Re:
I did the same thing, twice in fact.
Once at UMAINE, and Once at the college I finished at.
Why?
At Umaine I decided I would transfer. I stopped being a civil engineer, went to study business, lost my scholarships as a result and so went somewhere cheaper. The pledging process was 13 weeks. If you TRULY want it, you can do it, but you have to want it. My cousin is in PIKE at UMO, and he has the highest GPA for his major in engineering AND has been a frat brother since his freshman year. He loves it. I don't think he's the prototypical frat guy, but he does drink a lot and his fiance is a sister, also.
At the other college I went to, I almost went for a frat again. But this time I just found it pointless. I was close friends with the guys, but never understood standing in a field at 9pm, shouting rants about the frat, with these guys. Looking back, I'd probably have stuck it out, if for nothing more than the experience. But I couldn't. *I* was paying for college, and wasn't about to let my grades slip even .1 pts, so I told them, I'm not doing it this semester. Maybe next semester. I stayed friends with the guys, went to the parties, felt kinda dumb about dropping it, but I had to do what was best for me, since that's what I was there for.
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If you don't like the brothers, then there's your answer. Who cares what they think?
Just be honest.
Can't say I knew many guys with good GPAs in frats, and going forward, even if you're not pledging, you're taking a pledge to be PART of the frat, and will there for have to be part of every other ongoing PLEDGE ceremony until the end of your years. Meaning, you will be giving the orders while shouting rants in a field, instead of being on the receiving end.
Believe me, it happens every year to the frats. Guys join, then back out. Those that THINK they want it for the image, don't. Depending on your college, will depend on who you join with. At other colleges I've gone to and hung with the guys, there were always a theme. Some were athletic frats, some were just juice heads, or party frats, or study frats, whatever. Obviously they all party, but there's often an underlying theme to them.
The whole Pledging process is just psychological. It's meant to 'test' your allegiance to their frat. It's also a way of the big brothers getting back on guys for what they went through, so it's a payback sort of system, where some guys who got it bad, pay back the worst. If you go through with it, you're best to have a brother who is a friend and is willing to slip some tips on things coming up so you can succeed better. If you want it, talk to your 'big brother' and tell him what's up. Maybe he can cut some slack if they want you. If they're just into bolstering numbers and fees, they run the other way.
A-Unit