For some girls, the chance to become a member of a sorority is one of the biggest things that they look forward to in college. For some girls, the thought of elegant formals, over-sized and patterned Greek letters, and gaining 100 new "sisters" is a dream come true. For some girls, the experience of full-fledged sorority life is one that they strive to achieve for their entire college career.
But, not for me.
By the end of my first semester of freshman year, I was playing with the idea of possibly joining a sorority. At the time, a lot of my friends expressed interest and declared their intent to register for recruitment weekend, and encouraged me to do the same. I will admit, I admire the philanthropy and charity work that these Greek organizations get involved in. And quite honestly, I've always been a little envious of the really cute T-shirts and Instagram posts of girls standing by their chapter's shiny, striped letters. I have one friend that often reminds me that Greek life can lead to valuable job connections, a plus that I was not aware of before. Because of these reasons, my friends valiantly attempted to convince me to register for recruitment, but I just wasn't biting.
Let me start off by saying that I have nothing but absolute respect for Greek Life; both sororities and fraternities. In fact, a large majority of my friends are in sororities. If you aren't familiar with them, know that these organizations notoriously take a lot of work and dedication to keep themselves running smoothly, which I greatly admire. I cannot imagine the planning that goes into attending and scheduling events, meetings, charitable work, and social activities, all while keeping up with the stresses of a college-level course load. I truly applaud Greeks for that.
Now for the reason that you clicked on this article. It was the last and final day to sign up for recruitment, and I knew I needed to decide. While going back and forth on what to do, I decided to go about this decision using the best method that my Type-A personality allows; I created a pros and cons list.
The pros seemed pretty obvious. First and foremost, my friends were ready to rush. They had been eagerly watching their emails, anxiously waiting for the notification that recruitment had begun. And even though every children's book and 90's family sitcom tells you that peer pressure does not exist, they haven't been to college. I just had the overwhelming feeling that if they were excited to rush, then I should be just as excited, too. Another positive to joining were the job connections from former members of your sorority. This was also big for me because, if you ask just about any college student what their goal is after getting that diploma, a career in the field you studied for right out of school is always end-game. And if we're being honest, the cute T-shirts and Instagram opportunities were a little too big of an influential pro than I'd like to admit.
Now for the cons. And I have to say, there really weren't many. One was the cost. Besides living with my parents, I'm a pretty self-sufficient person. I work between classes, when I get home, and just about whenever my schedule allows. I really pride myself on saving my money and spending it wisely, for the simple reason that I truly believe in the value of a hard-earned dollar. That being said, I know how much sorority dues can cost. For me, I could see myself spending that money on things like a new car, an exotic vacation, or putting it towards my student loans. The idea of sacrificing the exclusivity of being in a social group today in exchange for being able to pay off my loans earlier tomorrow really stuck with me.
Another was the social commitment. When you go Greek, there are events, fundraisers, and meetings where your attendance is pretty much mandatory. With all of that time together, it made me wonder; What if you have friends outside of the sorority? Would I be able to make enough time for my sorority sisters and my other friends? In college you have a million things to balance; classes, studying, papers, interviews, extra-curriculars, work, friends, and trying to find room for some fun in between it all. In a sorority, is it possible to not neglect giving attention to any of those things?
Finally, I had think about myself. During recruitment week, you are observed, judged, and eventually sorted into which organization would be the best fit for you. This is all fine and good. In fact, it is tradition. However, I realized that I didn't need anyone to tell me where I belonged. I know where I belong. Call it being "too different" or a "GDI" (a God Damn Independant if you aren't up on the Greek lingo), but I realized that I didn't want to be grouped by three little letters; I wanted to be me.
So, know that whether you are a Greek, a prospective Greek, a "GDI", or just you, you have the opportunity to be anyone and anything that you want to be. College is a time when you can branch out, learn new things, and eventually, find yourself. If you believe the way to finding that version of you is through a group like Greek Life, do it. Because in reality, we are all the same, regardless of if some of us wear letters and some do not. If you want to take the road less traveled and make your own path, do that. The most important thing is that you enjoy what you do, love the friends that you surround yourself with, and create the best version of yourself; Greek or not Greek.