I work for a department on campus that welcomes new freshmen and transfer students to UT Arlington called New Maverick Orientation. Last summer, I was an orientation leader, and this summer, I work as a student assistant in their office. Sometimes, I work the Question & Answer table over at the actual orientation. I really, genuinely enjoy this job because it gives me a chance to interact with new students and guide them into the right direction when starting their college careers, and a huge part of that is getting involved. Being a Greek woman myself, I have an affinity for suggesting that these incoming students at least check out the College Panhellenic Table and the fraternity tables. However, I always get at least one response like this..."I'm not really into that whole... sorority thing.'"

Hey, I get that. How would new students have any idea what this whole "going Greek" thing is really all about? So, I want to take a second to explain what this "sorority thing" is and why hating on it is lame.

1. Friendships that withstand even the best days and the worst nights.

(photo by: Shaylee Walsh)

Sisterhood isn't all about butterflies and rainbows. It's about making sacrifices and making compromises. It's about loving each other no matter what. The women you go through recruitment with, your new member class... Those women will know everything about you and you'll know everything about them and you'll more than likely STILL love them like they were your own flesh and blood. There will be fights. There will be tension. But at the end of the day, we are all human, and we are all trying to survive college. These friendships last forever. These women will be the women in your wedding, crying along with you as your life changes again.

2. Developing leadership skills you never knew you had.

This "sorority thing" helped get me my job with orientation. I, no doubt, would not have the confidence I do now to go out and apply for a job like this. Being an orientation leader required me to be a strong personality and really give 100% to developing leadership skills that I didn't know were there. It was hard, but I had unbelievable support from my sisters. Not only that, but I NEVER would have imagined myself on the exec board of my sorority either. I was always one to just take the orders and do as I was told, but now I can actually feel confident enough in my leadership skills to make those calls, too. I see my sisters doing amazing things with leadership all over campus, whether it be student congress, our ambassador program, or other on-campus activities.

3. Working towards the greater good of the community and the world.

Another BIG part of this whole "sorority thing" is philanthropy. Philanthropy is the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes. My sorority's philanthropy is domestic violence awareness, and we get to change the lives of women in our area who have gone through unspeakable hardships through events like our annual Casino Night or our 5K run. The other sororities on campus do tremendous things with their philanthropies as well, like having cookouts, a pancake making event, and even sporting events. The Greek community at UT Arlington works so hard for all of their philanthropies and it's really refreshing to see us as young people give so much to others in need. Not only do we help out our own, but we are a very supportive community as well, reaching out to other Greek organizations and helping out their cause, and volunteering at UTA every spring to help out with the Big Event, which is one day dedicated to charity. I can honestly say this is one of the most rewarding parts of being in a sorority.

4. Holding yourself to a higher academic standard.

I've always been really on top of my grades, but my sorority makes me better. It pushes me to study a little longer. My sisters want me to succeed, and I want them to succeed, too. When we get our grades back every semester and we see that our sorority really high cumulative GPA, it's euphoric. All that hard work pays off in the end. Studies show that people in Greek organizations actually have better GPAs overall compared to the rest of the university. Wowza.

5. Being a good, recognizable presence on campus.

Having a positive, radiant presence on campus is also one of the best parts about this whole "sorority thing." Going to sporting events in packs, attending on-campus events with your entire chapter, just being known for the people who do everything and anything to be involved. It's awesome. It's good to hear professors know about your sorority and think highly of you. Having the reputation of being those people who are at every event, winning all of the awards, and just generally living it up at college... It feels good. I think it's safe to say that all of the Greek organizations on campus are really representing themselves on campus in a positive light rather than living the stigma of being "frat" and "srat."

6. Realizing who you are and deciding who you want to be.

I think the most valuable thing I have learned from joining my sorority is that college is a time for people to change. Your new member class will "grow up" together. The younger girls will start running the chapter, and before you know it, you'll become that cranky senior who always has sooooomething to say. And honestly, that's okay. That's how it goes. You become who you are because of the beautiful women you surround yourself with. You can change your life in an instant, and your sisters will be right there to help you through it. It's such a beautiful feeling.

Yes, there are times when it feels fake. There are times when it's hard. There are times when all I want to do is quit. But the good times always outweigh the bad every time. This whole "sorority thing" changed my life for the better. Let it change yours, too.