I went through recruitment in the fall of my sophomore year. Personally, I am glad I did it this year compared to my freshman year because it gave me more time to see if I even wanted to join a sorority and I got the chance to learn about the different sororities outside of the craziness of recruitment. I went into recruitment not knowing what to expect, so I compiled a small list of tips if you are going through recruitment without knowing what to expect. I hope this helps and I hope you find where you belong and run home to a place that you can comfortably call home.
1. Bring a fan.
If you are going through recruitment in the fall, it is vital that you bring a fan. Walking from house to house is more than exhausting. Your school may put out tents that you sit under while you're waiting to go into the chapter and they have huge fans in them but you still need to get your own. Walking from house to house with the sun beaming on you is almost torturous. You need something that will cool you down so you aren't horribly sweaty when you walk into the next chapter. Also, bring a water bottle because you need to stay hydrated.
2. Write in the little journals.
We got little journals to use after we leave each chapter and they ended up being very helpful. My biggest tip is to rate each one out of 10 after you leave. This will be so much easier when you have to rank your chapters or choose the ones that you'd rather not go back to. However, as annoying as it can be, if you rank a chapter last, you could still go back to it. If you write in your journal then throughout the week you could see if that chapter has improved from the first day or if it stayed at a solid 4/10.
3. Be yourself.
Yes, this is a basic and probably the most obvious tip, but it is very true. You want to be in a chapter that you can feel comfortable being yourself in. If go into a chapter and be someone you're not, two things will happen. They will be able to tell that it is not a true representation of yourself, and if you do happen to end up in the chapter you faked yourself for, you will be wasting your money. You most likely won't like it as much as you would if you were yourself.
4. Don't be nervous.
The people from each chapter that are recruiting you are just as nervous if not more than you are. There is really nothing to be nervous about. Personally, I went into the week with the mindset of: "If I am myself then why should I be nervous? I should go where I fit most, if they don't like me they don't like me." Honestly, it's a lot easier to go through recruitment with the, "whatever happens, happens" mindset. Sometimes when people are too nervous they could come off as trying too hard. Take deep breaths and calm down, because it'll all go according to plan.
5. Trust the process.
You will end up where you need to be. Did I go into the week wanting a few chapters but ended up not getting any of them? Yes. And don't get me wrong, it was very exhausting: emotionally and physically. There are points in the week when you think you had great conversations and the next day the chapter drops you without a reason. You will never know why you were dropped by a certain chapter, but honestly, it's better for you. You weren't meant to be in that chapter and that's OK. You can't fit them all. I am so happy to be where I am and I couldn't have asked for a better group of girls to call my family.
6. Use the Rho Gammas.
Rho Gammas are girls who disaffiliate themselves from their sorority for at least two months prior to recruitment. They are there to help guide you through the week and help with everything you struggle with, whether it's being stuck between two chapters or being dropped by the one you wanted so much. She is there for you with her unbiased opinion to help you out. To add onto this, you don't need to only talk to your Rho Gamma. For most of it, I talked to one of the other Rho Gammas in the executive group because I felt like it was easier to talk to her than the one that was assigned to me. Don't get me wrong, my Rho Gamma was great, but I just clicked better with others.
7. Run home!
Whether you want the house you ran home to or not, run home. It is your first full day hanging out with the girls in the sorority and they are so excited to see you. They have been waiting for this day since recruitment of the previous year. You may end up loving it way more than you thought possible. What do you have to lose from running home? All you can do is gain friendship and a family.
8. Stick to your values.
Yes, this is a very common phrase you will hear too much throughout recruitment. However, sticking to these values is how you will find where you best fit. Most chapters have similar values so, it could be difficult to find one that sticks out the most, but don't forget your values. The values I wanted most out of a sorority was philanthropy, family, and academic and personal growth. I think I found all of these in the sorority I chose and you could, too.
Don't judge a sorority based on the way the girls look, because honestly, that's not going to last, but the values that you have and share with your sisters will guide you through life and give you best results in the long run.
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