Quote:
Originally Posted by elicampbell
DO NOT go in and call a Fraternity a Frat.
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Bear in mind, eli, that the OP comes from a country where university is commonly called "Uni," and his exposure to "frats" likely comes mainly from Hollywood.
Before we go the direction of stupid analogies, whether it is acceptable to call a fraternity a "frat" varies from campus culture to campus culture and from fraternity culture to fraternity culture. On some campuses or in some fraternities, it's no big deal; just a three or four decades ago few people would have given it a second thought, and phrases like the "Dear Old Frat" were common. On other campuses and in other fraternities, it is considered
very disrespectful or unacceptable, largely because of the "Animal House" connotations associated with the word "frat."
So, best to err on the side of caution and use fraternity unless and until it's made clear that "frat" is acceptable.
aussie91, there are lots of threads here about international exchange students and joining GLOs. A quick search would probably turn up some very helpful information for you. Good luck!