Fraternities and sororities are generally seen as nothing more than a way of getting into the best parties on campus or paying to get “friends,” but is this really true? Is this cliched image of a fraternity the right one? I am a proud part of Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity, Inc. and I have learned more about compassion, honesty and hard work through this fraternity than anything else I have worked for in my entire life.

Fraternities are an excellent experience, especially for people who are far away from their homes; it gives you an opportunity to socialize, live and have hands-on experience with the lives of a most diverse group of people. I come from Pakistan, a country far away from here, and maybe if it wasn’t for my brothers I would never have adjusted as well as I did. Back at home I knew if something went wrong I would have my family behind me and in college my brothers became my family. I have learned from their experiences and they have learned from mine.

From organizing small to much larger events for charity and for my own fraternity, I have been living the life of a professional even before I have actually started my career. I have learned the problems of the real world and how I can deal with them. In college we are taught about various concepts but the events and activities we organize at the fraternity help us implement these concepts and learn about their real life consequences. I have learned the importance of owning an organization and the team before you can work hard to improve it. It has taught me the importance of team work and how every individual member of a team can make or break the organization.

My aim at writing this blog was to show you the broader picture of what you can achieve by joining a fraternity or sorority. It was to clear the cliched image and bring forth the real experience of the Greek life.