What is your opinion on fraternities and sororities?

I can't really speak for undergraduate fraternities, but I'm in a professional fraternity in pharmacy school. And honestly, I love it. But we spend our time and resources doing community service and working for good causes, not throwing parties. Plus you spend a ton of time with your brothers/sisters, and you really do grow to be like a family. My brothers and sisters are my closest friends, and I know that they would do anything to help me out if I needed it.

But again, this is a pharmacy fraternity. Might be totally different than most fraternities.

I hated fraternities and everything associated with Greek life my freshmen year. I believed every stereotype in the book. It wasn't until I met guys in different fraternities in my other clubs and I realized they were nothing like their stereotype. Sure I found out that there was an d-bag in about every house but it was not exclusive to those in fratenities. For every d-bag in a fraternity there was one or two d-bags who weren't in a fraternity.

Sophomore year I went to a rush after a guy I met in my club told me to stop by. I liked him and he was cool so I figured his brothers were the same. Found out my stereotypes and supposed attributes of those in a fraternity were anywhere near the reality.

Honestly I find the paying for friend things comical. I never felt I was paying for finds 80% of our dues went to national organization with only 20% ($100) going into our social fund. This allowed us to throw parties open to the campus, pay for our formals, and pay for any community service project we wanted to do. I never felt like I was paying certain people to hang out with me. When I look back in all my friends from elementary and onward they were from my sports teams where I had to pay a fee to participate. Heck now that I am adult and go out for drinks with friends I usually buy a round a drinks and they'll buy a round so I guess I am paying for friends then too.

Greek life isn't for everyone nor is it a neccesity to have a good time in college. But for every high ego superficial person in a fraternity/sorority thinking they are better than you; there is a high ego superficial person not involved in greek life that feels they are better than those in it.

I agree... Nothing really useful or seemingly worth it come out of frats or sororities (save for the occasional charity parties that throw) but then again maybe I'm just surrounded by the trashy ones.

My opinion!! Elitism run amok! Egos on steroids. Superfluous cronyism. An extreme example of a superficial society.