Some girls dream for years about the day they get to join a sorority. For me, I got a Go Greek flyer in the mail and thought "Yeah, sure. That seems fun. I'll give it a go." I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. No one in my family was Greek and I didn't know anyone who had ever been in a sorority. To be frank, I really didn't think I would follow through with it.

I barely woke up from my nap to make it to the informational meeting, and when I got there, I felt completely out of place. I was more just curious to see if I would "get in" rather than to find my "forever home" with my sisters. It didn't really seem like my kind of thing, but I thought, heck, why not? We'll just see how it goes. Here I am, three years later, an independent, strong sorority woman. Recruitment, however, wasn't without its ups and downs and WTF-am-I-doings. Here's everything I wish I would have known before rushing.

1. The recruiters are nervous too.

Starting recruitment, I was pretty sure the girls in the each of the houses got to sit on their high horse and judge us peasant PNMs as we moved through. Recruiters, however, want you to like them and their house just as badly as you want them to like you. Recruiters aren't these scary, intimidating monsters. They are people, too; people just like you. In fact, they have been in your shoes pretty recently. So breathe -- their only objective is to meet you and share their sisterhood with you, not to judge your clothes and hair and move on to the next person.

2. It's OK if you're not feeling recruitment.

I get it. The days are long, your feet hurt and you're pretty sure a 5-minute conversation isn't a good way to pick your best friends. I'll let you in on a little secret here too: many of the recruiters feel the same way. Sure, there are girls who eat, sleep and breathe recruitment, but surely there are some of those in your recruitment group, too. I thought more than once during recruitment that sorority life isn't for me, but being in a sorority is so completely different from recruitment. Trust me when I say that we all just wish we could do recruitment in sweatpants, too.

3. Don't feel like you're going to offend your Rho Alpha/Rho Chi/ Gamma Chi/Recruitment Counselor.

These girls play a special role in finding your home in Greek life. They go through months of training and disassociation so you can use them as a resource. They're all sorority women and were once in your shoes. They're there to help you work out all the thoughts you have of each sorority, so don't be afraid to list off your cons with your pros. Even if you tell them you hate their house, they can't go back and influence the decisions their chapter makes about you. The whole point is for them to help you find the house that is right for you.

4. There are reasons for all the weird rules.

Alphabetical order? I can't take the water cup? Is that an actual stopwatch I see? I remember getting really annoyed running in at the last minute and making them have to redo alphabetical order again and again and again. Believe it or not, there are actually reasons for all the strange rules. Sure, they're kind of annoying, but just follow along.

5. Don't be late or look like a slob.

Going through recruitment, I thought that if recruiters couldn't accept me for who I am (running in three minutes late in athletic shorts), I didn't want to hang out with them anyway. It's still true, but I realized later that recruitment is more like a job interview. You wouldn't show up to an interview looking like you just rolled out of bed, so you probably shouldn't do it for recruitment either. The recruiters have to get there at a certain time and dress classy, so you should show them the same respect and reciprocate.

6. Highlight all of the amazing things you do.

Now isn't the time to be humble. I'm not telling you to rattle off your resume to each girl you talk to, but if they ask you what you did this summer, of course you should tell them about that awesome mission trip you went on or how you made it to the state soccer tournament. Recruiters genuinely want to know about your life, so "not much" isn't really a great answer.

7. Don't freak out if you get dropped from your favorite house.

Just because you think you love a certain house during recruitment, doesn't mean it's the house you're meant to be in. If you're being yourself, you'll end up where you are supposed to be. The girls in the house know their sisterhood and how you would fit in; If they don't think you'll fit in perfectly, you're better off elsewhere anyway -- it's not that they don't like you or that you did anything wrong. Everyone just wants what is best both for you and for their sisters. Later, you may realize that the house you loved during recruitment really wasn't right for you after all.

8. Go with the flow.

For me, I never knew what was going to happen each day at recruitment. What the hell was preference round? And where are half the houses? Is Phi pronounced Phee or Phii? I felt like an elephant who had to go to a dinner party and had no idea what I was doing. Unless you've known about Greek life in the past, you'll probably feel the same way. Don't stress out about what's going on around you. Just focus on getting to know your recruiters and having them get to know you. You'll be much better off if you can just relax and let whatever happens happen.

9. Just be yourself.

The worst thing you can do is try to be someone you're not. Sororities aren't looking for a specific "type" of girl, but rather a girl who is genuinely confident with herself and who she is. Don't fall into sorority stereotypes because you think it's something they want to hear. If you hate brunch and crafting, don't tell them you love those things. Not everyone in a sorority loves the same exact things. In fact, my favorite part about being in a sorority is the opportunity to meet girls who are completely different from myself. If you're into politics, there's probably a girl in every house who is into politics. If you're into sports, there's probably a girl in every house who is into sports. Even if there isn't an interest that instantly bonds you with a recruiter, it's your uniqueness that makes you so alluring. So whatever you do, just make sure you rock who you really are.