Joining a sorority was one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. It brought me to all of my incredible friends and brought me a part of something bigger than myself. However, when I decided to go out for recruitment I definitely faced a lot of judgement. A lot of my friends gave me a lot of backlash because they didn't want me to become one of those "typical sorority girls" that they hear about. And still to this day, when I tell people I'm in a sorority, I have to deal with people stereotyping me as something I'm not. And why is that? What makes joining a sorority different than joining any other club? There are so many misconceptions about Greek life and I'd like to set them straight.
Misconception #1: Once you join a sorority, you lose all of your other friends.
This is absolutely false. One of my best friends at school is in fact in a different sorority and this has not threatened our relationship in the slightest. I was not forced to choose between her and my sisters, and I did not allow my sorority friends to become my only friends. You can be friends with whoever you want to be friends with, whether they are a sister or not.
Misconception #2: All sorority girls do is party.
Again, definitely not true. Do we party? Sure, some of us do like any other college student. Some girls party more and some girls don't go out at all. Just because we are all in one sorority does not make us one person. We all have our own interests and our own hobbies. Just because you're in a sorority doesn't mean the party scene is for you.
Misconception # 3: We pay for our friends.
No. We pay dues for our chapter. We pay for the date nights we have, the clothes we get, and the house that we live in. The friends are just a bonus.
Misconception #4: We're a bunch of ditzy, self-absorbed girly-girls.
The way sorority girls are portrayed in movies is not the same way they are in real life. We do not sit around in frilly dresses and make fun of girls in other sororities while giving facials and painting our nails (even though I do love a good spa day). We are not all bubbly perfect blondes with a gorgeous frat boyfriend. The diversity of each girl is what makes up the sorority. Along with this, we are hard workers who work to maintain our GPA, an obligation to our sorority, while participating in charity work and whatever other clubs we choose to be involved in.
Misconception #5: We get hazed.
I would not join a sorority if it meant getting hazed. One of the best parts about being in a sorority is the safety I feel among my sisters. I know they always have my back and would never want to see me suffer.
In reality, sororities are a great way to build connections and make close relationships while supporting a philanthropy close to your heart. It's a great experience full of lots of opportunities. I'd highly recommend getting involved in your school's Greek life.
