Organizations after undergrad that are like fraternities in terms of brotherhood?
 

Hi there guys,

As you can tell by my name, I am not too happy being a GDI at my university. Right now I am heading into my final semester of college and due to some issues I could not rush a fraternity. You see, I took the community college route but ended up staying an extra semester at my community college. After transferring to my current university (a large SEC school), I had some minor problems adjusting in my first semester as a STEM student since I was on my own for the first time. Classes at my college were a lot harder too so I had some minor issues with time management which are now fortunately resolved. After my first semester, I consistently made the dean's list and will likely graduate college with a 3.7. :D:D:D

That said, I was also a son of immigrants and that led to me not even knowing the importance of Greek Life on American college campuses. It wasn't until I was in my second year of college that I saw the beauty of being in a fraternity. At first it was through movies and popular belief but then I researched it and asked around.

Unfortunately being that I am a 21 yr old who is almost done with college, I will never get to be in a traditional college fraternity no matter what I do. The one thing that made me see the beauty of fraternities was the fact that you have a close group of male friends you can bond with and make life long connections with. I could care less about hooking up with a cute sorority girl or partying like crazy, what I want is a close group of male friends I can hang out with and just be friends with really.

You see, when I was growing up, I was also homeschooled and though this helped me academically, it hurt me a lot socially. I know that I can just go out and chat with people and I have done that but for the first time in my life I really want to belong to something that is like a fraternity in the sense of a brotherhood.

Are there any things like this in grad school or life after college?

Don't try to join something in grad school (other than professional organizations). Concentrate on getting your masters.

Once you graduate, get a job and settle into a community, look into Masons, Jaycees, Kiwanis and other community groups. The joining processes for these vary greatly from group to group and place to place, so tread lightly. In some communities asking to join is taboo, some it is not.

could a grad student join a fraternity anyways? And please do not give me suggestions about what decision to take in that regard, I know what I am getting myself into.

Do a Google search. ;) Good luck.

You're asking for info without advice.

Not exactly the best way to ask for help when you could just do your own research.

I think it is possible to do that, don't see why someone would tell me not to try and be in a fraternity as a grad student when I did not ask for that. Please tell people to read my post again, all I asked about was fraternal organizations after college not be my parents and tell me what I can or can't join.

We are better suited to give you information and advice since those who have posted in this thread are members of GLOs, so we know of what we speak.

Good luck on your search!

Excellent answer. My best friends who joined frats after undergrad did that and more...

Why are you arguing? And your tone is not coming across well. At all. You don't get the answer you like; however you get the answer that is accurate or correct, so then deal with it. Or move on. Or whatever. Coming back and asking the same question until you are told what you want to hear isn't how GC works. Or life, for that matter.

I get the immigrant bit, and the homeschooled bit. And I could give you legions of examples of people who have had one or both of those factors (or other factors) and have not tied their happiness and social abilities to a GLO in college. Happiness is an inside job. A fraternity isn't going to fix you. Only you can fix you.

I think 33girl meant that you shouldn't try to join an organization like Kiwanis or Masons during grad school, since you seem to have issues with time commitments and your demanding studies.

OK, first of all. You have A HORRIFIC ATTITUDE. You need to calm down, and be respectful to people of whom YOU ASKED TO TAKE THEIR TIME AND ANSWER A QUESTION YOU COULD HAVE FIGURED OUT ON YOUR OWN. Do you know what it means to be grateful for people doing you a favor?

Second of all - advice and unsolicited information comes along with any answer to a question. Often in life, the most useful information is that additional bit that you didn't explicitly ask for. That's kind of how most conversations work on planet earth. You may have noticed.

No one here wants to be your parents. People are giving you all the same kind of response they would give anyone else who came on here and asked your kind of question. Calm down.

Actually, no, I meant he shouldn't join anything other than professional groups. Grad school is hard and while he thinks he's got the time management issue resolved, grad school may turn that on its head.

But I think this may all be moot as his social skills need work.

Ps to the OP: I know you just got on this site, but I'm one of the more open minded people on here as far as encouraging non-traditional rushees (i.e. people who aren't 18 year old freshmen). So think about what it takes me to get to the point where I just flat out say no.

Speaking as someone who was initiated through a graduate chapter (and in a close circle of friends who also did so), that is not necessarily true. I decided to take a semester off from school (not knowing if I would even be chosen). But my friend was in grad school, working and working towards being in his frat at the same time. It's about balance and making a way out of no way. He did fine in school and was initiated. My other friends also did so while having babies/children in the house. It all depends on the person and the org.

However...one has to research and diligent in finding out their own info. That's what I did!

Exactly, Soror.

These threads aren't about NPHC GLOs.

And what's up with GDIs coming to GC and demanding answers?!

Yeah, I'm starting to see that. But I figured I would put my 2 cents in anyway. Just so people know it's certainly possible to achieve. I don't want others being discouraged! ;).

And gee...I wonder what GDI's did BEFORE we had internet? Because those methods would still apply in 2014.

So my social skills are the ones that need work? Okay lets rewind.

" Don't try to join something in grad school (other than professional organizations). Concentrate on getting your masters."

That is a command and not even something I asked for. I asked explicitly for fraternal like organizations in college and if they exist. No where did I explicitly say "hay guys should I join a fraternity in grad school?". If you cannot read then that isn't my problem, that is yours.

Quit worrying about my life and what grad school is going to be like, I made it through college with a good GPA and I know what I am getting myself into. If you cannot answer the question at hand then don't even respond to the thread. The question itself is: What organizations after college are like fraternities. The question is not: Should I join a fraternal organization after college?

That said, I found this site through google and so far the only things I have heard about are Free Masons and the Military. I was looking for other organizations that are like a fraternity in terms of a brotherhood and I do know it is too late for me to be a part of a fraternity anyways. If you cannot do something as simple as just answer that question and talk about different fraternal organizations then why even post on this thread? Sure 33 might be a moderator but anyone can see that her posts touch on so much stuff that nearly irrelevant to this thread. If I wanted to ask about the workload of grad school I would go to forums intended for that purpose.

This forum is intended for answering questions involving Greek Life so is it too much to ask for to focus on that rather than playing the role of helicopter parent and trying to tell me horror stories about academics in grad school?

That sounds like you want to join something in grad school, not like you're just asking for information. Perhaps you should reread your own posts.

Sorry if you don't want advice. Join 6 fraternities, hall council and the Junior League for all I care.

PS: If you don't want to join a Greek letter fraternity, it's sort of silly to be on Greek Chat. This isn't Masonic Chat.

You all better not answer this bossy smartass GDI's questions.

That's what I understood you to mean, I just used a couple of examples you used to give specifics, rather than trying to be comprehensive in my list. It sounded like the OP understood your post to indicate not joining a fraternity in grad school (hence the "can you even join a fraternity in grad school?" question).

You're in the wrong place. Go find a "fraternal organizations" chat site.

#TROLL

As seen on this thread, some of the members on this site and particularly the moderators can be downright rude and need a lesson in some humility. That said, I want to thank all of you that have messaged me information about this sort of material.

To me, belonging to a brotherhood (preferably one that is like a fraternity) means everything right now in life. I was not born with a golden spoon in my mouth like a lot of these classless users on here and I had to always play catch up due to being part of an immigrant family. Unfortunately I knew none of this ever mattered as much in American society but I have learned the hard way that no amount of success, social skills, intelligence, or money can buy you the kind of brotherhood that fraternities and like organizations provide. That is why we have so many older guys who get depressed in life, because they feel lonely.

I want to thank everyone that actually did help me through messaging me and please, I am sure that even though these bitter classless individuals will continue to berate me, I can ignore it. Please offer up some relevant advice and I will gladly take it.

If it is possible for grad students to rush a fraternity, let me know how I can go about doing that as a grad student.

:rolleyes:

Ahhhh, yes, the "I have received private messages" borderline flounce from a nonGreek.

Researching this topic outside of Greekchat is less difficult than the research you will do as a graduate student. The effort you put in demanding answers on GC could be used doing a Google search. When I Google "fraternity alumni graduate initiation" Greekchat is not at the top of the search results.

QFP'ed posts that weren't already qfp'ed.

Read your own words, and look to your tone. Discrediting people and name calling when they don't agree with you speaks to your social skills ability.

Re: the bolded. I think that's the crux of the issue. A fraternity won't fix that. You also might want to focus on not drawing illogical conclusions.

I call TROLL.

anytime now, someone will give a relevant answer and it won't be some bitter angry sorority girls who are likely past their prime and mad about seeing someone make something out of their lives.

LOL.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/1214d74c5...lhpeo1_400.gif

http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/rofl.gif

Personally, I'd love to see an ass hat like you deal with a pledge master who's years younger than you are. That will work out well.

I LOVE these GIFs! :)

Ahhhhhhh.....ok. I know who this guy is now. As soon as I read this post I recognized his writing and realized that this is the same guy from earlier this year:



http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...d.php?t=141504


.

I actually thought to myself, "He sounds like someone else who posted here not too long ago," but I couldn't find the thread. My limited detective skills have failed me lately. :p

Yes! I thought his speeches started to sound like deja vu and my gut told me he's been here under another name. And there he was, 26 year old immigrant STEM student who wants to join a fraternity at Arizona State.

I want to know what country he came from so we can, like, not let any more people in from there.

;) We don't need anymore xenophobia in the USA.

Fraternities also don't need anymore sexist patriarchal pigs who are too lazy to do a Google search and resort to gendered stereotypes (he most likely wouldn't have told men they are "chatty, past their prime fraternity boys").

This pig played me. I had no idea about the other thread. I PM'd him about the Masons as I was raised in a Masonic family. He basically said "thanks but no thanks". I'm glad he is not interested in the Masons. I couldn't believe what he wrote about sorority women in his thread. I have never been so insulted, not as a sorority woman but also as a woman over 50. I don't thank there is a fraternity or fraternal organization in the world that would take him. What a jerk!!!

I just found this link on the Greek Life forum. I know it's a different school but it sound very familiar

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...d.php?t=143411

I don't think that's the same guy unless his English deteriorated and then picked up again.

And DrPhil, you know I'm just kidding (sort of).

I know at least one of the service greeks gives chapters the option to have grad students join, but he did say "a group of guys".

Are there any social fraternities/sororities (defined as exempt from Title IX and thus single gender) that allow their chapters to have students going for a masters/doctorate to join?

For example, would a grad student at Howard University be able to go on line with the undergrads for Kappa Alpha Psi (or any NPHC) or should they go Grad Chapter?

For NPC sororities that allow AI, would a grad student be able to go AI? (Yes, I know the original poster is a guy)

It depends. The general rule is alumnae/alumni/graduate membership "intake, initiation, and affiliation". If that person is allowed to "affiliate" with the collegiate chapter, that is on a case-by-case basis and blahzeyblah.

College graduates should contact the NPHC GLOs without the hope or expectation that they will be allowed to go through intake and initiation with the collegiate chapter. That can be interpreted as someone who is trying to live as a collegiate (happens quite often). :)