I was an active member of my sorority for nearly two and a half years and before I go on and on like every other sorority girl about how much I loved it, let me tell you that I didn't always feel this way.

If you ask any of my sisters or other girls who are in a sorority, some will tell you that they have seriously thought about dropping. They felt like their pledge class was super cliquey and that they couldn't put the time and energy into the organization. Not every girl will feel this way as the experience is wonderful in itself, but I would be lying if I said that there weren't a few.

So here's what happens: you rush all of the sororities at your school and love the conversations and constant smiles during recruitment. You adore how every member of said sorority wants to get to know you and you can barely wait until bid day. Then bid day comes and it's like a dream come true. You rush to your new sisters and share many hugs, laughs, and, of course, pictures! You go to bed that night so confident and happy about your new sisters and you can't wait to make new memories with these girls.

Time flows by and some, not all, may feel that their pledge class is starting to get clingy. Girls aren't as nice as you had thought and you also notice that some of the girls are fake. You even feel like your big is too busy for you. Ladies, feelings like this are totally normal.

Bluntly putting it, recruitment is stressful, emotional, and you may even consider dropping as a result of trying to juggle new classes and a life outside of recruitment. However, I am not also saying that you won't meet the most amazing girls, strike up the best conversations, make friends along the way, and become closer with your sisters. Throughout recruitment sororities will go out of their way to smile their cheeks away and make the best connections possible with PNM'S (potential new members) in order for that sorority to maintain the best reputation possible on campus and also to get the best quality girls for their pledge class. Us girls go through about an entire week of singing songs until we can't sing anymore, setting up a beautiful chapter room to impress PNM's, and living off of coffee and support from your sisters during recruitment week.

Your college years quickly go by and, by the time that your a junior or senior, your time has been consumed by your major/school, job, internships, relationships, struggling to pay bills and other priorities that take up the majority of your time. I'm not saying that all of that can't be managed with a sorority, but for some, it gives them a tough choice to make. I was one of those who had to make that choice, however, I am beyond blessed that I had the privilege of being an active member of my sorority during my college experience.

Oh, and for clarification, you are not paying for friends, you are paying to be a member of the organization and chapter. I didn't pay for the hugs, the nights out, the laughs, the tears, and all of the other times that we were there for each other. I didn't pay a cent for that and I never will. I don't believe in paying for friends, but I do believe in paying for cute sorority t-shirts and jackets to proudly show off my letters and I also believe in paying to be an active member of my sorority.