While sororities usually live in sorority houses, at Penn State, sororities live on a floor of a residence hall, with a suite attached. The suite has a living area with couches and a kitchen. While these buildings are practically brand new, many sorority girls don't experience it firsthand and think that living on a floor with their fellow sisters isn't as fun as living in a house. No, we don't have a house mom or a chef, but I can honestly say that living on the sorority floor with my sisters has been one of the best experiences I've ever had.
Here's an inside look on 33 things about living on the floor that you probably didn't know:
1. There are always girls in the suite munching or "studying" in the suite. When we try to study in the suite together, we end up just talking the whole time and then going to get Late Night at Redifer.
2. Whenever girls' parents visit, they always bring a ton of food and it usually gets put in the suite where it lasts about two hours tops.
3. Whenever one of us doesn't know how to respond to a text from a boy, we crowd together in a room and each of us formulates our own ~cool, but hard to get~ response. Technically, when boys text us, the whole floor knows about it and exactly what you said back because they most likely came up with it.
4. There's always that one room with the good speakers that is also always stocked with goodies, so we all gather there to pregame and get ready. There are usually ten girls in this room at all times.
5. Our room decor is filled with bright patterns of comforters, string lights, pictures, canvases hand-painted by our bigs, and of course, the hand-painted shot glasses with our letters on them.
6. Living on the floor is like having 20 closets. A lot of magic can happen when we work together. There's always that one dress that is worn every weekend, so you never know who has it last. Converse and Jeffrey's are shared and are usually returned with a significant amount of frat juice. I actually keep a list in my phone to keep track of who has what clothes, it's pretty hectic.
7. We don't have an RA on the floor with us, and they actually couldn't care less about what we do.
8. When arriving back in the morning after a night out, you will ALWAYS pass someone on your way back up to your room. This sister will most likely make fun of you or even worse, Snapchat it.
9. On Fridays, catch us wearing the baggiest, comfiest clothes we own, most likely not wearing letters because you don't want to embarrass sisters by looking so heinous.
10. Walking to chapter (or really any event) is a group effort. We travel in packs from the floor.
11. There is glitter literally ingrained to all the room floors, hallway carpets, bathrooms, anywhere, you name it. We were actually told glitter is now banned from sorority floors. Oops.
12. There is always that one girl with all the crafting necessities you could ever need.
13. Those nights staying in and ordering pokey's and watching movies will always be the most memorable nights (in the sappy and most literal sense).
14. Living on the floor, you always know the chapter gossip first, usually followed by a text from the President, "FLOOR MEETING IN THE SUITE IN 5."
15. There will always be someone down to order food with you. Never pay a whole delivery fee again!!!
16. There is always a shoulder to lean on when your "bae" didn't invite you to FFF... or when you watched him go upstairs with another girl that you know. All your best friends will immediately shun him and take it upon themselves to b*tch him out the next time you see him.
17. There are always sisters willing to help you get home. It could be in the form of an Uber or a trail of chicken McNuggets. What are sisters for?
18. 12 p.m. game days? Don't worry about setting your alarm. A sister has purchased a mega-phone and runs down the hallway at 7:30 a.m. screaming, "GAME DAY, GAME DAY!" repeatedly. Right when you wake up, someone is already trying to pour shots in your mouth.
19. Oh, you don't really feel like going out tonight? Your best friend will personally dress you, do your makeup, and your hair because she is not letting you stay in.
20. Want to go to the gym? You are one GroupMe text away from asking, "Anyone want to go to White?" Even if no one answers (unlikely), at least you tried to go to the gym, and that's all that counts.
21. EVERYONE on the floor knows when you bring a boy to the floor. He will most likely be questioned harder than any parent has ever questioned him.
22. Do not try to shower around 7-8 p.m. on a night we're going out. You'll wait for a shower forever.
23. Pictures on the floor are highly recommended before you go out because ~drunk eyes~.
24. Pregames are a communal affair. Most times we show up to an apartment pregame squad deep, when in reality like seven girls were actually invited. Oh, a plus two for each guest wasn't implied? Sorry!
25. There is always one sister willing to go out with you after you had three exams and a paper due on a random Tuesday and really need to drown your sorrows.
26. Your best friend from home is visiting? The next day all the sisters will be begging, "CAN WE KEEP HER PLEASE?!!!"
27. If there are any tasty smells wafting from the suite, expect the food to be devoured like animals (shout out to my fat squirrels, you know who you are).
28. Every weekend you'll hear the question, "Converse or Jeff's kind of night?"
29. You know the good vibes and mood depending on what frat we're going to that night.
30. When walking down the hallway in pregame hours, expect to hear multiple Justin Bieber pump-up songs pouring out from every room to get the night started.
31. If a sister has her car on campus and is parked close, expect to share that car with 15 sisters from the floor.
32. After an eventful weekend, we sometimes make a "recap" video of horrible, ugly Snapchats and videos. I want them all on DVD.
33. For some reason, there is always at least one girl in a robe and a huge towel turban on her head.
Maybe living in a sorority house is overrated. We don't expect you to understand. It's basically sleepaway camp with all your best friends.
