From the moment I got my bid card, I knew my sorority was home. I walk in the front door of the sorority house and I feel like I’m part of something bigger than myself. I get to share my college years with some of the most amazing young women I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Here are the most beautiful things about Greek life:

1. Having a support system

This is not to say that you don’t have a support system when you aren’t involved in Greek life, but that system does expand once you rush and pledge a sorority. I know some moments of my freshman year were just tough, and my girls always had my back when I was going through something I just couldn’t handle. I love that they’re always willing to drop everything and make sure I’m okay, and our bond as sisters ensures that I get to be apart of helping someone else, too.

2. Advice from sisters who are upperclass-women

Not knowing which professor to take for which class the following semester had me so stressed out in November of my freshman year. Because I have sorority sisters who have done it before me, I was able to get good advice about my course load and figure out which professor from whom I wanted to take a class. Getting to see what my sorority sisters are involved in makes me think about what I want to do with the rest of my time in college. This can, and does, also apply to things that are a little more trivial than the above examples, such as whether or not the guy I’m crushing on is worthy of my attentions. Either way, the upperclass-women in my sorority are always helpful!

3. Feeling everything, good or bad, as a unit

This one correlates to the support system, but it’s important to remember that we are a giant family, and we take any news as a unit. Whether it’s about a girl having trouble with her boyfriend, or if a senior in the sorority got a job offer, we feel the impact as a group. We rejoice and celebrate our successes as sisters, such as induction into the honor society of our university. On the other hand, we want to help any sister who’s going through something hard, and we want to provide as many shoulders to cry on as she needs.

4. Getting to welcome new girls into our sisterhood

One of the most exciting days of the year is Shake Day, or our version of Bid Day. It’s such an amazing feeling to extend everything I’ve described in the first three points to new girls. By the time Shake Day arrives, we have hand-picked the girls we want to be a part of us: not in a catty way, but in a we-like-her-and-we-need-her way. It’s a secret for most of the actives, but those directly involved in the rush process make crafts and prepare to welcome these girls to our sorority. I personally enjoy being the percentage that’s in the dark about to whom we issued bids, because it’s such a nice surprise to find out when the pledges do.

5. This sisterhood is so much more than undergrad—these women are lifelong friends

Because I’m still an undergrad sister myself, I can only explain what I want for my time after graduation. I want us to feel this bond we have now after we graduate. I want this not only during Homecoming weekend, but all the time. I know life gets in the way and careers will separate us, but I want us to always remember our time as sisters in Sewanee.

I’m sure I speak for the rest of my sorority when I say this, but I love all of you and you’re all unforgettable.