A new academic year is beginning again, and if you’re on the row, Greek row that is, you know what that means: a week of Bigs scouting out their Littles, nights of endless fun and frat-hopping and freshmen spending their days in ways that they may later regret.
There”s Highlighter party, Jock Jams, Rock the Casa – so many Greek events are coming up with the start of term. But with great fun, comes great responsibility.
New students in the Greek system should realize that they can’t attend every event, and the key to having the most fun is planning ahead. All students, Greek or not, should prioritize their homework during the week and use the weekends to do whatever their hearts desire.
Alexander Milles
Fraternities and sororities usually put a high value on academics for their members. If a member doesn”t value their education, they probably won”t be Greek for very long. At the end of the day, students are all here to graduate college.
Remember that everyone has different class schedules, credit loads and a whole lot of other responsibilities they have to handle. Do not compare yourself to others, and definitely don”t be afraid to turn down opportunities to be social if you have other more important things on your plate.
This doesn”t mean students shouldn”t take advantage of all of the fun benefits of being a member of the University of Idaho”s Greek system. They should be fearless and attempt to fully experience everything Greek life has to offer them.
College is the time to try new things. At the same time, students should be sure to keep their priorities in check. Keeping social and school lives in balance is an art form that is worth mastering sooner rather than later.
Being a new Greek member means these students are new members of specific houses. New members may not realize this yet, but that means something important. It means now the choices they make represent everybody else in their house, and the consequences of those choices will affect more than just themselves.
The work new Greek students put into their houses this year will reflect on their house as a whole. In turn, the relationships they build will be the ones they keep for a lifetime, especially with their incoming class of members.
Planning ahead will make everything much easier on everybody. Trust me. Make grades a priority, and remember that by doing so that makes being Greek your priority.
But also know that it’s OK to not have absolutely everything together right now. All college students have had to ride the struggle bus at some point. Some have even had to ride it the morning after a late night out with a hangover to their first class of the day. Hopefully, students have enough intuition to know that a 7 a.m. class is never a good idea. But that”s yet another benefit of being Greek – each house supports its members no matter what.
In the blink of an eye, these same new members will be seniors. They have the power to shape not only their individual house, but this Greek system as a whole. Because of this, the new members should take the responsibility seriously, while also making the most of it every day.
Alexander Milles can be reached at [email protected]