Starting your first year of college is an extremely exciting time. You just graduated high school and you are drunk on your own accomplishments. You are on your own for the first time ever most likely, and you are ready to show the world what you are made of. Whether you want to admit it or not leaving home is scary, and there is a lot of pressure to prove yourself not only to your friends, family, and university, but also to prove to yourself that you can be this strong, independent person who can not only survive, but thrive on your own.
You have read books and watched movies all your life on how great college is and you cannot wait to party with the big kids. You have gathered advice from everyone and their great grandmother, even when you did not really want to hear about how to survive college. You have visited college campuses and talked to hundreds of current college students on the subject of how to have the best college experience possible. You are ready. However, all of this advice and these expectations can cause a lot of freshman to form opinions on what college is supposed to be like, and unfortunately real life is not like that. It took me a long time to debunk all of the lies I believed about college, so let me do you a favor and go ahead and tell you, college is not exactly what you expected it to be.
Heading into my first year of college I initially believed I would immediately meet new friends. That is so not true. My second week at school I spent a Friday night crying in my dorm room because I had no friends. Granted that Saturday night I went out with some girls on my floor, but still that is not what I expected to be doing on a Friday night in college. It is okay if you have not really met anyone you really click with yet. Little did I know on that Friday night when I was crying and watching Friends on Netflix that two weeks later I would meet my best friend and we would end up joining the same sorority. Do not force friendships just to fulfill your expectations; give it time. You will meet friends, I promise, it just may not happen right away.
Another thing I believed is that if I did not go Greek that I would not matter. I was very wrong. This may seem odd coming from a girl in a sorority, but let me be the first to tell you that joining a Greek organization is not the only thing to do in college. Don't get me wrong, I love my sisters and joining my sorority is the best decision I have ever made, but there are so many other clubs and organizations on campus that you do not need to rely on joining a Greek organization to make friends or be relevant on campus. Do what is right for you and not what is right for everyone else. If going Greek is what is right for you then that is so great and I cannot wait to have you as a part of such an influential part of the university, but if going Greek is not for you then that is just as great; you can still make a difference on and off campus.
On the subject of Greek life, another lie I believed to be true is that Greek stereotypes are true and should be adhered to. Let me tell you, there is no fraternity that is completely made up of boys who are "assholes" and there are no sororities who are only full of girls who are "bitches." Let's be real, if you put 80 guys in one room, at least ten of them are going to be jerks, but at least ten of them are going to be really nice guys too. The same goes for sororities. Greek life is pretty diverse, and although we as a Greek community do have a lot to work on in the diversity department, there is a pretty good mix. There are going to be the oddballs in every fraternity/sorority and there are going to be absolutely amazing men and women in them as well. Form your own opinion. Do not choose your Greek home based on stereotypes or "tiers," choose your home based on whether or not you belong. It is one thing to fit into a stereotype, it is totally different to belong to an amazing organization.
One thing I wholeheartedly believed to be true is that to have fun and meet new friends I had to go out, party, and drink. Guess what, also not true. Don't get me wrong, going to the bars and frat parties can be fun and I have met a lot of people there, but for the most part it can be pretty miserable. It is usually hot, people are sweaty, and it is crowded so if you do want to talk to someone you have to yell, and if you are into that sort of thing that is great, but personally I can only handle being surrounded by sweaty strangers and loud music once a week. Maybe I am lame, but sometimes it is just nice to have a chill night and not have to worry about wearing six layers of deodorant so I don't contribute to the sweat smell almost every bar embodies. Do not be afraid to say no to a party; a lot of the time you have more fun when you say "no," as opposed to when you say "yes" even though you did not really want to go.
So, for all you new freshmen out there I just want to say I am proud of you. This is a big step in your life, and if you work hard, stay true to yourself, and form your own opinions you will have an amazing college experience. Just don't let your expectations get in the way of reality, and be open to new experiences and different people. You all have the potential to better yourself, your university, and the people around you; don't ever forget that you are important and you are a valuable member of your college.
