o-week advice

by: freshmenreadit August 20, 2017 12:03:30 PM

For the many imperfections that exist in the Greek system (including most of the stuff on this website), being part of a fraternity or sorority has immense benefits that extend far beyond having a social life. You will never be the smartest kid in the room at Duke, I know this for a fact simply because you are on this website. The kid with the highest GPA rarely goes on to be the most successful. Greek life allows you to hone interpersonal skills, teaches you life lessons and provides experiences that foster growth and will be important in whatever field you may choose to pursue after graduation. Most importantly of all, a fraternity provides the platform in which special bonds are forged and the memories that make life worth living.

Recruitment started the moment decisions came out. Make no mistake, recruitment is not limited to the Rush period of two weeks in January. So with that being said here are my personal tips for rush. Written from a guy’s perspective but I am sure that a lot of these are applicable to sorority recruitment as well.

Tips for freshmen (in no particular order):

Posted By: freshmenreaditAugust 20, 2017 12:03:30 PM

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#1by: freshmenreadit August 20, 2017 12:03:50 PM

1. Be respectful.
- Especially to women. It blows my mind that I feel it is necessary to remind freshmen of this.
1. Go to everything you get invited to
- Make the most of the freedom that comes with freshmen year. Go to as many events as possible while you have the opportunity to. This will allow you to get a good feel of the different fraternities and their distinct characteristics to aid your decision.
1. Stay on top of your work
- Probably the most important. Duke is difficult, anyone that tells you otherwise is lying. Stay on top of your work. Have the self discipline. Remember why you are at Duke in the first place. Particularly relevant during Rush as life does not get any less busy once you are in a fraternity.
1. Talk to as many brothers as possible
- The more brothers that know you the better. Brothers want to get to know you. Take the initiative and engage them. Obviously, do it at the appropriate time (e.g. if he is chatting up a lady, probably not the time.). Word of caution: brothers will notice if you are overly eager, so like many other things in life balance is key. Find brothers you are genuinely interested in and build a relationship with them. A good metric of fit is if you want to have the same experience as their seniors.
1. Don’t listen to the opinion of a fraternity from other fraternities
- Be an adult. Don’t be a sheep. Form your own opinions. If you have the unrelenting desire to listen to their opinion, at least take it with a grain of salt.

By: freshmenreaditAugust 20, 2017 12:03:50 PM