"Give a girl the right pair of shoes, and she can conquer the world. Give a girl a bid, and she will not have to do it alone."
For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to join a sorority. I only have a younger brother so I have always wanted a sister, and now I have over 70. Running home to those sisters on bid night was one of the best moments of my life. The days leading up to that unforgettable moment though, were busy and eventful, and I learned quite a but from recruitment weekend.
1. Rho Gammas are simply amazing.
Rho Gammas are women who disaffiliate from their chapter to help potential new members find the sorority that they best fit into. So in other words, they can't talk to their best friends publicly for about a month. The Rho Gammas that I had for recruitment weekend were great, and I am so thankful for them!
2. Heels = bad.
One of my Rho Gammas warned me: wear comfortable shoes. I regretfully did not take her advice, though. I wore wedges one day and heels the next. Needless to say, after all the walking around my feet hated me and I was wishing I would have listened to my Rho Gamma.
3. Don't underestimate a small purse.
I carried so much in my tiny purse during recruitment weekend. Band-aids, snacks, lipstick, you name it. I stuffed as much as I could into that thing, and it all came in handy!
4. It is possible to get ready in 30 minutes.
I did not want to test this theory, but on the morning of the preference round when I had to be ready by 8:00 a.m., my alarm did not go off. I woke up at 7:30 and rushed around like the hot mess I am, and successfully did my hair and makeup in half an hour. Still thanking the powers-at-be for that.
5. Five hours can seem like 20.
On the last day of recruitment, we had preference round from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., then bid night was at 5:00 p.m. All of us potential new members had to wait five hours to find out if we got a bid from the sorority of our dreams. It felt like an eternity, but in the end it was so worth it.
6. So. Many. Emotions.
Aside from the anxiousness I felt while waiting to get my bid, so many other emotions ran through me that weekend. I was worried about making the right choice. I was worried that the girls in the chapter I wanted might not want me back. But on bid night, I experienced one emotion that sticks out the most: happiness. I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I got to sign a bid saying I get to be sisters with the girls I had felt the most comfortable with, the girls that made me feel at home, and the girls I could have talked to all day. I was so happy to run into the arms of those girls that are now my sisters for life.
7. Every sorority has great qualities.
This is why I was so worried about making the right choice. There were certain things about each chapter that I visited that really stuck out to me. In the end, though, you can't join every sorority. Everyone ends up where they are supposed to be even if the decision is a hard one to make.
8. No one can make the decision for you.
Trying to find your forever home is difficult, and all the information that gets thrown at you during recruitment week makes the decision that much harder. The girls in each chapter usually want you to like them as much as you want them to like you. But at the end of the week/weekend, it is up to you to decide where you belong, no matter what anyone else wants you to do. You have to make the decision for yourself. But luckily...
9. When you know, you know.
The moment I walked into my chapter's house I knew that that was where I belonged. That house was going to be my home. My decision became more clear as I talked to the sisters and got to know them. Conversation with them was so easy, I was comfortable with them, and I could have talked to them for hours. During the rest of recruitment I tried to keep an open mind about the other sororities, but I just kept hoping that I would match with that chapter for the upcoming rounds. I just knew that that was where I belonged.
10. I am going to LOVE having sisters.
Here I am a week later, and I already have had so much fun with my sisters. I know I made the right choice because I feel right at home with every one of them. I know it will take a while to get to know everyone, but I am so excited to do that because I finally have sisters.
As exhausting as recruitment weekend was, it will forever be one of the best things I have done, because it helped me find my home and lifelong friends.
