What's the use of joining a fraternity/sority?

I'll chime in here since everyone posting so far has NOT actually been in a frat or sorority, and are perpetuating the negative stereotypes that it's all about drinking and partying. I was in a sorority at a small private university with a strong academic reputation. My sorority experiences were fulfilling and rewarding. No hazing or snobbery or over the top partying; but a great social life, networking connections, and a group of supportive, fun women who shared a memorable few years during my life. I still have friendships (25+ years later) with several of my 'sisters.' Growing up as an only child, it was wonderful to find that sisterhood, acceptance and camaraderie. Perhaps at a large, public state school the experience would have been different. But for where I was, at the time, it was perfect and I wouldn't have traded one minute of it.

Living in the UK I had no opportunity to join in these colonial activities, but I did live in a small catered hall of residence whilst a student, and even now, 30 years later, several of the former denizens of the hall still meet up for a weekend, where we catch up and play silly games - alas, our sons are now rather better on the football field than we are, and funnily enough, quicker at eating cream crackers. Incidentally it seems that cracker eating skill does have a genetic element, as the sons of the better older generation munchers are better than their contemporaries.

We don't have any equivalent in UK universities. However, I guess that a small Oxford or Cambridge college, or a small university campus like Lampeter, might have fewer undergraduate members than a sonority or whatever it is in a large American university and certainly some friendships made in college last. There is value in bringing students together in a way that cuts across subjects. But in the case of the Oxbridge colleges there's a lot of history (for most), actual buildings and gardens to relate to and an entity the academics and college employees belong to as well as the students. There's also the recent history: the college magazine has excellent obituaries and naturally in recent years many members who were student age just before the Second World War have been dying off, many with fascinating stories.

However, I've never seen any sign that college links operate as a mutual leg up in life society, especially as the graduates scatter so far. Someone going to a big, top-reputation public (that is, of course, private) school like Eton or Marlborough no doubt does, but only in certain professions such as law and politics. What is slightly different is that activities like the Cambridge Footlights (for actors and comedians) and the Oxford Union (for politicians) bring together some talented people considering they're a bunch of undergraduates, and links made there evidently can help a lot.

We don't have these things in the UK thankfully, though students often join any number of interest groups in the Freshers' week. Four of the kids in the university Christian Union, two boys and two girls, took a house-share together for their second year and we had two of them as our "adoptee" students, which meant we looked after them a little bit. Anyway, my wife and I were round at their house when they admitted that one particularly dull evening they decided to have a spanking competition using a slipper. Stunned silence, at least from me, who was firmly "in the closet" spanko-wise and didn't dare ask any more questions or my blush would have given me away!

Part Four of the "Phi Beta Gamma" serial, I've read it already and it's one of my all-time favorite spanking-oriented accounts--it almost could have been written to my personal specifications as a spanko-bottom male's fantasy... --C.K.

I rushed a fraternity in college. It was expensive, and pretentious, and the people were all kind of two-faced and petty. Other such organizations might be different, but that one seemed a waste of time and money.

I can fully agree with that SNM. It's called a clique. I hated people like that. The "I'm better than thou." Even in High School I stayed clear of all of them. Wasn't worth the aggravation.

And you had to pay be be a member of the clique!

Part Four of the "Phi Beta Gamma" serial, I've read it already and it's one of my all-time favorite spanking-oriented accounts--it almost could have been written to my personal specifications as a spanko-bottom male's fantasy... --C.K.
I'm flattered CK. Glad people enjoyed the series in general and that story in particular.

Where do they live, then?