During freshman year, recruitment week gets a bad rap. You hear the horror stories about people who didn't get a bid from anywhere or who received a bid from their last-choice sorority. But what you don't hear are the success stories about the painfully shy girl who came out of her shell and got her top-choice house or the girl who thought sororities were dumb but ended up finding her best friends in one!
I am not going to lie and say that recruitment week is a breeze, because let's be honest, it can definitely be stressful. However, I am going to tell you that there are a few things that you can do in order to make the recruitment experience more enjoyable for yourself. With recruitment just a few weeks away and probably hot on your minds, here are my tips to surviving recruitment week and making the most out of the journey:
1. Take a deep breath!!!
I highly recommend that you do this as often as possible. You need to remember to relax and try to have fun with the process because it really is all about being yourself and letting the sorority women get to know you. If you're a nervous mess and can't carry on a conversation, the girls won't get the chance to see what an awesome person you are or what a great fit you would be for their sorority!
2. Try to go through recruitment without thinking about preconceived notions!
I'm sure that this concept has been drilled into your minds already during pre-recruitment sessions, but I can't emphasize enough how important it is to try to go into recruitment without having preconceived notions about each sorority. Instead, you should keep an open mind and focus on making individual connections with the sorority women that you are talking to so you can figure out where you fit best!
3. Recruitment can be long and hot — remember to practice good hygiene!
You're gonna sweat. You're gonna be hot and tired. You're gonna be shoulder-to-shoulder and knee-to-knee with your fellow rushees in extremely small spaces. You're gonna be up close and personal with sorority women when you're trying to talk loudly over lots of other voices. Through all of this you're going to want to remember a few things: 1. Deodorant is your best friend. 2. Always ask your Gamma Chi for some mini breath mints to snack on before heading into each round. 3. Stock up on the mini perfume samples from Sephora or any department store and keep one in your back pocket at all times.
4. Coffee (or any other caffeinated drink) is always a good idea.
Recruitment week is long, and each day you will be on your feet, cheesing real hard and chatting for endless hours. Therefore you are going to need energy, and what better way to keep up then to grab a nice cup of joe? Personally, I'm a Dunkin' Donuts addict, so I would recommend a nice large iced coffee with caramel and almond milk — it's the best!
5. Sleep a lot. You're going to need it!!
I know that sleep may seem like foreign concept when your nervous-excited and have butterflies spazzing in your belly, but trust me you will need it! Recruitment, although super-fun, is also long, tiring and most of all, hot. Sleep will be something that you need a lot of to get through the long days and to survive climbing up lots of staircases and standing on your feet endlessly. If you find yourself rolling around in the covers unable to fall asleep, try melatonin or a cup of chamomile tea — both are calming and may help you sleep!
6. Never overthink the conversations you have during rounds!
I will be the first to admit that during recruitment I overthought every conversation that I had. I went back to my roommates and contemplated every single word and asked what it meant when a girl coughed or flipped her hair. Yes, I know it sounds crazy. What you need to remember is that while you're talking to multiple sorority women during rounds, it is the same for the sorority women — they're meeting lots of new faces and the chances that they'll remember your exact conversation are very slim! So, if you think you slipped up and said one wrong word or had a short lull in conversation, do not pine over it. It most likely won't even be remembered!
7. Practice conversation topics with friends!
It may sound silly but coming up with some good conversation topics with your friends can really help you during recruitment! If the conversations just aren't flowing well, and you need a good topic to pick things up, you will greatly appreciate having your list of topics to refer back to! Some of my personal favorites are what are your favorite things to do during the summertime, what is your favorite ice cream flavor at (insert popular ice cream place near your school) and what was your first screen name? (Mine was hugsnkissesxo212 ... cute right?)
8. Be yourself!!
The most important thing to do during recruitment is to be yourself. Be genuine and be real. The girls want to get to know who you are and see if you would be a good fit for their sorority. If you aren't being yourself then you might end up somewhere that isn't the right fit for you! You also need to remember to relax and try to have fun!
Recruitment can be intimidating, but it is also amazing because it can lead you to a group of women who will become your sisters, best friends and future bridesmaids! Embrace the experience and enjoy the ride because the process really does work!
