When I decided that I wasn’t going to rush this year and one of my best friends from freshman year was going to, I definitely got apprehensive. I heard about how time-consuming sororities are, and how close people in them can get- sometimes leaving their past friendships behind, sucked into their own inside jokes, parties, and sisterly community. This friend from my freshman year was one of my closest, and the thought of us drifting apart made me even more anxious.

I've recently finished my first semester of sophomore year, with my friend in a sorority while I am not- and guess what? We’re still the best of friends. I still saw her during the Fall semester at least once a week, whether she visited me at work or we met up to get coffee, discussing our hectic lives. She sends me messages on Twitter almost daily of relatable memes, and manages to Facetime me for hours whenever either of us needs advice or a shoulder to virtually cry on. What’s the secret? It’s actually very simple, and very easy: EFFORT. If you have a resilient enough friendship, you can most definitely maintain, and even strengthen that friendship, even if you’re not in a sorority and they are (or vice versa). If you care enough about that friend, you do whatever you can to not let that bond dissipate, and the real friendships will get through it. Here are some tips for the sorority friend to make your non-sorority friend feel more included:

• Take her as a “date” to one of your functions! She’ll feel included, and be able to meet and even make friends with some of the other sorority sisters.
• Try not to make the entire conversation consist only of Greek life talk. The non-Greek friend will likely feel overwhelmed and out of the loop
• Continue to make time for the friend whenever you can—even the little things make all the difference!

And for the non-Greek friends, ways to strengthen the friendship with your friend in a sorority:

• Support them 100%, especially during rush. Ask questions, give advice, and be there for them.
• Try to make an effort to meet/make friends with her sorority friends whenever she makes it possible
• Make time whenever you can to show that you care

If you do these things and put in the effort, keeping up your friendship is really not hard at all, and it can actually reinforce what you already had!