Attention all PNM’s who may be reading this- chances are you’ve already begun preparing for the upcoming fall recruitment. And by preparing I mean reaching out to your older sisters, cousins or friends sisters in hopes of them writing you letters of recommendation and deciding which Lilly Pulitzer dress to wear on Sisterhood Day. As for us current sorority girls, well we’ve been preparing for recruitment, too. After spending hours at tedious recruitment workshops, spamming social media accounts using the hashtag #aurec16 to show off just how wonderful our sisters are and planning outfits of our own, here are a few things to keep in mind when going through recruitment:

1. Get a good night sleep.

Spending 10 plus hours each day mingling at parties is exhausting. It’s super important to get plenty of sleep each night of recruitment so you can be well energized and full of pep for your parties each day. Plus, you never want to be that girl who oversleeps and is late to a party!

2. Pack plenty of snacks.

Feel free to munch on a granola bar, or eat a cookie while you have the chance. You wouldn’t want your stomach to ferociously growl while you’re at a party now, would you?!

3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

The Alabama heat is scorching hot. You would think ice water tea days are enough to keep hydrated all week, right?! As if. Believe it or not, you end up doing more talking than you do drinking your ice water.

4. Your Pi Chi is your best friend.

She’s dedicated her whole summer to you, learning how to be the best Pi Chi she could possibly be. She hasn’t spoken to her sorority sisters or seen her little in months because of you. She’s practically gone ghost! This week, you are her only priority. Take advantage of that.

5. Be yourself.

Because everybody else is already taken. Sororities will remember you if you are true to yourself and say things that will make you stand out from the crowd. Don’t be afraid to spice up the conversation.

6. Be prepared to flirt.

As silly as it may seem, you’ll spend all week basically flirting with girls in hopes that they like you. You won’t even have time to be thinking about a boy!

7. Keep an open mind.

Never go into rush week thinking you know what sorority you want to be in or where you think you will end up. If you have a mind set like that, chances are you may be setting yourself up to be let down.

8. It's OK to get cut from your top choice.

We would all be lying if we said that we got a perfect schedule back each day.

9. It's OK to cry.

There may be a time when you’re feeling upset, devastated and at a loss of hope. Almost every girl has been there, I too understand. Rush week is emotional and leaves you drained of energy so cry to your Pi Chi – she’s here to listen and help guide you through this tough week.

10. Expand your wardrobe beyond Lilly Pulitzer.

You don’t have to have the same light pink scalloped seer sucker Lilly Pulitzer dress as do 500 other girls. There are other cute, more affordable brands to chose from.

11. Wear comfortable shoes.

Invest in a pair of OTBT’s – trust me on this. They might be extremely ugly but they’ll save you from a couple hundred blisters.

12. You will find a home where you belong.

How cliché, right? But it’s true. At the end of the week, you will end up with 200 beautiful sisters who love you, support you and will constantly encourage you to be the best you can possibly be.

And if all else fails, Continuous Open Bidding (COB) may also be an option. You just never know when and who may be participating. With that said, best of luck to you when going through recruitment!