If you have friends that went greek at big state schools, you know your small, liberal arts school sorority is vastly different. Of course, we have a lot in common with our sisters at big school, like the values, the same philanthropies, the same songs, but here are some unique things about being greek at a small school:
1. You probably had to wait forever to rush.
Most small schools won't let you go through the rush process until after your first semester on campus. This is a good and a bad thing, good because it forces you to make friends outside the structure of greek life, but bad because you have to wait so long to find your home away from home and meet your sisters. You also get to spend the first few weeks of college watching girls walk around in cute letters and speculate what house you'll pledge.
2. Your chapter could be the smallest in your organization.
This is true for my chapter, hitting a whopping 40 actives, where most chapters have more like 200. But I love being in a small chapter, because I know all of my sisters, and it's much more laid-back because there are so few of us. At a big school, you may only be close to your pledge class and your big, but we get to become close with members of all of our active pledge classes.3. You've never made a recruitment video.
They're all over the internet, especially if you follow TSM/TFM, but you cringe at these short video montages of girls in white dresses (or swimsuits) laughing and giggling like they're all starring in a shampoo commercial. We have a good old fashioned slideshow to show PNM's when they come to our house for recruitment, and hey, since your college probably has a smaller population than your high school, you know who's in what house and what they're all about anyway.
4. "You're always wearing your letters."
Yes, even when you're out on the weekend and have that water bottle full of bottom-shelf sugar drink, people know who you are and they know what house you belong to. To take a line from "Eat, Pray, Love," it's kind of like getting a tattoo on your face.5. You don't live in the house.
It's a little rough seeing pictures of the palatial digs other chapters get to live in, when you're either stuck in the dorms or one of very few that get to stay in the house because of limited space, but look at the bright side, you either have a fun apartment where you don't have to follow house rules, or you're forced to branch out and stay friends with people outside your sorority. The house may not be Buckingham Palace, but it's your home away from home nonetheless, even if it's not where your bedroom is.
6. It's not like in the movies.
Actually, being in a sorority at any school probably isn't like in the movies. I've never seen crazy hazing, former playboy-bunny house moms (or house moms at all), and we don't have chefs or maids (at least not at my school). As much as I idolize Elle Woods, sorority life rarely reflects it's hollywood stereotypes.
7. Your sisters are very passionate about philanthropy.
In the great tradition of Liberal Arts education, most of your classmates probably have an issue or cause that they're very passionate about, and when a sister brings a worthy cause to the floor at chapter, we all do our best to make a killer fundraiser, or volunteer some of our time to help.
8. Greek Week isn't that big of a deal.
Yeah, we have it, but there's usually a poor turnout, and it's never super intense or exciting. But I suppose when your expectations are low, it makes it all the more fun when people show up and participate. The annual greek week talent show is also generally not what it is at big state schools, as participation is low and it's lacking elaborate song and dance numbers.
9. Your sisters are your crew, but not your only crew.
At tiny colleges, you tend to know everyone, at least by face. And while you love your sisters and don't know what you'd do without them, it's not looked down upon to be friends with whoever else you want, and to spend some time outside the house. Plus, when you have non-affiliated friends, you'll always have a fun date for formal.
