When I was first accepted into UCF, I had a million thoughts running through my brain. Where was I going to live? Who would be my roommate? Would I be in Greek life? I was thrilled that all of these opportunities were at my fingertips. I always stalked on Instagram and saw how popular Greek life actually was. My sister was involved in a sorority at a different school and absolutely fell in love with it. Wanting to see what all of this hype was about, I signed up for formal Panhellenic Recruitment.

I had to move into my fall dorm a week early for rush week. This wasn't really strange for me since I had just completed my summer semester at UCF. I met my new roommate who was rushing as well. We woke up at the crack of dawn each day to make sure we looked our best. We were all assigned a Rho-Gamma and a group for the week. The Rho-Gamma led us around Greek park to each house and gave us unbiased advice on the right decisions to make. We had girls with the same letters in last name paired with us as well. All hoping to find our forever homes.

I know that many people give sorority girls stereotypes. The most famous being "you guys pay for your friends." After becoming a part of a sorority, I can say that this is furthest from the truth. After a long week of visiting some pretty amazing houses that were all so different, I finally made my final selections. It was bid day and we were all told to meet in the Pegasus Ballroom. We sat in a circle with the girls in our group and all opened our cards at the same time. I was pleased to see that I had gotten my first choice and the sorority that I was a legacy of. I ran home to this house filled with amazing girls, but even then I hadn't realized what I would truly gain from this experience.

After bid day came a world wind of oppurtuines for me. There were socials and sisterhood retreats that always kept me busy and gave me something to do. I never felt bored or alone. Also having a meal plan with my sorority made it so I never had to eat dinner alone in my dorm. College can be such a lonely place without friends and family. My sorority changed that for me. I can always call a sister to go to the doctor with me or even walk me to class. It's a refreshing feeling just knowing that I will always have someone there.

I am in my second semester of my freshman year and the house truly feels like home. The bonds that I've gained with these girls in such a short period of time are priceless. I know that I could count on each and every one of them for absolutely anything. It sounds so cliche to say, but I am confident that I have found my best friends for life. UCF being such the large campus with the population that it has, it could be difficult to find your people. Being a part of Greek life makes this big world that I am living in smaller, and small is what I need. Rushing might not be for everyone, but if you're even the slightest bit curious about it, I encourage you to take the leap. Step outside of your comfort zone and open yourself to new relationships. I am so glad that I did.