In college I would say there are two kinds of people; those who are in Greek life and love it, and those who despise Greek life and want nothing to do with it. Either way they have a point. The college students involved in Greek life love it because they know what really goes on in those giant mansions in Greek Village. They know the deep connections they have made with people and the ways they have benefitted by being a part of something bigger than themselves.  For those students who only see Greek Life as a big exclusive party scene (and in some ways it can be) this is the only part of Greek life they see. The movies portray Greek members as these stuck up rich kids just looking to party and become the most popular. So who can blame people not involved for not knowing what they are really like from the inside? I wanted to write about this because I would have been one of those people who despised Greek life and its party scene before I was convinced to rush and join a sorority. Now that I have seen what being in a sorority is like from the inside I think it is very important for people to be informed on the benefits of being involved in Greek life before deciding to hate it all together. This paper will focus on the benefits being involved can bring you, in the classroom specifically. I have benefitted from this personally because my sorority sisters are always there for each other when we need help studying for something. Also, my big has taken some of the classes I am currently taking so she is able to help me prepare for tests and homework because she knows how the class is run. Many of my sisters reserve rooms in the library and share on our Facebook page so that we can study together and support each other. Although I have benefitted academically from being in a sorority that might not be the case for everyone. Being in Greek Life is time consuming and could interfere with study time. The stereotype that it is a party scene can also be true if you choose to be involved in that. Greek Life presents you with the opportunities to go to parties that could make you too tired or hungover for class the next day which would interfere with your grades. I feel like your experience with Greek Life is what you make it, and it is your responsibility to stay involved for the right reasons if you join. 

The article that I read from Psychology Today describes the benefits of joining a sorority/fraternity. It also goes on to describe how these benefits however could be just the kind of people who are joining sororities and fraternities. Such as leadership skills. Those who seek to be in a Greek organization are usually the ones already not afraid to talk to people and aren't afraid to step out of their comfort zone. However, one piece of evidence that I found interesting from this article was about a study done testing fraternity/sorority members cognitive abilities. Freshman involved in Greek life seemed to do worse than those not affiliated with a fraternity/sorority. They continued this study on Sophomores and Juniors as well where the scores between those in a sorority/fraternity and those not were closer. This makes me come to the conclusion that the longer these students are in Greek organizations the more their cognitive abilities improved. The author of this article was not in a Greek organization which could make him biased against fraternities/sororities but, he states that he had family members in these organizations and he provides multiple pieces of evidence from both sides of the argument. This makes him a good source to use. He also shares multiple websites where he got his information from so that you can check his credibility and he has a PH. D.

The second article I read is trying to introduce the same message that I am through this paper; the idea that before judging Greek life make sure you are informed not only on the fraternity party that you attended last semester but the academic benefits of joining that fraternities/sororities have. She goes on to explain how being involved in a Greek organization benefitted her in many aspects of life. Many Greek organizations set a standard for their students that they are expected to maintain. For example, the girl in this article is expected to maintain a 3.1 GPA. If a student were to fall behind and receive a GPA lower than the standard, he/she would be placed on academic probation and provided with multiple means of tutoring and support from the VP of membership and other members of the organization in order to get heir grades back up to par. This article describes the benefit of having someone to keep you accountable for your grades. Also, being a part of something so much bigger than yourself can be motivation enough to keep your grades up. Everything you do reflects back on the sorority/fraternity and you wouldn't want to let them down. The author of this article was involved in a sorority, which could sway her to be pro Greek organizations. This could also mean that she is well informed in this situation and has personal experience with it. The article was written in 2014 making the statistics and information provided relevant with todays Greek Organizations. 

The last article that I researched is about an Alpha Delta Pi sister who is describing the "power" of being in a sorority. On joining a sorority, she discovered it was much more than she had imagined. She had signed up for a good time and meeting new people but she got all of that plus much more; she got people who were there for her and want her to succeed. As far as GPA goes she explains how you always have a group of sisters to go to the library with. Your GPA does not only reflect you but also your sorority so you have to make sure you are always at the top of your game when it comes to grades. Knowing that you have 100 or more people wanting you to succeed and willing to help you is so powerful; how could you not succeed? The author of this article is also a sorority girl. This could say her to be biased for Greek life however, I am involved in Greek life and I can vouch for her that everything she said is true. You are involved in something bigger than yourself. You are always wearing your letters and you must represent your sorority in a positive way on campus.

My research question is arguable because many people would disagree that Greek life can help you improve in the classroom because to them Greek life is a giant party scene. On the contrary others have had great experiences with receiving help from their brothers/sisters when they are in need of academic support. Being involved in Greek Life and keeping your grades up can be a challenge because of the parties and social events you have to attend, but it is all about time management and knowing when to say no. I may need to revise my research question to succeeding inside and outside of the classroom academically. 

