This week is going to be like no other one you've ever been through. Sorority recruitment is an experience that not everyone has, but everyone should. You may even find yourself at the end of the week learning things about yourself that you never knew before. For some it's indescribable. The stress is a lot to handle on your own as a new college student. The nerves and emotions can be overwhelming. Though it isn't always fun, what lies ahead for those who choose to go through sorority recruitment is fun that can't simply be explained in an article. Many people after recruitment wish someone had told them more about the process or explained a little further the little things they needed to remember. Here are 12 things that girls who go through recruitment need to remember every day.

1. Keep an open mind.

This is the secret to getting through recruitment in one piece. If you forget everything else on this list, I want you to remember #1. Keep an open mind. Do not let yourself zero in on a house right before recruitment and come to find that it is not what you think it is or not the place you are meant to be. You will find yourself hurt if you go into the week with a closed mind or you might end up in a house that isn’t the one meant for you because you were blind to all the rest.

2. Drink water when you can.

At some schools it will be hot and I mean REALLY hot. You’ll be walking everywhere in the sun and you won’t have a lot of access to air conditioning or water. When you see water, remember to take a sip. The last thing you want it to get dehydrated.

3. Remain positive.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the heat, the exhaustion, the long days or even a little disappointment. Remember to keep the positivity you brought with you at the beginning of the week.

4. Sorority life is not a popularity contest.

Sure, you might hear about the tiers. You might have heard that *insert sorority* is top and *insert other sorority* is bottom. The sad truth is that many girls believe these mistruths about greek life. Greek life is a family. Think of it as an opportunity to involve yourself and meet people. You must not believe that the house you end up in is the only house you will be associated with. Ask any sorority woman and they will more than likely tell you that they have many friends from houses outside of their own.

5. Stay excited.

As earlier stated, recruitment is a rollercoaster. There will be ups for many and downs for most. Not everything is smooth sailing, but remember to

6. Take the mint before you go into a new house.

It’s better safe than sorry.

7. Not every sorority is the ‘same’ at every school.

You might have heard rumors from your friends. Maybe you’ve been leaning towards another house because an older sister or friend is in that one. What you must remember is that the girls in each house are different, just like you are different from all the other girls going through recruitment. Just because you’ve heard through the grapevine that *insert sorority name* is known for *insert negative/positive attribute* doesn’t mean that there is any truth to it.

8. Keep your opinions to yourself and try not to listen to negativity around you.

Going through recruitment you may hear from new friends that they didn’t like the house that you did or maybe they weren’t impressed by a conversation they had. All that matters is how you feel. However, just because you feel a certain way doesn’t mean you should advertise it to the girls in line ahead of you. Maybe they like the house that you didn’t. Try to abstain from negative comments. People will hear the things you say and it may keep them from being happy about their choice to join.

9. Find something you liked about every house at the end of every party and write it down.

The truth is that no matter where you end up, you’ll find a place where you belong. Like I said, each house is a home full of girls who have similar interests, but also very different ones. No matter what house it is, you’ll be able to find a best friend or a group of girls who think the same way you do or like the same things you do.

10. Utilize your recruitment counselor as much as possible.

Don’t just rely on this list, the advice of friends or your mom to get you through recruitment. Gamma Chi’s, Rho Chi’s or whatever your school calls them, are the people you need to get through the week. They are your friend, your confidant and your mom during this week. They know more about everything that goes on during the week than anyone else and they are there specifically to help you. They want what’s best and they want to help you find the home you’re meant to be apart of, so let them!

11. Once you join the sorority, give it time.

Don’t expect it to be immediate best friendship right away. Give it a month or two and you will find your niche. There will be hundreds upon hundreds of girls to meet within your first year as a member and there’s no way you’ll meet them all on Bid Day. So like I said, give it some time.

12. You won’t regret it.

The week is difficult. It can be hard to put things into perspective. Some people feel during the week that it might be easier to just give up, but even if you are on the fence, keep going. It’s so worth it. You will never regret going through recruitment, even if you aren’t sure you want to be apart of a sorority at all. What you will regret is wishing that you’d gone through recruitment when you didn’t.