People think being in a sorority is so easy – not true. It’s emotionally and physically taxing. Don’t believe me? Read on to see why looks can be deceiving.
1. You always have someone checking up on you.
You want to veg out in bed alone all weekend after a hard breakup? Sure, you can do that. We’ll even bring you ice cream. But as soon as Monday hits, you’ll have at least one sister dragging your butt out of bed, whether you like it or not. No more hating-the-world-from-beneath-blankets, no more pity parties and definitely no more ignoring text messages. Your sisters look out for your well-being and your academic responsibility. Ugh, you’re seriously disrupting my Netflix binge.
2. You have an amazing Big.
You’ve been to all the Big-Little mixers. You’ve asked other sisters about the potentials. You’ve even Facebook-stalked every possible option. Now, you’re waiting for the reveal – only to discover how PERFECT your big is! She becomes your role model, the person you vent to and the person you go to for advice. She’s your biggest supporter, attending every game, every play and every art show. You can’t imagine having anyone else as your big and the idea of her not being around kills you, which is why it sucks so much when she graduates.
3. You have an amazing Little.
You’ve found your rush-crush. She’s just like you, yet completely different, making her the perfect match. Whether you knew ahead of time who your little was or you were just as in the dark as her, you cheer and cry at reveal. You teach her the ins-and-outs of college life and sorority life, and she teaches you some things in return. You’re her biggest supporter, attending every game, every play and every art show. All you want is to be as wonderful of a Big to her as your Big has been to you, which is why you try so hard.
4. You run out of drawer space.
You have shirts with your letters, shirts for your philanthropy, shirts from Greek Week, shirts that were handed down, shirts you ordered online… They bulge out of your drawer, making it impossible to close and making a mess. You take some home over break and realize a week later how desperately you actually needed that shirt with floral letters on it. So you leave everything in your room at college. Then each time you wear that floral-lettered shirt, an underclassmen-sister is begging you to give it to her when you graduate. Like, go away, everything is mine and I’m never handing it down because I’m never graduating!
5. You know dozens of facts about your philanthropy.
Did you know families never have to pay for treatment, food, travel or housing at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital? Did you know that one in four children will grow up functionally illiterate, which is why READ. LEAD. ACHIEVE. was started? And did you know one in eight women will develop breast cancer, the leading cancer diagnosis in women, in their lifetime? Of course you know all the facts – your philanthropy is incredible, after all – but the poor guy who just asked is about to get overwhelmed with information. Okay, so maybe you should cut it down to a few before people start zoning out…
6. You cry. A lot.
OMG you just got your bid to the best sorority ever! OMG it’s your first formal! OMG one of your sisters just got lavaliered! OMG you just got your Big and she is perfect! OMG you just got your Little and she is perfect! OMG you just got your Grandlittles AND THEY ARE PERFECT! OMG you just heard a song that describes your sisterhood and your experience PERFECTLY!!! … Now grab a tissue before your eyes drown from all the tears.
7. You smile. A lot.
OMG you just got your bid to the best sorority ever! OMG it’s your first formal! OMG one of your sisters just got lavaliered! OMG you just got your Big and she is perfect! OMG you just got your Little and she is perfect! OMG you just got your Grandlittles AND THEY ARE PERFECT! OMG you just heard a song that describes your sisterhood and your experience PERFECTLY!!! … Now go unhinge your mouth before the smile makes your face hurt the rest of the day.
8. Things constantly remind you of your sorority.
You get excited over finding your chapter’s flower in a garden. You point out your chapter’s colors in paint cans at the store. You just have to take pictures with your chapter’s animal at the zoo. Point is, you mention your sorority in conversations a lot. Can you think of nothing else?
9. Sisters become best friends.
You go into recruitment hearing how you’ll find your best friends for life if you go Greek, so you think, “Sure, we’ll see.” And then it actually happens. You go to campus events together, you go out together, you stay in together, you laugh together, you cry on each other’s shoulder, you text daily, you make amazing memories together and you ultimately become a huge part of each other’s lives. Like remember that time we went to a drive-in movie Sunday night instead of studying more for Finals Week? We laughed, we cried, we spilled Skittles all over the car. And then one of you graduates, or maybe you both do. How are you supposed to survive not seeing each other every day?! It’s [insert sorority founder’s name here]’s fault for bringing you together like that. Rude.
As you can see, being in a sorority is rough. And it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
