I am a foolish little man who elected to take the hard way through college. My friends are mostly the few people in my dorm building who tolerate me. On many Friday and Saturday nights, I play cards with my roommate or bother my RA, who struggles to turn away lonely residents. This friendless, directionless life was so escapable. I have erred so egregiously, I’m almost embarrassed to write about it.

All my life, everyone around me has touted “the college experience.” In college, they said, you’ll meet your lifelong friends. “College is the best four years of your life!” At orientation, Chancellor Nicholas Dirks even told us dazed and confused freshmen that many of us would likely find our spouses here at UC Berkeley. That’s a great deal to live up to, and thus far, the college experience seems to be passing me by. I’m still closer to my high school friends. Though these have been a great few months, I can’t confidently call them the best of my life. I have found zero potential spouses.

Naturally, I expect that through hard work and open-mindedness, all of these problems will eventually melt away. As I take more classes and become more involved in various groups, my network of acquaintances will grow and transform into a network of friends. As my network of friends grows, my potential for having a social life grows as well. Who knows — maybe I’ll even find some sort of spousal character. The problem is that it’s hard. If only there were a better, faster and easier way to enjoy the college experience. If only there were a community of friends, already set up and organized, that I could easily join.

The answer came to me recently as I was going for a run. To get to the fire trails from where I live, I run on Piedmont Avenue. This exciting street hosts a multitude of fraternity and sorority houses, and as I painstakingly made my way past them, I was struck by how much life there was on a Saturday afternoon. Sorority sisters walked around in packs, laughing and being glamorous. Fraternity brothers lounged on their patios and in their yards, just enjoying one another’s company and the weather. And I ran past them, alone.

The Greek system at UC Berkeley offers everything you could want out of the college experience. Need some friends? Go Greek! Struggling to have exciting plans after your stressful week of school? Go Greek! Want college to be the best four years of your life? Go Greek! Enjoy creepy ceremonies that include chanting and fire? Go Greek! Looking for a community that will accept you? Go Greek: the most accepting body of students on campus.

The average UC Berkeley fraternity that is part of the Interfraternity Council costs between $200 and $400 per semester, which doesn’t include “a few onetime initiation fees,” according to the CalGreeks website. To join a sorority that is part of the Panhellenic Council, average new-member fees in 2014 totaled $1,653. Neither of these includes the cost of living in the house. For this low price, you or I could obtain a college experience complete with friends, parties, alcohol, game days and so much more! The offer includes the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you needn’t be friendly or fun as you romp through your classes and everyday life, because you already have a pre-ordained group of friends awaiting you at your sorority or fraternity house. Also included, but not required, is the prospect of getting unbelievably drunk whenever you want. I, for one, think these perks make it well worth the cost.

The brilliance of Greek life was eloquently summed up by my friend and sorority sister Emma Sloman, who told me that “as long as you’re not a bitch, people are going to like you. They have to.” During few other times in our lives will we be met with such standards for friendship.

The benefits of Greek life also reach far into your post college future. As stated by the CalGreeks site, one of the most important aspects of joining a sorority or fraternity is the “career networking with alumni from across the world.” A professional network is, purportedly, one of a person’s most important tools when it comes to finding a professional career. Greek life gives a head start in this aspect because sorority and fraternity members immediately have connections with the professional alumni from their house. And all it takes to get access to this network are those semesterly dues and the stamina needed to survive the recruitment process.

Many of the struggles that college students face — making personal and professional connections, having a social life and engaging with the community — can be overcome through perseverance, passion and personability. Or, as Greek life shows us, one could pay the dues, go Greek and have it all fall into place.

Karim Doumar writes the Wednesday blog on finding shortcuts through life. You can contact him at kdoumar@dailycal.org.