Joining Fraternity & Sorority Life

Normalcy is finally upon us at the University of Illinois Chicago. We are stepping back into campus classes, activities, and in-person events. Now that we are experiencing regular campus life once again, it is up to us to determine how we want to spend it. If you are looking to expand your network, get involved, and develop your leadership skills, becoming a part of the UIC Fraternity and Sorority Life is a great way to make lifelong friends at UIC (at least that’s what it's done for me!).

Networking 

Networking is an important aspect of college, because it allows you to connect with professionals in your field or with like-minded students who are seeking similar professions as you. It helps you learn from other people’s experiences to become more knowledgeable.

Thanks to becoming a brother of my fraternity, Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc., I have been able to meet and create connections with brothers from all backgrounds with jobs like accountants, financial advisors, artists and more. My brothers who are accountants have helped me with my business ventures and my brothers who are artists have helped me better my skills as a graphic designer.

Not only have I been able to network on a professional level, but I’ve made lifelong friends who I hang out with on the weekends and travel with. My brothers and I always look out for each other and go out of our way to ensure one another's safety.

Community Development

UIC Fraternity and Sorority Life works hard to better the community through various services and philanthropies. It’s a great way to get involved, and many fraternities and sororities have dedicated leadership positions. For instance, my organization has a community service, cultural awareness, and scholarship chair that devotes time to ensure community service events are happening, informationals are being held, and growth of each service is maintained.

Every year, UIC Fraternity and Sorority Life recognizes outstanding service contributions. The fraternities and sororities that receive these awards are known to put in an immense amount of work into their philanthropies. Last year, my fraternity held more than seven community service events, 5 cultural awareness events, and held a $500 scholarship that we plan on turning into $1,000 this school year.

If it were not for fraternity and sorority life, I would not be as active as I am with community development. Giving back to the community within your organization allows you to enjoy the moment even more. It feels less like work and more like brotherhood and sisterhood bonding.

Social Development Skills

Along with growing your network and giving back, joining fraternity and sorority life is a great way to gain social development skills. Fraternity and sorority life will help grow your confidence and teach you how to work well with others through their traditions, collaborative activities, and internal brother and sisterhood activities.

Taking on different roles within your organization can also help you develop real world skills that can be transferred to the work place. For example, as a brother of Sigma Lambda Beta, I hold the fundraising, public relations, and secretary chair. Leading these chairs allows me to learn how to quickly raise money, market fundraisers/events, and better maintain the structure of my organization.

Consider joining a fraternity or sorority organization today! To learn more about UIC Fraternity and Sorority Life, visit fsl.uic.edu.