If you’re in a sorority, you either love or hate recruitment season. Either way, you have to participate and help find some new sisters to brighten your chapter! After four years of recruitment (one of those being the recruitment director), I’ve picked up on some tips to help the whole process go smoother and hopefully less stressful.

1. Listen To The Recruitment Director.

Seriously, listen to her. You may not like being bossed around, but she’s the one in charge. It’s much easier to function as a cohesive unit if you listen to one voice. This sister has probably spent most of her summer (and her money) preparing for recruitment, so give her some credit. She just wants what we all want: new members! So the next time you want to roll your eyes because she’s making you wear your least favorite color, just take a deep breath and trust her. I promise wearing teal for five hours of your life will not be the death of you. And a happy recruitment director makes for a happy chapter.

2. Get Your Eight Hours.

Recruiting takes a lot out of you mentally. After smiling all day, singing the same songs again and again, and meeting twelve PNMs that all had the same haircut, you’re going to need to let your brain refresh. Sleep is vital for repairing your brain. It’s also believed to help with memory; therefore maybe you’ll remember something interesting about a PNM and be able to talk to her about it the next time you see her. If you miss out on sleep, you’ll become irritable and sluggish – not good for recruiting! Beauty sleep is a real thing; say no to dark circles under your eyes. Oh, and I guess it’s important that you wake up for class.

3. Eat. And Eat Healthy.

It’s easy to forget to eat during recruitment. Between class, recruitment workshops, and the recruitment events, you barely have time to catch your breath. But please, for the sake of your health, remember to stop and grab some meals throughout the day. Fatigue and a snappy attitude will make it even harder for you to deal with any curveballs that come your way during recruitment. If you want to make it through without killing each other, you’ll want to make sure your stomach isn’t growling. In addition, it helps to eat healthy foods on recruitment days. Now this doesn’t mean you have to look up some crazy gluten-free, paleo-tofu lettuce wraps, but instead avoid greasy, unhealthy food. Anything that’s going to make your stomach upset or cause your energy to crash should be avoided. Conversations with PNMs will go a lot smoother if you aren’t thinking about how many minutes there are until you can run to the bathroom.

4. Have An Emergency Kit.

Always be prepared. I like to pack myself a bag with basic make-up, tampons, hair spray, a hairbrush, a water bottle, a snack, and extra shoes. If there’s anything you think you might possibly need throughout the night, pack it in your bag. Some other good things to have would be ibuprofen, deodorant, and tissues. Not only is this a good safety net for yourself, but you may be able to help a sister in need. Did someone get over-emotional about finding a potential little? Not to fear! You brought tissues and mascara for touch-ups. So look at you, saving the day and helping recruitment go smoother.

5. Keep Your Make-Up Simple.

This week is about making good first impressions. And a lot of that ends up being based off the way you present yourself. If you want to try a new make-up look, this is not the week to test it out. Wear a look that you know you’re capable of. Allow the make-up to compliment your natural beauty, rather than overpower it. Think of what you would wear to a job interview; You want them to believe that you can look presentable and not have anything distracting going on. You want the PNMs to listen to what you’re saying, not thinking about how your bright green eye-shadow was a weird choice with the teal shirt. Having simple make-up will be easy to touch up in between recruitment parties. Usually, there isn’t much time in between the parties, so you don’t have time to redo your whole face.

6. Stay Sober

No really, don’t drink this week. If you are of legal age to drink, it will be tempting to drink a bottle of wine after a long day of getting yelled at to be peppier and plastering on your best fake smile. Resist this urge! I can’t imagine anything worse than being hungover during recruitment. If you’re recruiting at the beginning of fall semester, it’s probably going to be hot. If you are also doing this in the south, add humidity. A raging headache is also the last thing you need this week. So do yourself a huge favor and make this week alcohol free.

If you listen to these six easy steps, you may make it through recruitment without pulling your hair out. Remember, take a deep breath and may the PNMs be ever in your favor.