The other night, as I stood on the porch of a small, cramped, dirty house, I watched a boy lift an entire handle of vodka above his face and pour its contents into his mouth. He called it “An Alcohol Waterfall” and then smiled at me proudly, as if he had just invented a new Christmas jingle. Clearly my reaction didn’t satisfy him because next he bet me five dollars that he could chug a beer in five seconds. I didn’t take the bet, but that didn’t stop him from trying. He chugged the beer in 4 seconds – I counted anyway.
Now, it’s easy to write frat boys off as alcoholic, arrogant boneheads. That’s what they’re like in the movies, right? And although some of the rumors and reputations frat boys provoke are definitely true, I feel it’s unfair to judge them simply based on the letters they wear. After all, they’re just trying to find their place like everyone else. And while it may be hard to believe (and definitely hard to research), I’ve found that there are, in fact, a few things we can learn from these boys in fraternities.
1.Love your friends
If there is one thing frat boys understand, it’s brotherhood. While most of them probably wouldn’t admit this, I think its true that many boys do actually join fraternities because they want to make life long friends. Regardless of what they have to go through in order for those brotherly bonds to form, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that they love each other like family.
Watching two fraternity brothers interact is almost like watching a newlywed couple on their honeymoon. They know everything about each other, and seem surprisingly eager to learn even more. Of course, I’m not saying that you should go out and memorize all your friends’ full names and social security numbers. I just think it’s smart to keep your friends close to your heart, especially during your unpredictable college years. Nobody wants to go through college alone. And who knows, your college friends may – in a strange but comforting way – become your family.
2.Organize
Believe it or not, fraternities are, in fact, legitimate national organizations. They have standards to uphold to and expectations to meet. I’ve been told that they actually have weekly meetings – although it’s hard to say what goes on in those meetings, since that is apparently top-secret information. Through my own personal experience, I’ve found that frat boys are deceivingly organized.
Even if all it means is having enough alcohol for a party, these boys always seem on top of their game. As someone who doesn’t even keep a daily planner, I think we could all learn a lesson from these guys and try to keep our lives somewhat organized. Write things down, clean your room every once in a while, and plan ahead for the important stuff. We obviously can’t plan everything, but it’s smart to keep the things we can control in check. That way, when we’re thrown for a loop, we’re at least somewhat prepared.
3.Eat when you’re hungry
If you walk into a restaurant on Route One at any time of day, you’re guaranteed to find at least one fraternity boy there inhaling a plate of fries or eating a slice of pizza in two bites. You might think it’s disgusting, but I’ll bet there would be a little part of you that wishes you could do the same.
Well ladies, you can. At least every once in a while! Let’s face it, a lot of you are going to drink more alcohol in college than you’re going to for the rest of your life. So no matter how hard you try to stay in shape, last night’s shots are always going to set you back. So, while you’re at it, you might as well eat the food you want. I’m not saying you should dine at the fabulously greasy restaurants on Route One for every meal – that would just be plain unhealthy. But it’s expensive and inconvenient to eat only the freshest, healthiest food all the time during your college years. Besides, filling your Chipotle craving every once in a while can’t hurt.
4.Listen to music
As I sat at my desk writing this article and working on five classes worth of homework, I found it nearly impossible to concentrate because of the pounding, brain-splitting music coming from the fraternity house next door. If you walk down College Ave. during any time of the day, you will almost always hear loud, thumping music shattering the windows of at least one fraternity house. This time, it was 1 p.m. on a Sunday.
So I decided that the only way to drown out the music coming from next door was to put on some music of my own (much more peaceful music, I might add). I did this, and, almost like magic, it became so much easier to concentrate on my work. I typed to the rhythm of my music, and before I knew it, I was done. I realized then how influential music could be. Listening to music can help focus you, relax you, excite you, and even drift you off to sleep.
Most importantly, music makes you feel good. So whether you’re getting ready for a night out, coping with a bad breakup, or trying to concentrate on homework you don’t want to do, put on some music. Your day will get that much better.
5.Enjoy yourself
When it comes to boys in fraternities, there is one thing I’m absolutely certain about: They know how to have a good time. Frat boys take college for what it is – the only time in our lives when we can live like adults, but act like the children we sometimes wish we still were. Simply put, college is supposed to be fun.
So many of us spend so much time hiding away in the library, our faces pressed against the pages of textbooks, that we forget why we’re here in the first place. Of course, we want to earn degrees and get good jobs, but we’re first and foremost here to learn and grow – and I’ve found that the some of the most interesting ways to learn and grow happen outside of the classroom. Try to make time to do things that you actually enjoy. Whether it’s going to happy hour with your friends or attending your favorite professor’s office hours, find something you enjoy doing, and go do it. Who knows, maybe you will surprise yourself!