So, you've thought about going Greek? Maybe you know nothing about sororities and don't know if this is right for you, maybe you're only here because a friend is trying to talk you into rushing, or maybe this has been your dream since the first time you saw Legally Blonde. This week I am launching a brand new series titled Sorority Showcase to help ease the nerves and answer all the questions that come with going through recruitment. Check back each week for FAQs, tips and tricks, and more info on sorority life! Read below to find the first installment to the series which is 5 reasons you should go Greek!
Joining a sorority was the very best decision I have ever made and I would not be the person I am without it. I have narrowed down the thousands of reasons I came up with to why you should go Greek to my top 5. I hope this information helps you and leads you to the right decision. Joining a Greek organization is a huge step and will only change your life for the better.
1. Support
At the end of my junior year, I lost my grandma. In a matter of hours, my phone was freezing up from the 100's of texts I was getting from sisters offering their condolences, asking if they could bring food to my family and I at the hospital, or checking to see if my dogs had been taken care of. In the midst of all the hurt and pain I was feeling, I was overcome by the joy and gratitude I have for those girls. Another one of my sisters found out that her mom had been rediagnosed with breast cancer. It was truly amazing when a handful of sisters dropped what they were doing, skipped class, cancelled their dates for the weekend, pitched in their money, and drove the 6 hours to take that girl home so she wouldn't be going alone. The power of sisterhood is unlike anything I have ever imagined and even to this day, I am taken aback by how many woman I have to lean on.
2. Realizing Your Potential
Through my time in my chapter, I held two positions, was on numerous committees, attended leadership conferences, and was given opportunities I never could have dreamed of. I improved my GPA (tremendously) and became a person I was proud of. I did all of this because I had the push of my sisters who saw more in me than I did in myself. Through the eyes of my sisters, I realized my potential and realized that I could achieve more than I had been allowing myself to. I have gained knowledge and habits that I will carry with my into my professional life and truly believe that my success in life will be owed to my sorority.
3. Community
I didn't realize when I joined my chapter, I would also be joining a bigger family comprised of every Greek student at my school. I can't speak on how it is at other schools, but at my college, we all stick together. When my best friend and I went through recruitment, our hearts lead us to different places. I was afraid that I would never be able to hang out with her around campus anymore and that we would be expected to dislike each other. The very opposite actually happened. Not only did I gain my sisterhood, I gained "sisters" in her chapter. Girls that I studied with, sat together in class with, went to fraternity functions with, celebrated birthdays with-- none of which wore the same letters as me, but will always be in my heart as sisters. The community doesn't stop there. It's the norm on my campus to walk in the library and see faces from every Greek organization on campus sharing a table, quizzing each other before a big test, grabbing coffee together, and even going to the bar together. I love the community of Greek life on my campus because not only did I gain 100 sisters, I gained hundreds of new friends.
4. Memories
When I tell people that I was in a sorority in college, more times than not, they assume it was all about partying and boys. But really, it was about so much more than that. The memories come from road trips to DC for philanthropy events, carving pumpkins, dancing with my sisters at formal, concerts together, tailgating on game day, having the support of my boyfriend consistently through college, sisterhood retreats, getting my big, recruitment. The memories I hold on to the tightest are the ones that were so far from the "sorority scene". Everyone is right when they say that college is the best four years of your life, especially when you're sharing it with the right people.
5. Family
This was the very last thing I was looking for, but the very best thing I got out of this. I plan on making another post dedicated to just bigs and littles, but in the meantime, I will say, there is no love I have experienced greater than the love I have for my big and for my little. These are my people. The ones I am accountable for, the one that has mentored me, the one that I have mentored. Through my big and little, I have become a better person. They are some of the most precious people in my life.
xx
