I was born and raised in the south. This means I've acquired a deep appreciation for sweet tea, a slight southern accent, and a firm intensity about sororities. Every older sibling or friend from my high school graduated, went to college, and joined a sorority. From then on, every picture they posted on Instagram was at a mixer or a formal, they only dressed in their letters, and every conversation I had with them after was about greek life.
I had heard horror stories of girls going to college, getting dropped in rush, and transferring before classes had even begun. My parents even met through greek life in college. Needless to say, the looming presence and anticipation of greek life STRESSED ME OUT. I knew from early on that I wanted to join a sorority in college, but I didn't know why, and I definitely didn't have a good understanding of what sororities even were. This part of college seemed exciting, but the day I awaited most was…Bid Day.
To those who did not grow up with a greek life background, Bid Day is the final day of recruitment, where girls get a bid from a sorority through a mutual selection process called rush, that is anywhere from 3 days to two weeks. When I saw my friend's pictures on Instagram, everyone was hugging each other, decked in glitter, and almost every caption was "Bid Day Best Day." And because of that, I genuinely believed that Bid Day would be one of the best days of my life.
However, once I went through the recruitment process in January, because my school does a delayed recruitment after the first semester, Bid Day was not what I expected. I was extremely happy when I was handed the oddly formal bid card, written exclusively in cursive, and I realized I got the sorority I wanted! My heart burst with excitement and I let out a cliche but instinctive high pitched scream. But as I ran towards my new pledge class and took a second to breathe, I realized none of my friends were in my sorority; we all went different places. This left me in a sea of strangers along with a few familiar faces I had seen in my dorm hallway or in one of my classes. My excitement suddenly turned to fear and doubt that I might have chosen wrong. What if the process didn't work?
As my new sisters and I clumped together, we prepared to run down the hill and towards our house. Except when we looked outside it was pouring down rain. My perfectly straightened hair would soon be ruined, and I would either have to ditch my glasses or let them get foggy and dirty in the downpour. Suddenly, we were off, running towards a house I wasn't totally sure I could find on my own. During the run, I had another panic, whose arms was I supposed to run into? I didn't know many people in my sorority except for the two girls I talked to during recruitment. As the house grew closer, I wished that I could run away.
However, once I got there strangers scooped me up into my arms, tossed me a t-shirt (that was an extra-small and not 100% my style), and I took pictures with total strangers. Although I could barely see, my hair was a wet mess, and although I still felt confused and worried, the mayhem concealed it. What I didn't know was that the girls that I took pictures with that day would turn out to be some of my best friends. The strangers that hugged me were cool and accomplished individuals that I would soon look up to.
So yeah, Bid Day wasn't the best day for me and it might not be for you either, but, the days after will be!
So during the nervousness and the inevitable doubt (because that is totally normal!), try to get excited about the bonds you will make during new member period. Anticipate the fancy formals and all the good pictures. Get hype for the mixers and fun costumes. And get excited for Bid Day next year. Although the day is technically about celebrating the New Member Class, it is also for the older girls who worked their butt of during recruitment to get you there.
So don't panic if you have a similar experience to mine. At the end of the day, congratulate yourself for taking a risk and doing something bold. Growth comes when you are uncomfortable. You don't want to leave college the same and trust me when I tell you that these ladies will help you grow more than you could ever imagine.
