A lot of people think that college is all about Greek Life and getting into a sorority or fraternity, but that cannot be farther from the truth. Yes, through Greek Life you do meet a lot of people and it is an easy way to get yourself out there on campus, but there are plenty of other ways to get to know people.
When I first got to college, I was all in on joining a sorority, but when that didn't go as plan I had to think of other ways to meet people. It was hard at first seeing all my friends get into the sorority of their dreams and making friends while I was cooped up in my dorm room, but that didn't stop me from trying. The first thing I did was start to look at other clubs and organizations on campus because there are hundreds. Obviously, not every one of them will be a perfect match, but at least you are getting yourself known to others.
I met a lot of people from attending different club meetings and organization gatherings even if I didn't end up joining in the end. You have to remember when you are a freshman that everyone else is also nervous about college and meeting new people and just be yourself because if someone doesn't like the way you are then it's not worth pretending to be someone you're not just for them to like you. My outlook on it all is to just be friendly to everyone and talk to as many people as you can because obviously you are not going to be able to meet everyone in your class, but it's a good way to start seeing familiar faces.
Even though most of my friends were in sororities, that didn't stop me from hanging out with them. So many people who are in a sorority or fraternity have friends who are not in one and still stay close as ever. Another way I began to make more friends was by meeting my friends' friends. This way, when we all would hang out, I would already know some of the people there and would get familiar with the others. It was a win-win situation.
As a senior in college and never being in a sorority, I live in a house with five people who all are in one and I consider them all my best friends. Even though I started off slower than others with meeting new people, I ended up having so many friends, some in sororities, and some not, and I couldn't be happier. I think by not joining a sorority my freshman year really gave me that motivation to get myself out onto campus and to meet new people. I now have friends in several sororities and still, get to meet new people every time I hang out with one of them.
Don't go into college thinking that Greek Life is all you have because it's not. Take it from me, someone who thought that same exact thing, but ended up with more friends than I can even count without joining a sorority. It's going to be weird at first, college I mean, because there are so many people, more than you can meet, and all you want to do is fit in. All you have to do is be yourself and be observant because there are more things to do on campus than you may think. Talk to everyone because you'll soon figure out that most are in the same boat as you. Most importantly, have fun because you are only young once!
