Advisors, especially mine, tell parents that rushing and pledging a fraternity or sorority could have serious detrimental effects on academics during the first year. They advise against it, and parents pass this information along to their sons or daughters. Some students listen, but others, like me, do not and accept a bid to become involved in one of the nation s largest Greek systems. While my decision was an admittedly tough one, I strongly recommend it to incoming students. Even though some say students shouldn t pledge as first years, the final culmination of getting initiated makes it all worth while.
Advisors make good points against pledging fraternities and sororities first year.
Parents, counselors, and even students agree that academic standing should be the main focus during the first year of college. Participating in Greek life takes up countless hours of time that could be spent studying. Rush alone takes up a three-week span where every single night students spend their time at prospective fraternity or sorority houses. Those students spend very little time studying, and this can have only detrimental effects on their grades. Then if pledging becomes an option, six months of putting up with late nights of fraternity and sorority quasi-hazing ensues.