As an incoming freshman last year, I heard so many different opinions about joining a college sorority. Most of them were positive. So, I went through rush week with an open mind and an eager heart. It was definitely a unique experience, one that I will remember as stressful, yet entertaining and exciting. But the true question is: what happens when rush week is over? What exactly happens when one joins a sorority?
Well, let me get one thing straight: it’s different from anything you have pictured.
Of all the opinions I heard before rushing, none of them came close to warning me about what a sorority was truly like. So, I am here to inform you of the key points I was never told. You can remember these and thank me later.
1. You will feel uncomfortable on Bid Day.
Don’t be fooled by the picturesque, artsy photos on social media. Yes, you’ll open your slip of paper to realize what sorority you’re in. Yes, you might feel relieved and utterly ecstatic. Yes, you’ll spastically sprint toward the house of your dreams. You’ll walk around aimlessly as you wonder if it’s okay to approach the sorority house and try to find someone to talk to. Your new sisters will stick a bow in your hair, slap paint on your body and force you into pictures with random girls you don’t even know. All the while, you have the biggest smile on your face since graduation.
But let’s face it, you just feel awkward.
2. You will question your decision over and over again.
After the glitz and glam of rush and bid day are over, you will be left as a Greek, college freshman. So now what?
“Oh, I’ll just check social media to see how all my other friends are doing in their chapters.” Wrong. Abort mission. Abort.
Your friends will look like they are having the time of their lives in their chapters. It may be fact or fiction. Either way, you’ll wonder if the grass is just as green as it seems on the other sorority lawn. Sometimes, you’ll even wish you could turn back time and change your decision.
3. You will feel lonely and unnoticed.
You’ll wonder what is wrong because the older girls don’t burst out in immediate conversation with you. You won’t be invited to everything and you won’t be in every group text. Most of all, you’ll become jealous of your hometown friends for attracting friends with seemingly greater ease than you do. You might even shed some painful tears when the frustration overpowers you.
4. You won’t get everything you sign up for.
Your sorority will tell you to get involved. You will try to put in an effort. You’ll sign up to be representative of this, or in charge of that. But at the end of the day, you won’t always be the one chosen like you were in high school. You’ll feel exasperated and dumb for even trying in the first place.
5. You will be ecstatic to go home after the first semester but start to miss those you left behind.
It’s a small reassurance, a change, a stir in the heart. As you sit at home with your family for Christmas, you will think about your pledge sisters and wonder what they are up to.
6. You will come back to your sisters with open arms.
You’ll feel more popular than ever as you return to a sorority filled with loving girls who show genuine interest in your break. With time, these girls will recognize your face and call you by name. With time, you will do the same with others. You will be surrounded by girls who are just like you. And your exchanges/socials will be better than ever.
But most importantly, with more conversation, you will realize these girls were going through the same frustrations and pains.
7. You will become obsessed with your letters/colors/mascots.
Wear those letters loud and proud, girlfriend. You will earn them. In time, you will feel a tremendous sense of pride for what you represent.
You’ll even secretly start planning the décor of your wedding to center around your beloved sorority -- despite the fact that your colors might be the most horrendous match on planet Earth.
8. You will start to get really close to certain girls.
Oh, yeah, along with the décor of your wedding, you will need to select bridesmaids. And who better than your new found sorority sisters? Honestly, you will wonder how you haven’t known these girls your entire life. In such a short amount of time, you will receive a bundle of blessings in the form of sisters that will create your home away from home.
Seriously, the feeling for these women will be so overwhelming that there will be spontaneous toasts and sweet interruptions of “I love y'all.”
9. You will spend your whole bank account on t-shirts. It will be worth it.
I know it’s painful but buy every single one. Maybe, call Mom to help. You won’t regret it. Refer back to number seven in this list.
10. You will try to picture yourself somewhere else and won't be able to.
By the end of the year, you will discover you have never been so passionate about anything in your entire existence. You won’t be able to imagine life without your sorority, the path it has led you, the people it has brought into your life, or the opportunities it has granted you. You will be forever grateful for that decision you once questioned. It won’t be just a decision anymore; it will be ingrained in your identity. You won’t be able to fathom all the things this special place has in store for you.
But that’s another letter for another time.
