It’s the start of a new semester and it’s been a whirlwind to say the least.

I remember last year at this time, I was gearing up to go through recruitment and find my new home for the next three and a half years. I remember being so flustered yet excited in anticipation of what was to come.

I had a week to talk to seven groups of girls and find a home that felt right. Talk about overwhelming!

I remember going into the first room on the first day and being SO overwhelmed but loving where I was. By the third room, I thought I had this whole recruitment thing down.

I continued to make my way through the week, narrowing down my choices each day, which was so hard.

Finally, bid day arrived and I was so excited and so nervous. The thing with bid day is that you could want a sorority so badly, but they have to want you too.

I remember getting my bid and screaming from excitement (it’s a girl thing).

Fast forward a year and it is my turn to make girls fall in love with my home. It is a big responsibility I might add.

I was so excited and anxious because this year it would be a completely different experience.

This last week has been one of the greatest weeks I have had a college. It made me understand, on a more intimate level, why I chose the sorority I did. It made me so proud to be a member of such a strong, genuine, amazing organization.

So yes, some will tell you, "we pay for our friends," they will tell you we “haze” (no one has time for that in all actuality), and all we care about is the perfect Instagram. But what they won’t tell you about is the more wholesome person you become through the values you learn to incorporate in your everyday life, the phenomenal personalities you are surrounded by, and the amazing, authentic friendship you have the opportunity to discover.