Once upon a time, I was a little freshmen, still nervous and getting used to being on my own.

Enter recruitment.

Think: Clapping girls, a sea of matching shirts, and cheering...Lots of cheering.

If you're like me, the beginning of your sorority experience was completely overwhelming but at the same time really, really exciting. There are socials and tons of free t-shirts: your closet becomes a shopping mall overnight.

You're finally a part of something, which is huge because a school that once felt enormous and alien now seems like home. You find yourself in a circle with girls you met only a week ago, sharing your deepest secrets and fears, yet somehow you feel so comfortable telling them anything. 

You learn from other girl's stories and experiences, and realize that a sorority doesn't mean you're all the same. Every girl has something unique and beautiful about them, so you bond with them over more than just the date parties.

You do everything you did before you joined, but now with a team of girls that will always have your back. You do homework and cram for tests, but now you have tons of free tutors a text away if you ever get stuck. You cry over the boy you thought was going to be your *Miami Merger, but now you have a support system ready to bring Ben & Jerry's and sappy Nicholas Sparks movies to your dorm room.

Even if you swear sorority life isn't for you, I hope you come to understand the true value of a sorority. It is a bond that will last forever, and something you'll look back on with a smile -- knowing that even when you're 80 years old, you can call any one of them and know that nothing will have changed.

*Miami Merger: When two Miami students or alumni marry each other.