Going into my first semester of college, I knew that I wanted to try something new. I hadn't done much in high school. I was not in any clubs, did not take many extra classes, was not athletic enough for sports, so college was my time to experiment. I commuted from home, so I would only attend some of the school functions that were during the day between classes. I met a few friends in my classes, but I still wasn't satisfied. It wasn't till my second semester freshman year that I was introduced to sorority life. I never saw myself in one or thought I had the personality to be accepted by one. Other than a couple of my cousins, no other family member of mine went Greek. I had no guide to know what being Greek meant. However, I gave it a chance to meet new people and create a college experience for myself.

I went to events introducing myself to the women, and all of a sudden, I was falling in love with the people I was meeting and what a sisterhood meant. I made friends and memories through the rest of my freshman year and through my sophomore year. I learned new things about myself and what it meant to juggle different responsibilities. I discovered how hard it is to commute back and forth to school, keep up with the homework, work at my part time job, family responsibilities, and keeping up with sorority events. There were weeks I could have pulled my hair out because I just felt overwhelmed. I started to see I wasn't doing as well in my classes, and I felt like I was failing at making strong connections within my sorority. I envied the women who held officer positions, were involved on campus, had a job, did well in classes, and had such strong connections with people. I felt like I was the one doing something wrong. But I had to learn that it wasn't my fault or theirs, I had to simply pick what my priorities were.

This is not an article saying that Greek life is bad, or I hated my experience. It can be a wonderful experience for many people. If it wasn't, I doubt they would still be around. I will cherish the friendships I made, the lessons I learned, and the memories (good and bad) that I made within the sorority. I hope to still keep many of the friendships and stay in touch with the women. I wish them all the best and great success. I just had to do what was best for me, my family, and my grades. I didn't leave with hate in my heart for anyone. In fact, I'm saddened that I had to make the choice I did. Living forty-five minutes away didn't help my situation either. The moral of the story is this: Greek life isn't for everyone! You need to have good time management skills, know what your priorities are, be flexible, stay organized, and always keep an open mind. If you decide to go Greek, be ready for a life changing experience! You will meet amazing women who will hopefully be in your life forever. However, if it doesn't always work out. That's okay too. It doesn't mean you failed at being a Greek member. It doesn't mean you are not good enough. The simple truth is, Greek life isn't for everyone.