This time last year, I was preparing to go through sorority recruitment at the University of Kentucky. I got my nails done, my hair highlighted, and all new clothes for the occasion. I was ready… or so I thought I was. Going through recruitment was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was exhausting, emotional, and filled with difficult decisions. However, it is one of my best memories from freshman year. Although you can never truly be prepared for recruitment until you experience it, there is so much advice I wish I had received in advance. For anyone who has made the decision to go Greek, here are the top five things I wish someone had told me before going through recruitment.
1. Be ready to talk about yourself. A lot.
Growing up, I was taught to ask lots of questions and let the other person do most of the talking in conversations. In recruitment, you can't do this. You will be asked hundreds of questions about yourself and you need to be ready to answer them. Pro tip: If you get nervous talking to strangers, rehearse your answers to some basic questions you know they'll ask you. For instance, major, hometown, why you are going through recruitment, what you did that summer, etc.
2. Appearance isn't everything
Like I said earlier, I got my nails done, my hair highlighted, and all new clothes in preparation for recruitment. Don't get me wrong. You should definitely try to look your best, but the appearance isn't everything. You are talking to these girls so that they can get a feel for your personality and see if it meshes with the rest of the sorority. Besides, they know you won't be made-up 24/7 during the year so it would be dumb for them to judge you for having one hair out of place. Nobody's perfect, so don't stress over trying to look like you are.
3. Don't listen to other PNMs
During recruitment, there is a rule that no PNMs (potential new members) are allowed to talk to each other about the different sororities. This rule is so important and is instituted so that someone's bad experience at one sorority or good experience at another doesn't change the way you view it. Unfortunately, not a lot of people follow this rule. While going through recruitment, you will hear the "stereotypes" and other people's opinions of each sorority. There's no avoiding this, so just try to ignore them and keep an open mind. Trust me, it will benefit your recruitment process in the end.
4. You won’t feel comfortable in every sorority
In my experience, there were some sororities in which I felt super comfortable and some in which I did not feel comfortable at all. After visiting the ones in which I did not feel comfortable, I always felt anxious. I continuously wondered if there was something I should've said or done differently or what it would've been like if I had talked to other people there. Little did I know, this uncomfortability was a blessing in disguise. It made it so much easier to decide which sorority to put at the top of my list and, eventually, find the one I call home.
5. These girls may be your future friends and/or sisters
While going through recruitment, I approached the conversations like an interview. In a sense, it is like an interview. However, these girls will not become your boss in the future, but your friend and/or sister. Looking back, I have realized it is more important to approach recruitment with the mentality of making new friends than the mentality of being interviewed. Although you will have to answer so many questions about you, ask them some questions as well. Whether they're in your rush group or they're recruiting you, get to know who you're talking to. If you're like me, they'll end up being some of your best friends.
Recruitment can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be. Keep an open mind, make some friends, and trust the process. It will all work out in the end.
