As one of the three cofounders of college advice phenom Her Campus and coauthor of the first Her Campus book, Stephanie Kaplan Lewis knows a thing or two about student life. To put it mildly.
We picked her brain on a few of our favorite campus topics. But we came away with so much stuff we had to split it up! So without further ado, here’s the first blog in our Q&A series with Stephanie Kaplan Lewis. We’re kicking things off with a discussion about Greek life and joining a sorority in particular. (She’s the founder of Her Campus, after all!)
CollegeXpress: Why join a sorority?
Stephanie Kaplan Lewis: There are many pros to joining a sorority. You’ll make more friends, connect with older students, meet more guys, and get even more involved on campus. For collegiettes at big schools, you’ll get the benefits of a smaller community of like-minded women. You’ll also have an active social calendar and a larger network of resources for internships and post-grad jobs.
CX: How can students make the most of the rushing process?
SKL: It’s important to research Greek life at your school before rush starts, in order to get a feel for how important it is to student life. Review the rush process so you know what to expect, and think over what to talk about and what to wear.
CX: What are some common misconceptions about Greek life?
SKL: Despite the party reputation, Greek affiliation looks good on a résumé! It may give you an immediate connection to your interviewer if she was in the same sorority. It’s even better if you have a leadership position within your sorority and can refer to the skills you learned from it.
CX: Just how social are “social sororities” anyway?
SKL: Most of what you’ve heard about Greek life is probably about the parties, but there’s more to it than ragers! There are a variety of social events available for members of Greek life, including mixers, formals, crush parties, and fraternity parties.
CX: What does it mean to be Greek after graduation?
SKL: The perks of Greek life extend beyond graduation. From listing your sorority and any leadership roles on your résumé to attending alumnae and networking events, Greek life can actually have a strong impact on your career long after college ends!
Stay tuned: Next week, Stephanie will discuss college relationships.