I have a guilty pleasure: I adore those cheesy, over-exaggerated television shows about Greek life. No matter how unrealistic the portrayal of these vapid, shallow, sorority girls is, I still find these shows extremely entertaining. Why? If I am such a huge supporter of Greek life, why would I laugh at media that depicts sorority girls in such a negative manner?

I laugh, loudly and proudly, because these shows are so far from reality that they are downright hilarious.

I could write pages about why girls in sororities have so many more valuable qualities than they get labeled for. Sure, we love a soft Comfort Colors T-Shirt, and you may catch us in line at the Starbucks, but sororities also create an environment that trains young women for the real world. I have developed so many skills from being part of a sorority, but there are seven BIG life lessons that my chapter has taught me:

#1 The Importance of Giving Back

Yeah, yeah, I am sure you have heard about how much we just LOOOOOVE our philanthropy. Something you may not know, however, is that each sorority has one or two philanthropies that they specifically support. Though I had participated in community service before college, I never realized that when you are a direct advocate for a specific cause, it is a completely different experience. When a national organization is fueled to support a worthy cause, the funds raised and hours served are truly shocking. It is easy, in college, to get stuck in the mindset of a constantly stressed student, but learning the importance of giving back forces you to focus on someone other than yourself, and to realize that the world is WAY bigger than your tiny college campus.

#2 Financial Responsibility

It is pretty common knowledge that sorority members must pay dues to be a full participant. You may think that we pay for our friends.....which is totally untrue. Sorority dues actually go toward planning fun social events, sisterhood events, sending council to leadership conferences, and SO much more. Almost every single girl in my chapter pays her own dues, including myself. We have to learn how to make the money for our bill, manage it, and pay it. On time. Every single month. Even when the T-Shirt Chair just presented a hecka cute sorority Christmas sweater, and you only have enough money to just pay your bill, you have to learn how to make those decisions. The consequences of avoiding financial responsibility within the chapter are NOT fun. And money? Sheesh, money is like the worst part of adulting, so it is good to get a head start.

#3 Scheduling and Time Management

This is a really hard lesson to learn, and one that must be learned when entering the working world. You could fill every day with fun sorority related activities – if you never went to class! All members face the tough choice of going to a mixer with your favorite frat or staying in and finishing your ten-page research paper. You really have to manage your priorities and even when your big sister is dying to go to Taco Bell, you have to learn how to say no and focus on what is most important.

This goes hand in hand with scheduling. If you have ever been on a sorority council, you know the hell that is scheduling. You have to plan X amount of required events this month, and this many philanthropy opportunities, and these workshops, and chapter has to be when the majority of the sorority can come.....and the list goes on and on. OH, and on top of that, you have to plan around the basketball games, and theater rehearsals, and choir concerts, and intramural competitions. By the time your head is about to explode, you have scheduled your sorority life flawlessly. You are required to attend specific events, and you have to be able to manage your time. Learning to schedule your life is a tough, but valuable, lesson.

#4 Accountability

So this life lesson definitely coincides with #3, but it goes a little deeper than that. In a sorority, we all lean on each other. We all have our highs and lows. You have to be there for your sisters when they need you, emotionally or physically. You are accountable on the surface level: Having good attendance, paying your bills on time, doing your job as an officer. People are truly counting on you for those things. But, they also count on you to be there for them and to help them out whenever they need you. If you are there for your sisters, you can be sure they will be there for you when you need them. That alone is a great lesson in friendships and relationships. Accountability is crucial.

#5 Communication Skills

In a sorority, you have to communicate and interact with a lot of different types of people. There are people who are introverted, extroverted, blunt, sensitive, unemotional, overemotional, shy, loud, wild, spacey, and everything in between. Especially as a leader, you have to learn to understand all different types of people. By doing so, you can learn to better communicate with people who are very different from you. In life and in your workplace, you are going to have to work with people who drive you nuts, who you do not understand, or who are not like you at all. Being in such an intimate environment with all sorts of people helps you learn how to communicate. As a leader, you also have to get really good at public speaking. It is not easy to stand up in front of 50 plus blinking eyes and give a report or a speech, but it is something that can only benefit you later in life.

#6 Self-Presentation and Confidence

For specific chapter meetings or events, you are expected to dress in appropriate business attire. We have interviews and specific meetings where you have to learn how to dress for the professional environment.You learn how to dress like a young woman. You must present yourself, not only by looking polished but acting polished, too. You learn how to improve your posture, attitude, and the importance of always putting forth the best version of yourself. This takes confidence. Your sisters are there to give you a sweet compliment, a reassuring nod, or to hold you accountable for looking your best. In the real world, people will judge you based off of your appearance, and the way you present yourself, so that is a life lesson that needs to be learned sooner rather than later.

#7 Values

I saved this life lesson for last because I think that it is the most important one. My sorority has given me the strongest and most inspiring values system that I have ever had. It truly helps you become a better person and pushes you to be the most awesome woman that you can be. It helps you realize what is most important to you in life, and how you should treat people. It puts you into a support group where every girl in the room believes in the same exact values that you do. It teaches you to stand by your values, to defend them. My sorority taught me that the most valuable thing that we can hold onto in life is each other. That comradery and unconditional love are the most significant life lesson that a woman can learn.