Be prepared to talk... a lot.

This week is going to consist of you talking about yourself, repeatedly. Yes, it's exhausting, but it's necessary for the girls to get a good idea of who you are.

You are going to repeatedly say your name, ask for other people's names (you probably won't remember them anyway), tell people where you're from, talk about what your major is and more.

Even if you're shy, the more you can get yourself to talk, the easier the conversation will flow. The questions will become more in-depth as the nights go on, but those are some basic ones to prepare yourself for.

The girls you talk to are probably just as nervous as you.

Going into recruitment, I thought I was going to be stepping in front of a panel of perfectly polished, beautiful women and trying to get them to like me. In reality, it's so much more than that!

Remember that these are regular girls who were in your exact situation just a few years ago. They are probably just as nervous as you. There is no judgment, and if there is, it's probably coming from a house you don't want to be in.

You have a lot of power in this decision too. They WANT to like you, and they WANT new girls in the house.

Go in with an open mind.

Yes, I know you have probably heard this one before. And I know nobody really listens anyway, but they should.

It is so important to go through recruitment with an open mind about all the houses. It's easy to stalk a house's Instagram page or listen to rumors from other PNMs, but I'd highly recommend paying little mind to those.

A sorority is about so much more than the cute pictures they take. Sororities typically consist of over a hundred girls, and it is impossible to stereotype a whole house based on one or two girls or a couple of rumors that you hear.

Let's say you go into recruitment with your heart set on one specific house and it doesn't work out. You've spent so much time focusing on one house that you didn't give proper consideration to any of the others. And now what?

This is a very important decision for you, and you need to look at it with an open mind.

Trust the process. Seriously.

This is another one that you will hear a lot. And I got SO sick of hearing it, but it was so true in my case.

You may get discouraged when you are not asked to come back to a house that you liked, but that only means that it wasn't in the cards for you at that time. There are so many factors that go into this process, and it all ends up being for the best.

You'll end up at the right place doing the right thing if you keep an open mind and listen to your instincts.

If you have recruitment counselors, utilize them!

They are great tools for you! They've been through this before, and their entire purpose is to help you find your house and support you along the way. So let them!

My recruitment counselors were amazing and really cared about me through this process.

It's OK to cry.

I cried, a lot. Plenty of girls do. I cried on the last night, bid day and during plenty of nights in between. It's an emotional and tiring week, so make sure you give yourself plenty of rest.

If it's any consolation, it's all worth it in the end!

Make your decision based on the RIGHT factors.

Which sorority you join, or if you join one at all, is a big decision. You will be putting a lot of time and money into your house, so believe me when I say to choose wisely. This is your decision and nobody else's.

Don't join the sorority you think you should be in, and don't join the ones your friends want to join. Don't choose a sorority based on appearance or looks because those won't last. I know too many girls who joined a sorority for the wrong reasons, and they ended up disliking it and having many regrets.

Choose the house that YOU truly see yourself in, the one that you feel you can be yourself and make great connections in.

Don't take it personally if you get dropped from a house.

It's inevitable that you will get dropped by at least one house. Don't take this personally.

It isn't because you weren't good enough or they didn't like you. It is just part of the process. It doesn't mean you can't be friends with girls from different houses!

You may find out joining a sorority isn't for you... and that's OK!

You might end up not joining a sorority at all, and that's perfectly OK!

You don't have to join a sorority to have a good college experience. Everyone's journey is different. If you go through recruitment and really feel like it isn't for you, don't be afraid to listen to that instinct. Be proud of yourself for giving it a shot!