Some people will probably hate me for writing this, others will nod their head in approval, much like the the response you get in a sorority. Many join a sorority to make friends, be involved on campus, give back to the community, and have prime networking opportunities when they graduate. I’m going to tell you about the things you will learn being a sorority that won’t be romanticized during recruitment...
1.Getting along with different personalities:
In a group of women, you are going to get a diverse amount of personalities. Not everybody is going to like you or want to be your bff but in your defense you won’t want to be super close with some people either, which is fine! There is never going to be a situation in your life where every single person in a group likes you and if you are dependent on the approval of everybody around you then let's just say you will be disappointed...trust me. Being in a sorority has taught me how to respect and work with people who I disagree with or who disagree with me.
2. You can't always get what you want:
Yes there is a hit song about this but with our generation we tend to think WE CAN get what we want. Generation Y has been injected with a sense of entitlement. Leadership opportunities are definitely available in srats but they don't always come in the way you expect them to. You might join a sorority thinking “I have to be president one day, I will be, I work hard for it, I deserve it”. Well I hate to burst your bubble but there is always competition and somebody else just might be a better fit for your dream position...but that doesn't mean you won't do incredible things in another position.
3. Speaking of competition...yeah women are super into that:
During recruitment is when the claws really come out...behind the peppy smiles, matching outfits and upbeat chants, those girls plotting out their next move to ensure that they get "the best girls". Recruitment is a whirlwind of infractions and hear say allegations. Think of recruitment like a job interview. You have a bunch of individuals who want the same thing: they all think they are qualified and they fight to reach their goals. This is something girls won't outgrow as much as we all have hoped we would since our first awful middle school fight. Sororities have taught me that although it's stressful...a little healthy competition never hurt nobody
4. You have to do things you don't want to do:
For me it was dances. After my senior prom I smiled as I was finally able to stow away my prom dress that had been taunting me of the night of awkward situations and bad food that had laid ahead of me. I thought I was done pretending like any part of me liked anything that had to do with formals...but then I joined a sorority and out came the prom dress that I thought I had hid away forever. For some girls it's weekly chapter (precious time you could be doing homework....or watching Netflix) either way there is going to come a time on your life as a srat girl that you just don't want to do it. But guess what? That's life! You aren't going to want to commute to work on a cold winter day at 6:30 AM. You aren't going to want to study for a huge exam till 3am. Better you learn at the comfort of college instead of when the adult world hits you like a ton of bricks
5. People like power:
Once an individual gets a leadership role in a sorority it can be hard to filter in some fresh blood, unless she's graduating (even then she still might come back on surprise visits and tell you everything you are doing wrong). People like to make decisions, especially those that we deem as fit for leadership. They like having the final say in something and being the all-knowing body of the latest gossip and upcoming events in the house. This is not to knock people who consider themselves born leaders (we need people like that!) but you can sometimes be put in a situation where you feel powerless and that is frustrating, especially when something is wrong. I hate to say it but there are politics in sororities and politics are never easy. Being in a sorority has taught me when it's appropriate to bite my tongue and let things happen and when I should stand up and be a whistleblower.
I sat there staring at my papers to drop the organization that has defined my college career. I almost took the pen to the page until I remember the hard but valuable things I have learned in my sorority and it led me to recall something else my sorority and sisters have taught me: Giving up is never the answer.
