was her choice to make. Having made a mistake, don't be bitter about it, but move on to better things. But viewers deserve to know that her portrayal is not universal.
I am in Gphi right now and I LOVE it and it is absolutely nothing like what this girl describes :)
Never been in a sorority but it seems like you pay for the experience which is worth it to some. Not sure that I would spend my financial aid money though!
im in a national service sorority (that's not panhellenic) that isn't exclusive (YOU choose to be in it, not the other way around) and it only costs me $90 a semester (yes that might be too much for some people, but it's not $7000). yes, some sororities are not worth it, but some are, so don't discredit EVERY sorority bc of this video.
I'm Europan an I love watching videos about topics like this just so I can think that we're better off here. Especially this chanel covers many issues exclusive to the US (student loans, a very materialistic world view and so on). At least you don't have to evacuate your neighborhood because they found an old bomb from ww2 :D
haha, when they close down half the campus (including the dining hall :( ) because they want to detonate an "old bomb" and then it turns out to only be buried trash #Europeanstudentstruggles
I notice quite a few RUclips videos denouncing sorority membership. This explains why🙄
My son did join a music fraternity at Tennessee State University. Even though he ended up graduating from another school he remains in touch with the brothers.
SERVICE sororities and fraternities are a different thing entirely. Phi Delta Epsilon, for instance, is a medical "fraternity" that admits all genders, has dues less than $200/year, and promotes a TON of philanthropic endeavors. This article is about SOCIAL greeks, which is a peculiar American institution that really needs to stop.
@@claressalucas8922 Interesting perspective. One thing I notice on my job is the managers in the same fraternity or sorority cover for one another🙄On a good note my son stays in touch with Phi Mu Alpha brother including several of his school teachers who have mentored him. So I have seen positive and negative things🤷♀️An there is another layer of joining at an HBCU.
@@auntiedeesorganizedrandomn976 Service fraternities/sororities are completely different from social ones. Service fraternities, like Phi Delta Epsilon for folks in healthcare, do not come with any of the social responsibilities detailed here and I have found them useful in my professional career. Unfortunately, the distinction is not always clear.
I work and pay for my own sorority dues!! We all share outfits so that we can wear "new" clothes and dress on-theme for things without spending money. Our all-inclusive dues do include all our sisterhoods and formals. I know it's trendy nowadays to be negative about sororities or Greek life in general but not all of them are that way and to imply that sororities are only good for rich blonde skinny girls is a huge generalization that invalidates the positive experiences of women of color like myself who are beginning to make our mark in Greek life!
Sorority life is not for me. I am a good team player but do not have a "pack" mentality at all...
It’s even worse that colleges like I went to, penn state, say they are a “dry campus” and abhor hazing and underage drinking, yet they let these frats and sororities still exist on their campus. Greek life has too much stake in the administration and funding of marketing events like THON to actually live up to what they claim. Anyone who tells you that THON is all about the kids, is lying. It’s an official event to make Greek life look like productive members of college life. The funding raised for cancer research is great, don’t get me wrong, but we still have young adults dying ON CAMPUS due to Greek life every year.
I really love TFD but honestly this whole video is such a generalization of other women. Are there some sororities that are super stereotypical? Totally. Are the national organizations all couched in a pretty evil history? Also totally. But this was so focused on whether someone was able to look the same or pay for things, and didn't acknowledge the context of where she was going to school or her purposefully joining the stereotypical sorority because she felt it had a higher status. For my sorority, it was often something folks joined because they felt isolated on campus, needed companionship, and struggled to fit in--and I've found that's true generally at small schools across the country vs the state school experience it looks like they're talking about. The vast majority of us were not straight-sized, not actually straight orientation wise, and incredibly accomplished academically, alongside a super high percentage given how white of a state we're in of folks of color, including myself, who led our chapter and prioritized social justice at every turn. I've felt the same things about other sorority girls at national conferences, but it's definitely worthwhile for videos that are targetted at people considering their financial decisions to also address /why/ other women have spent this money and not demonize them for something that makes them happy and in many cases gave them a community they desperately wanted and needed.
I went to a smaller school with very small Greek life and it was nothing like this. We had payment plans to help with our dues and extra costs. To be honest as a senior who joined her freshman year I've spent less than half of what the girl from the video spent. So this might be true at larger schools but definitely not at mine. I look nothing like the typical support girl but I still found a wonderful sisterhood.
I'm part of the european equivalent of a sorority and everything in this video sounds so crazy! Sororities in german speaking countries are really about preserving tradition, learning manners and working together to keep everything running. During the first year, you don't have to pay anything, but you get some duties working at the bar, cleaning or other duties at events (but fewer than normal members). You also have to learn about german history, the history of sororities and fraternities as well as proper manners which you'll have to take a test on to become a real member after a year. Then, you get more specific duties which also develop important soft-skills (planning events, making a budget,...) and pay 10€ per month. When you've got your master's degree, you pay 40€ a month, but get all the privileges and a lot of respect from younger members without any duties. We also always get a budget out of the earnings and host parties to earn money to donate (and keep a bit for ourselves). Quite often, the sorority pays for things like food, train tickets or entrance fees if it's a sorority event and every year, the new members host a party to raise money for a trip. (Which will usually be completely covered by the earnings)
So TL:DR: What I heard in this video is crazy. Come to Germany.
I only knew people who joined sororities at this private Chrotsian university, and they said they had to pay a fine if they couldn't make an event. So essentially you pay if you go and you pay if you don't. That blew my mind! And the reason was that the fine was to pay for the attendees food and make the skippers (who had jobs and other commitments) consider how inconvenient/inconsiderate they were to other members for not showing up when those who did had "made time for their sister's despite their busy schedule so why couldn't you" 🙄 Idk how true any of that is since I can't tell you theta from Thelma but ooph.
It's very unfortunate for the woman who experienced this, but I must say that this is only one person's experience. This is not true for every sorority or school. Each chapter is different. Some dues are all inclusive of events and required clothing items that are event specific; others are not. It is absolutely true that sorority life isn't always accessible to everyone (something that will hopefully change over time), but chapters all over the country work hard to provide an upfront understanding of exactly how much it costs and work on scholarships for women who are struggling (both for dues and school tuition). My main point in posting this comment is to hopefully discourage people watching this video from assuming this is the end all be all. If you are passionate about joining a sorority and you can afford it (please try to be realistic and don't use your financial aid), I would absolutely suggest you do.
It's unfortunate that you had experiences like that in your chapter, thankfully, my chapter's not insane like that. Your chapter sounds like Scream Queens. I love being in my sorority. We're not "cookie cutter" and care deeply for one another. I don't fit the mold of a stereotypical sorority woman, at all, and had no interest in joining a chapter, but I took a chance and went through informal recruitment and am so thankful my shy, freshman self decided to be curious.
P.S. I specified chapter, because there are hundreds of sororities and thousands of chapters across the US and Canada. While each chapter of a sorority follow the same basic guidelines, each one is unique and has their own ways of handling things. One chapter at a large university may have a very strict hierarchy and dress code, while one at a small college is more relaxed and everyone knows each other and are very close.
When I was in school I joined a sorority that was all about volunteering. Dues were $90 a semester and I still talk to several of my sisters. I think the problem was that she wanted to be something she wasn't and felt that by surrounding herself with people she thought had it all she would become like that.
I went to college in 1988 at the University of Alabama where Greek life was Animal House levels of unreal. Back then, all the girls in the Honor's Dorm (of COURSE I was a geek) called it Rent-a-Friend. The sororities would fine you if you did not wear mascara! I spent $8000 to get a PhD. Other girls from my hometown spent three times that to do what? Sit in the Greek section at the football games? Get sexually assaulted by their partner frat at Homecoming? Sleep 12 to a "porch" while paying double what I paid for the largest rooms on campus? That, my friends, is the ultimate math tax.
Always thought Greek life was cultish but damn these dues are criminal
I am a little disappointed because this isn’t a full picture of what Greek life is or can be. Unfortunately, there are chapters and universities like the one portrayed in the video, but the video stereotypes Greek life. And I thought TFD was better than stereotyping anything.
interesting to see how different these organisations can be. In my city, you get a badge and you're good. rooms are about 70% cheaper in sororities/fraternities compared to apartments or rooms in the rest of the city. There are however certain ones that require you to dress in a particular way, e.g. only skirts and dresses or polo shirts. But those are the heavily conservative ones. The problem is, depending on what organisation you are in, you are required to take care of the whole, giant, ancient house, some bully their "freshmen" (we call them foxes), some develop alcoholic problems because you can't say no if an older member asks you to drink with them, and some of the dudes even show up with wounds on their head because there seems to be this weird over the head fetching as a way to settle disagreements. People are even proud to show off with this. However, all these in my perspective very negative aspects are the one I notice. Most fraternities aren't like this and I don't know a single sorority who does fetching, but the bullying seems to be worse in some sororities. Of course, there are organisations for music, for sports, whatever you like, also 'traditional' ones, that are very open and nice and everything - however, as I am not religious, none of them would have me anyways.
I wonder what they're doing with all the money! I call this an old fashion thievery!
I had nothing to do with Greek life in college, joined the RPG club (about 2/3 guys, 1/3 girls) and we had tabletop gaming sessions every Friday and the occasional LARP session. It was free (unless you count everyone pitching in to order Pizza) and tons of fun with zero pressure. Loved my time in college.
This is such a uniquely American coming of age experience. We don't have anything like this in Canada.
Amy Irene I’m thankful we don’t!
I’m with you, sister!
It really sounds like primary school kids mentality here. " You can only be part of our Barbie club if you have the right toys" or whatever . I just wonder who benefits from those raised money. Because clearly not the members .
Lmao girl you were scanned. If you have to pay for friends like this, they're not your friends
I think it’s unfair to make a blanket statement about sororities like this. It definitely can be like this, but if you’re in a chapter where your voice and your comfort and your needs aren’t respected you need to get out. At my university, most chapters are moving toward less uniform outfits at recruitment events so everyone can dress how they feel comfortable, we do dress swaps for formals and recruitment events and there is no pressure to buy anything new for any of those events. We also have financial aid you can apply for if you can not afford the dues. Our dues really do include everything and if there is anything extra to pay for (sisterhood events, philanthropy events, shirts, etc) none of that stuff is mandatory. You never HAVE to buy a shirt and if it is required it will usually be paid for and if not you might be able to borrow it from someone. I totally agree all of this is a problem in many chapters but it sucks to have all of Greek life dragged like this when so many chapters are working so hard to erase all those negative stereotypes
I was lured in by their promises of support. Suddenly when I'm in the hospital, and just asking someone to tell me it's going to be ok, I'm kicked out. I was alone and was dealing with the fact that I could die any day, and even questioning why I was even in college. I dropped out and got better, but I could still die from my illness.
My only Greek experience in college was the co-ed music honors fraternity I rushed my sophomore year. We certainly didn't have many expenses beyond dues each year, plus we got to spend our time enjoying our common interest of being music nerds together. Sororities were never particularly appealing to me, and I knew that I didn't fit the "cookie-cutter" mold of what most of them were looking for. Most of all, though, I wouldn't have been able to afford it!
"Going Greek" was the best decision of my life. I truly made life long friends, had amazing experiences and even built my career from the basics I learned in greek life. It was the most incredible 2 years of my life (I joined after switching universities).
Geez! What a terrible sorority! Though I will say that the sorority experience (and the associated price tag) probably varies wildly from sorority to sorority (and even between different chapters of the same sorority). I went to a private college that didn't have actual sororities, and thankfully most of the equivalent groups were not like this at all.
My daughter wants to go through rush but my concern is time. She wants to get a part-time job as well. I assume the sorority leaves very little time left for anything else.
I loved my sorority experienced and my dues were very cheap like $200 a semester. We didn’t have a house as we were only founded a few years ago. I know sororities that pay $0 in dues. I also know sororities paying less than $100 a semester. The $0 in dues sororities are at small schools.
my experience hasn't been like this at all
I hated my sorority experience. I still wouldn't change it if I could go back because I made my best friend through it and actually learned a lot of social skills when I think about it, but it was all around terrible, stressful, expensive, and down right fake!
As an old, all I can say is that every college atmosphere and chapters are different. Do your research! I know some girls that had amazing experiences and made strong life-long friendships with majority of people in their chapter. I know some that only made one or two friends. I know others that are embarrassed by it. I know some people that are ambivalent about it. I know people that hated their experience.
I was heavily recruited because I was a legacy, but it just wasn't my jam and my parents weren't big on Greek life like other families are. So I joined academic clubs/fraternities (which you pay a fraction of what dues cost compared to social GLOs). Professional fraternities and clubs can be something very important to put on your resume depending on your field of work. Hearing from girls later in life that were kind of outcasts in their sororities or dropped, they wished they had spent their time and money elsewhere. Also, they never benefited from the "amazing network and sisterhood" because they didn't look the part. That's one of the sadder points for me. I've heard one of their biggest selling points to keep girls in who have doubts is getting job opportunities through their network, when we all know in certain circles if you're not rich or look a certain way, that's really not applicable to you. Being in a certain sorority does not open doors for a lot of people, so if they are pushing that a lot, do not believe them.
Are people surprised about the fact that Greek life is like this???
I am. I pledged years ago and it's been an awesome experience.
So being in Greek life for 4 years would cost about as much as a lightly used car.
I've always given Greek life the side eye. Shouldn't the person be enough to make friends with? Why do people need to buy their way into friendship? Or "friendship".
i dont like any of these clubs, sorities, etc because they always charge money from their members and get tons from donations, investments, etc. but only the upper inner circle gets to decide how to spend the money and they mostly spend on themselves. and unless you stand out, you will never get a chance to be part of inner circle.
What sorority was this?! This is a horrible experience, and exhibits policies and procedures that should have been brought to the attention of the national main office to be rectified. As a sorority alumni and having served as a collegiate chapter advisor, what's described in this video is worthy of disciplinary action. No one should accept a pledge offer if they are not a good fit - that goes both ways. No pledge should be expected to spend beyond their financial limits, especially for apparel for social actives. No pledge or member should be left without support of a house mother, or chapter advisor when there are issues as described. A sorority should support you, encourage diversity, coach you on team building and working within a structure that prepares you for the working world. It should offer you a network so that wherever you might move, you have built in connections.
I went to a private university, this was the exact reason I didn’t join one
How not to spend money on some weird thing most people in the world never ever have heard of...
My stepsis is forbidden from joining a sorority by her mom solely because of stories like this. She gets good grades and is good with money but she begged her mom to let her join freshman year. Honestly, I don’t see the point when she already indulges in weekend partying and underage drinking lol. She’s doing well now and having fun without the Greek letters.
A sorority has the same cost in time in money has a university course. If you can't afford the time or the financial cost of adding a course to your schedule, you should not look into pledging. Rush should cover that fact honestly and thoroughly. What you get after pledging is what you put in, and that might be very little. Greek life is not for everyone and should be looked at objectively. There is transparency in all Greek organization and you should be honest with yourself and finances before joining, and more importantly what you want out of it. If you are looking to join to gain self esteem and a status, don't be surprise if you experience revolves around just that. I personally struggled with the time commitment, and my organization was understanding that I was doing what I could and I do not regret joining. I also discouraged some of my GDI friends from rushing when I thought they wouldn't get the most of it.
Im from Europe and this sounds like some intense cult shit
This is a VERY dumb question- but when I was in school, Greek life was just another form of housing. Of course, there was more to it, but to be part of the university, they had to house and feed the members. For those of us who are not aware of this form of Greek life- can you explain what it is? I've never heard of any of these kinds of "clubs".
Luckily for me, the sororities and groups on my campus were standoffish anyways. I was a spring transfer which was awkward enough but AKA actually glared at me when I tried to buy cookies at THEIR fundraising booth. Later that fall during club rush everyone mistook me as a new student and were all in my face complimenting me and trying to get me to sign up. Same for the AASU. Being a 22yr old transfer student meant I didn't have time or money to spend every moment on campus trying to extend some high school experience (I didn't have btw due to homeschool). I grew up talking to all people of varying ages and backgrounds so I didn't appreciate the level of fakeness around these student organizations. I felt disenfranchised and isolated most of my time there and didn't really connect with anyone until I did study abroad and met other international students and people from different schools in the states because we all had the same mindset of being open instead of insular.
That old school movie idea of college is only for 18yr old middle/upper class white people. In reality people have a wide range of interests and don't just fit in one group, we have jobs to get through school and can't afford unpaid internships and organizations that demand a lot of time and extra crap that has nothing to do with our goals.
But unfortunately those groups names stand out and the kids who participate in them get the job over those of us with work experience just because they could afford to be cute in college.
In the UK we don't have sororities and though I've tried to piece together what they are from movies I still don't fully understand it. But our sports clubs can be insanely expensive and cruel too. I did cheer at university and loved it but there were bits I didn't like- for example at the Christmas party we were all forced to buy expensive "sexy" santa dresses and also buy secret santa presents. I wish I'd listened to myself more and refused, but I wanted to fit in.
This sounds like a serious Stepford Wives vibe :(
Woah. Dark episode! Love it, thanks for sharing, I didn’t know how any of this worked because I didn’t know anyone who did Greek life.
I find your whole sorority/fraternity thing really creepy... if they're after your money they don't care for you, it's a fool's game to think you can buy friendship, and the whole secret society/influence is just damn freaky, aren't you capable of going places without buying influence? I'm so glad there's nothing like that in the UK.
My roommates wanted to join a sorority. It was ridiculous. Money money money and jumping through hoops. Neither got in and afterwards the girls wouldn't even say hi to them. It's bullshit.
My sorority literally costs less than student housing would have. Almost all my friends in this sorority are POC, and I don't look like the cookie cutter sorority girl. the only problem I've had is people treating me differently OUTSIDE of the sorority for being in one...
I mean even hearing this I still wanna join because not every house is the same, there are scholarships and sponsors and I’m gonna get a job anyway
Wow! Thank you for sharing!
BGLOs and WGLOs are certainly different.
Absolutely agree! My experience with my divine 9 sorority wasn't anything like this!
@@DesNReg I'm in a D9 Sorority as well (🐘)... and in talking to WGL sororities its night and day. Not saying there aren't issues, but not this🥴
This is all accurate.
I'm so glad my university doesn't allow sororities at all. I can't imagine this
What school is this I’m curious?
As a european, I'm yet again confused by these sad american concepts
Paying for friends is super lame
If you’re watching this because you’re considering sorority life then please listen to this video lmao I was in one and what a f*cking waste. I joined a business fraternity and instantly got all of those connections and friends and skills that were just empty promises from my sorority. The girls were nice and everything but it’s a stupid system.
Sounds exhausting, sheesh 🙄
in my country we don't have sorority...
Sorority life was the best ❤️
Americans are weird between the guns and the violence and excesive police force. Poor people, i would never go to the US its scary
Lame... So glad this nonsense doesn't exist in Canada!!! 😂😂😂
Melanie Ovalles, I googled it a few years ago after an episode of Being Erica had an episode where her brother was in a frat. It does seem painfully lame and I was pretty disappointed to find out we have them, mostly at U of T and McGill.
please dont clump mainstream geek organizations with the D9, multi-cultural orgs, cultural orgs. this vid does not apply to all greek orgs
Don't spend money that you don't have..she was old enough to know
Wow, Sororities are weird....
Narrator is bitter.
Imagine paying for friends
Wtf! am i doin here
Wow this is not even close to my experience with greek life.
Worst than a pyramid scheme!
Not all Greek life is like this, although yes I will acknowledge some orgs are. One experience does not speak for the whole. Thanks for perpetuating stereotypes TFD.
Whatever... the whole fraternity culture is horrible. It has a negative impact on everyone. And look, stereotypes come from truth. Dare we discuss the deaths from hazing in male fraternities?? This is all elitist bullshit and needs to to die in US college life.
Would you disagree with everything they describe? Was it this expensive? I'm genuinely wondering as a european - seems like a really odd concept
@@teamene9034 I agree with what they describe. Yes, that expensive, with some being less and some much more. It IS an odd concept and IMO we should banish fraternities from our culture.
Tea Mene
No, I wouldn't agree. I, and others who commented, had a very different experience. My dues were affordable on a part time job wage, no one told me what to wear, and I sure as hell wouldn't have slept on the floor when told to do so.
Idk what you are talking about, we don't have sororities, but it sounds like a cult
*laughs in european*