When you're getting ready to go to college, people love to ask you the same questions over and over. Besides "Where are you going?" and "What are you majoring in?" some may also ask if you're going to rush. For some, the answer is cut and dry. For others, it's a bit more complicated.
If you asked me anytime leading up to high school graduation, I'd say I had no intention of becoming a part of Greek life. I let myself believe the falsified stereotypes of a typical sorority girl that I had seen in movies or gathered via hearsay. No part of that image appealed to me and I didn't envision a sorority in my future. Little did I know, my uneducated perception would soon change.
After weighing the pros and cons, discussing the choice with some mentors, and doing my research, I ended up registering to partake in the festivities of formal recruitment. As time edged closer and closer to the day I would move in at school and begin rush, I second guessed my decision, still wondering if this would be the right fit for me. If anything, I figured I could just go through the week as a way to make friends, but decline a bid at the end of the week if I got one. I read about deferring, Spring rush, and basically any way I could get out of it if I wanted to. But as mid August came, I was moved into my dorm and heading off to the first day of rush whether I was into it or not.
In no way can I sugar-coat the week of recruitment. The days are long and emotions are very high. You can tell yourself going into it that you'll take things as they come and avoid getting stressed, but you can't dodge it. Party after party, your feet hurt, you're uncomfortably sweaty, and everyone starts to lose their voice midway through. But the crazy thing is, amid all the chaos, one house will make you forget the havoc of the week and welcome you in, making you feel like you're close to home.
When you get that envelope in your hand and see your name written in fancy handwriting, it's real for the first time. Every day since I accepted my bid, everything I had expected and every predisposition I tacked onto sorority girls was changed for the better. And today, I am so very glad that I went through with it, regardless of my initial choice not to.
So if you're on the fence about going through with rush like I was, here's what I can tell you:
The sisters you gain are the best friends you could ever ask for.
Wearing your letters is both an amazing privilege and honor.
The opportunities to get involved are endless and so beneficial to you.
You'll have connections everywhere you go.
You don't have to fit a certain mold to be in a sorority; the right one will have a place for you just the way you are.
The memories you make at events with your sisters are what will make college the best years of your life.
This all may sound really cheesy, which is what I thought too when people were trying to tell me to join, but as a person that started off on the opposing side, I can honestly say that every single one of these things are true.
For the sisterhood, the love, the experiences, the adventures, the letters, the creed, and the memories, just rush. If you give it a chance, it could just be the best decision you've made.
