Engineering and Greek Life
 

Can someone in a sorority or fraternity please give me some info on the feasibility of being an engineering major and a member of a sorority? I am talking about this in reference to time commitment. I've heard that engineering majors have to spend an extraordinary amount of time studying, but I'd like to hear it from those who have been there (or know someone who's been there). Thanks!

We had a few members in my chapters who were engineers. It is a lot of work to be in that major, but these girls made it work. They were able to attend chapter meetings, and some even held smaller chapter offices. I think it is doable-- school must come first and you may not be able to attend as many of the social events as others might, but as with any major, you just need to prioritize.

The social element of membership is very tempting. It isn't mandatory to attend these events, but some members who lack maturity or time management skills can get caught up in it-- their grades will suffer. The sorority has academic programs to help members, but even those programs can only do so much!

If pre-med/biochem majors did it all the time at my school, I'm sure engineering students could, too. No offense, but it's more about how well YOU can handle it than it is about the major itself.

Also, my boyfriend was an aerospace engineering major at Michigan - one of the toughest majors at one of the very best engineering schools - and he is a proud member of Phi Kappa Psi.

It really depends on a variety of factors: how you personally handle time management, the school, the engineering program and the chapters themselves.

We had quite a few engineering majors in my chapter and many of them were able to balance their engineering course load with being an active member in the chapter. A few even held chapter officer positions.

The husband went to a small, competitive, private engineering school and managed to be a two-sport varsity athlete, member of his fraternity and keep a decent GPA through his four years of college. That's because he knew [mostly] how to handle his time (and could survive off only 3-4 hours of sleep per night).

A friend of mine was speaking with me at a highschool on a "college panel discussion" (where the highschool kids ge to ask the college people questions about what college is going to be like)...he had some very succinct wise words. STUDY.PARTY.SLEEP - Pick 2, and since your at college to get an education....

Considering the fact that we have chapters at some schools which are primarily engineering majors, I'd say it's feasible... eg. Michigan Tech, Kettering, etc.

I'm a senior in mechanical engineering and am a proud member of my sorority!!! I'm SO excited that you are thinking about going through rush!

I'm assuming you are a female, so I apologize in advance if you are a guy! ;)

Firstly, I want you to stick with engineering!! Don't let anything- or anyone- discourge you! You will be putting in more work than your peers. You will also meet lots of people (especially in greek life, at my school) who have majors that don't require as much work. At times you will feel that life is unfair because other people don't have as much homework as you do! But don't worry- you'll get through it!

Secondly, my number 1 reason for joining a sorority was that women are hard to come by in engineering. Sure, you will have girls as roommates, but as life (in engineering) goes on, you will be spending more and more time with guys on group projects, study groups, and in class. When my boyfriend (also an engr major) suddenly broke up with my in sophomore year, I realized I had no girlfriends to go crying to!!! That's when I knew I had to rush.

I am very involved in the Society of Women Engineers (on a local and national level) but still, I am lucky if I have another SWE member in my classes! I def!! encourage getting involved with SWE, but they are generally more of a pre-professional organization than a 'friendship' organization.

I am the only engineering major in my chapter of about 140 girls. I have a small officer position. Being in a difficult major, and in a GLO, is a huge time balance. You need to work out a schedule and stick to it (i.e., you have to learn to NOT play on the internet for the 3 hrs you have between classes, but to do homework instead). That way, you will have time for your GLO's activities in the after hours. Going out, socials, and late night activities were always hard for me since most engineering classes are either early in the morning (7:30 AM) or late at night (6 PM or later) to cater to those of us who do internships and co-ops. Unfortunately, that usually doesn't change and it's hard to get around it. I've had to say no to going to socials that lasted until 2 AM (although I WOULD go if they came back at midnight or so).

It is definitely feasible, but you need to remember that you are in a much more demanding (not necessarily more difficult) major than your peers. ALL of your five (or however many) classes will require you to do lots of really hard homework ! :p There's no way you can slack off, even on one homework, and pass the class- at least at my university. There will be lots of fun, smaller, bonding activities such as banner painting, buying decorations for skits, etc that you will have to pass on.

But- never forget your sisterhood. You will need to make sacrifices so that you CAN bond with your sisters. I have seen too many (okay, only 4) girls that are engineering majors in sororities that have pretty much abandoned their sisters in the name of academics. Don't forget that college is about having fun too! If you have any more Q's feel free to PM me, or I can continue answering them here for the benefit of others with the same question!

There are two social fraternities that are members of The North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) that are specific to engineers.

Sigma Phi Delta Fraternity - The Premier International Fraternity of Engineers

Triangle Fraternity - a National Social Fraternity for Engineers, Architects, and Scientists

And there are at least two national social sororities for engineers. However, neither sorority is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC).

Phi Sigma Rho - National Engineering Sorority

Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies

I also feel the need to comment that, while there are GLOs at all-or-mostly engineering schools, I would think that the GLO would cater to that lifestyle. I can't imagine how different my sorority would be if my entire chapter were engineering majors!! There would be a LOT more studying and a lot LESS late night activities :) And to be completely honest, I just think there would be less activities in general.

At my school, there is ALWAYS something going on (panhellenic meetings, philanthropy event, intramural game) but I think at a school where nearly everyone is an engineering major-- the entire Greek system would conform to their needs and capabilities as students. My chapter would definitely be left in the mud if we had all of our current activities and 140 engineering majors- my 'would-be sisters' would have such a hard time planning, participating, and keeping track of things..

I am about to start me senior year of college in the field of civil engineering. I currently serve as the chapter president. It can be done. There were many a times i couldn't go to that intramural game b/c i had lab reports due or homework that needed to be done. But if you plan out when you will study and do homework you know exactly how many social events you can attend. For me being president i needed to be at almost all of the socials, so i planned my time accordingly. I still have a good GPA and have been inducted into Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon. Two engineering honor societies. If you are interested in being greek and an engineer I highly encourage it!

Hijack on this thread, quick funny story...

I have been invited to join TBP and Pi Tau Sigma (the ME honor society) although I haven't done so since I didn't think it would be worth my $60 for each. Anyway, when I got the e-mail for PTS, I was absolutely floored since my GPA isn't that good but I guess it's great for engineering. At the end of the invite e-mail they said,

"...We hope to see you at the induction ceremony.

Congradulations,
Pi Tau Sigma Officers"

Hahaha!!!

women in engineering is hot.

Well, if the whole school is engineering major heavy, I'm sure the chapter events and calendar are set up accordingly. The thing I think the OP is worried about is being an engineering major in a sorority full of girls with less demanding majors* who have more time for sorority events.

*insert your own, I'm not going there.

engineering & sorority life
 

I am a senior in civil engineering at Clemson and a proud and very active member of my sorority. I know at least for me, it was a bit difficult my first year because I had to spend so much time going to homework help sessions and sometimes they would conflict with sorority new member meetings or chapter meetings, but when it comes down to it, you're at college to get an education, and if there's a conflict between your school stuff and sorority stuff, school stuff comes first. Your sorority will excuse you from mandatory events if you have a huge project or something to be doing for your major.

I know for me, being in a sorority adds another dimension to my college career--it's a perfect compliment to (mostly) all guy classes to have a network of sisters who are there for you, even if you won't see many of them in your classes. Many of your sisters will be dating the boys in your major, and you may be surprised how many of your classmates you find at social events!

I struggled for a short time with whether or not I should wear letters to my engineering classes, because I didn't want my professors to think differently of me. But I've found that I can be a great student while wearing letters, and what is better PR for your organization than to succeed in school and prove any stereotypes of "dumb sorority girls" wrong?

Definitely go through recruitment. You CAN do both a sorority and a difficult major. I've seen countless women do both and excel. :) Good luck!

Thanks to everyone for their help. I've been thinking about a sorority because, although academics are my first priority, I want to have fun in college. I love math and science, but I also love having a good time with my friends. I don't necessarily want to hang out with engineering people all the time, either.

Peppy, you said something about the fact that it's not the major, but how you handle it. Well, when I attended my orientation earlier in the summer, they must have mentioned the amount of hours we would spend in class/studying a minimum of five to seven times. I'm not kidding. Yes, I realize I may just be a naive freshman, but it made me somewhat nervous.

From reading some of the posts on here, I've come to realize there are different levels of Greek involvement on campus. It seems like southern schools might be more involved/more time intensive. (I'm sorry if this is a stereotype. Please don't slam me if I'm wrong.) I will be attending a state school in the midwest.

Anyway, thanks for sharing. I appreciate your comments.

ME
 

I have a mechanial engineering degree. It depends on the campus. Also, more than likely most engineering majors are on the 5-year plan. You will need a great deal of time management and motivation. It worked for me.

I joined my sorority my first semester and had a program that required 5 years. My last three years I also worked at least 25 hours a week (on campus) with any where from 14-19 credit hours. I was able to hold an officer position my 4th year (and yes I lived in the house for 2 years). I usually had at least two chair positions. I did have to take one semester on inactive status (I had calc 2 and thermo the same semester...don't do that). Not every group will allow that. I became very good at using any spare time during the day to study (meaning you will have to avoid those wonderful mid afternoon college naps). My campus job allowed me to study.

You will need to discuss this with other students on your campus. Take a very good look at yourself and your limits.

They only do that to make sure that you are prepared. They don't want you to forget that even though you'll only be in classes 15 hours a week, academics (especially engineering) IS a full time job, so you shouldn't slack. During orientation I was told I would be studying 2 times however long I was in the class (so, if I was in class for 3 hours a week I would be studying 6 hours a week for this class). This is not always true.

You will, however, need to set aside some time to do homework. Sometimes it tooks me hours to figure out some problems! :confused: But the only weeks I can really think of that I spent nearly 30 hours doing coursework were weeks that I had a big homework due, a lab report, two exams... you get the point!

Shall we assume, then, that you picked partying and sleeping?

(http://www.smilieshq.com/smilies/evilgrin0002.gif Sorry. I tried to resist, but I just couldn't.)

I graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering and I can attest to that with a good schedule you should be able to split your time between your sorority and your major (also depending what you major is and how well you can handle that major, like I personally think Civil is easier to grasp than Mechanical, which allows me to study a bit less than some others).

I'm not in a sorority but held positions in different societies and orgs, as well as having 2 part time jobs. If you only have your study and your sorority, chances are you should be able to make it. I have friends who are also in Fraternities/Sororities. A lot graduated with flying colors, but a few don't and those are the ones who can't discipline themselves well.

As you get into your Junior year, you will have to spend more time on homework and labs. Lab reports can take almost 5-6 hours to complete, homework problems can take up to an hour to 2 per problem. So time management IS important.

Also one more piece of advice is to keep in contact with your fellow engineer students. We always do group studies together and it helps a lot. Also it helps that when you need to form groups with people, you'll know right away who you would like to be with.

And another thing if you're considering about Tau Beta Pi, is that they don't accept students until your junior year. You would have to be in top 1/8 of your junior class or top 1/5 in your senior year to be invited into TBP and it's invitation based. If you have a chance to be invited into TBP, please remember not to ignore it since it could help you in your career as well as your sorority membership. Good luck! :)

I just meant that for some people, even the hardest majors come easy. For others, it's a struggle that takes up all their free time. I was pre-med for my first two years of college (throughout rush, new member period, and being an officer in a colony), which meant I took four courses PLUS two labs each semester. I was busy, busy, busy, but it was a good thing I had sorority activities to go to, because I would have gone NUTS otherwise. I was so tired of conversations involving chemical formulas, the anatomy of a cat, and the human circulatory system. I suspect you will need something to take your mind off of engineering every once in a while, so a sorority would be good for that. It is my belief that college is NOT just about academics.

(and for the record, I dropped pre-med at the end of my soph. year, but it wasn't because I couldn't cut it...it was because the other experiences I had had at college by that point, and the friends I had in other majors, made me realize that I was not meant to be a doctor after all)

I know the Delta Gamma Foundation will reimburse Tau Beta Pi membership fees and some other sorority foundations may as well.

I was a civil engineering major (didn't make it into TBP unfortunately :() and didn't find it too difficult to manage my sorority membership and engineering coursework. I chose not to hold any major leadership positions in my sorority, but I believe I could've if I had chosen it over my involvement in the Society of Women Engineers--which I held both section president and regional positions in. SWE was a great group for me in college and my DG alumnae membership fulfills my needs now. :)

I completed a very demanding computer science program while being very active in my sorority (including an exec board office) and being active in other groups on campus.

You'll need good time management skills, but it's definitely doable.

I agree. I was an engineering major, and the people I saw struggle were the ones who probably shouldn't have chosen engineering. I didn't think my labs and problem sets were tough, but I hated my 100-level GenEds that involved writing papers.

The reason they tell you about the hours is because many engineering students were the best and the brightest in high school. Let me tell you, if you were, college will be a shock. I got by in high school with little to no studying, and could blow off homework assignments as long as I broke the curve on tests. College will NOT be the same, and you will have to study, do assignments, and keep up with your work.

If you've really chosen the right major and both enjoy and excel at engineering, you will be just fine, and it shouldn't destroy your GPA to go Greek.

ETA: Depending on your school and such, you may be able to relax a bit about GPA, as well. I know plenty of people who did quite well for themselves with an engineering degree and a 3.0.

I went to a university that has one of the top engineering schools and computer schools in the country. There were engineers as active members of Greek Life from all 5 sororities and the then-12 fraternities (13 now). Our campus was very quiet on Sunday aft. until about 4 pm on Fridays. Our chapter meeting was on Sunday night. We never scheduled mandatory routine entire-chapter events M-F because it interfered with sisters' labs and other academic commitments.

I am the only girl in my major ( Computer Engineering ). It really only takes discipline.

That means during the terms of non-recruitment you take a heavier load then you do during recruitment. You will take the same amount of classes, but keep the really hardcore at a different time. Also, this may be harse, but the term(s) before recruitment you should take the lighter courses that you can.
You need to get your GPA high so that you are seen just the same as any other PNM instead of a potential problem. SOCIALIZE WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE!!! That means spending less time at the parties and more at meetings and in the library with study groups. You will likely meet the members that you would get along with because you are going to be a more serious student. If you know more serious students, there is less likely to be any sort of percieved problems and you can ask them about how it is at your school being an engineer.

Truth be told, at many universities, there are houses that are going to be more science friendly than others. Its not anyone's fault, but people tend towards others like themselves. Thats why some houses draw heavily from certain majors. Don't feel threatened by this.

Just show them that you are a wonderful and social individual, so much so that they don't simply see you as an engineering major.

Hey, as said before, you could even b an officer! *wink* wink*

I know several engineering majors who were members of fraternities and sororities. They have told me that their experience in Greek life has not hindered their careers, but actually helped them. One person I knew was actually an officer in their GLO and president of his engineering club.

Sorry for the hijack, but I was curious about the time issue and other types of majors. I'm in hard-science (Earth Sci specifically) and it seems uncommon to find them in social glos (Other than Alpha Sigma Kappa).

I majored in electrical and computer engineering in college; I pledged my sophomore year. I must confess that my grades suffered. Our chapter was very small so a lot of work was demanded of each and every member. Between working and partying, my GPA suffered because I did not have the time management skills that I have now in grad school. Some of it also had to do with my lack of career direction at the time.

So my advice would be to really ensure that you have a top notch time management system in place and everything will be fine. Good luck!

Nice to see a fellow Tartan aboard! :) I'm glad to see the CMU GLOs are keeping the same priorities. What rbethea says also reflects my brother's experience at MIT.

Well, I think that may totally vary from school to school. My University has a strong science department, and since the school is 60% female, that means many women are found in the science majors (among other majors). And since about 30% of the women at the school are greek, you can assume a fair number of the science majors are also in sororities.

You probably also know that traditionally women have not been encouraged to go into science. That has changed a lot in recent years, but I'd guess at most schools men still far outnumber women in the sciences. So it doesn't surprise me that much if you don't find as many science majors in the sororities on your campus.

Oh wow, I would never recommend that. Maybe I come from a different school or different opinion, but it has ALWAYS been recommended that we spread out or general education classes, so that you take one or two a semester instead of a full year or two of them. In fact, if you only took general eds your first year in engineering at my university, you would graduate a year later that scheduled. It's impossible.

Not to mention that, as much as I hate writing papers for my GED classes, it's a relief to take 4 engineering and 1 GED- one time I took 5 engineering and it nearly killed me. I think that most groups (scholarships, special awards on your campus, and even greeks) DO take into account that you are in a more demanding major when they look at your GPA. At my school, a *stellar* GPA for an engineering student is a 3.5; a good GPA is a 3.3 or above. This is common knowledge here.

Either way, it sounds like you are going to rush as a freshman, so I don't think it will matter....! :o

Ditto to that! Unless you're a transfer student like me who's force to take my gen eds the first two years in a community college. I've seen seniors have a really light load because they know how to spread out gen eds so they can end up taking 3 engineering courses and 1 gen ed the 2 sememsters before they graduate.

Also depending what your major is, some majors may require you to take the Fundenmental (sp? too early in the morning) Exam before you graduate, which is a 8 hour long exam that covers all the things you learn during your 4 year college career. It is required if your career requires a Professional Engineering license. And that test itself can take TONS of time to prepare during your senior year.

So do spread our your gen eds, it'll benefit you in the long run. Also depending what you do in summer, the first 2 summers would be the best time to take summer school at your local community college. They offer gen physics/chemistry/ general classes, or excel courses that cramp an entire year of material into one summer. So for a summer, you can get 2 semester courses out of the way. It is intense, but if you have the strength, you can definitely do it. In that way, it also lightens your load quite a lot during your normal school years so you can participate in more Sorority Activities. Also it can allow you to graduate in 4 years instead of 5 years :)

I love seeing all the sorority members/ women engineers on here!!! We are all testaments to the fact that it can be done (and done well! :)). I was an engineering major in school and chapter President during the two semesters that are typically the most difficult for my field. You will definately have to make sacrifices in terms of social events and relaxation time but you will find it is one of the most rewarding decisions you will ever make. During recruitment, make sure you stress your commitment to both your major (academics and good grades are key for sorority membership) and to being an involved member of a sorority. If it sounds like an active is concerned about your grades or time to be involved with the sorority.. tell her about your time management skills or how you plan to do both.

It's great that you are interested in Greek Life! While there are many women in engineering and sororities, I always run into people who are surprised and impressed that I could do it and I have to say, it helped me immensely during job interviews that I could show I had a personality to go along with brains...

It has been great to get so much support from everyone. Thanks!

I have to maintain a 3.4 GPA in order to keep my scholarships. I know that's not an extremely high GPA, but I realize it will take a lot of time and work with the kinds of classes I am taking. Like someone mentioned, if you haven't had to work very much in high school, it can be a rude awakening when you get to college. I tend to procrastinate, but know that I will have to change that in order to do well in college.

I'm looking forward to the whole sorority recruitment, but am nervous, just like any other freshman would be. I don't want to be seen as a "nerd" because I am in engineering. I kind of had the opposite experience in high school. I was the blonde cheerleader, so people were surprised when I did well in classes like calculus and physics. It was annoying, but I dealt with it. I just hope the sororities don't stereotype like that and think that just because I'm in engineering I am all about math and science.

I know as an alum adviser for my chapter that we've had several computer science majors and a couple of engineering majors, and quite a few nursing majors. All were quite good with time management. I bring up nursing, because much like engineering and CS, there is a ton of stuff that needs to be done, and we have a great nursing program at my Alma Mater. I agree with everyone else, as long as you know your priorities you should be fine.

And heck, AOII colonized a chapter at Rose-Hulman...talk about your engineers! There are three chapters on that campus...so apparently those women are probably quite good with time management. :)

nerd who look good are the best women around.

At Purdue I had a ton of sisters who were engineering majors, a few pre-pharmacy, and pre-vet. They were definitely not seen as nerds. It totally depends on the person. Some of the engineering majors attended very few events, but my pledge mom attended almost everything. She also held a Panhel office, was in Order of Omega etc. You need to think about your personal study habits, but both can be done.

I am senior in Electrical Engineering and although I am an alum now (due to family reasons) being an engineer and in a sorority is not as hard as some might make it out to be. It all depends on how one can handle their time and their school life from your social life. I was one of 3 EE in my chapter so I had help with some of my homework. One thing that really helped me was living my the sorority house. I didn't have to drive far if I was going to stay in the lab or study hall late.


Studying is a big part in the success of school but sometimes you might want to take a break from always studying and hang out with your friends. However their are time in which some girls in the sorority might want to hang out but you will have to do homework and they do not understand that having like 5 problem can take a couple of hours. Also their will be some other engineers that might feel that being in a sorority is a waste of time. Its not. Its one of the best things I did. A lot of my engineering friend always like to give me a hard time about being in a sorority but I never really paid much attention to them.

Not sure how it works at the school you will be going to but at NMSU you could start your engineering classes once you had the math requirements (Calc I). I always like to mix my engineering classes with my gen. ed. classes or with my Spanish classes (with is my minor)

AngieWashU and I were in the same chapter in college (although I was a year behind her), and I think she stated well that while there is a balance between being an engineer and being a sorority woman, it's more than doable. I was not an engineering major, but there were many other women in our chapter besides Angie who were engineering majors who held larger leadership positions. Our director of new members one year was a civil engineer--she definitely made it work for her; still got good grades while not slacking in her leadership role.


I went to law school with a girl who went to Purdue undergrad and was a chemical engineering major and she was president of her chapter. It can be done.

I think it really depends on what you want to do with your college career. There may not be room for much else besides a sorority and your classes, but that goes for just about every major depending on what type of leadership role you take on (if you even choose to take one on--not taking a leadership role is okay too). You just need to find the right balance for yourself.

Okay, this is my last post on this thread, I swear! I'm just so excited to see so many sorority women who were engineering majors!! When I joined Theta I never thought that I would be able to 'advance my career' or 'network' because... well... a woman in engineering is rare, but one who is also a sorority member? I thought that was pretty far-fetched.

Anyhow, when I went through recruitment, one of those repeated quesitons is "So, what's your major?". When I said engineering, I got one of two responses: 1) The girl got really wide-eyed and nervous, and from that point on it was like it was impossible for us to have anything in common because I was in the sciences. 2) The girl is a little nervous, but pushes on and starts asking questions like "Really? Why did you choose engineering/what do you plan on doing with your degree?". The chapters I recieved option 2 at were eventually the ones I preffed. I think the best way you can help your self in this situation is giving as much information as possible. Instead of just saying "Oh yeah, I'm engineering" which may make you come off as a smarty-pants, you could respond with "I'm an engineering major- I took a real interest in roller coasters/space shuttles/other real-world experience in high school". This will probably lead onto other conversations.

And, on the flip side (which has already been mentioned), you will meet lots of engineering majors, guys and girls, who will resent you being in a sorority. Some will think that you are a straight-up party girl and will not want to study. This is your time to shine, though- show everyone that sorority girls CAN be smart and studious, and this will make a great name for your chapter. Same goes for doubting professors- don't be afraid to wear your letters to class.... just make sure you always get there on time. :D

Good luck!! I hope you share your recruitment with us on the boards!!