First off, I’ll be straight up, it sucks. I know. However, you have to remember that you’re not alone. Many, many girls across the country get dropped from recruitment every singe year. But whether it’s on the first or the last day, it’s still going to take an emotional toll on you. Some girls rush because it’s their freshman year and it’s a great way to meet people and share a special bond with girls you will be spending the next four years with. Others, like myself, decided to do it in their sophomore or junior year because we’ve seen the sorority girls on campus, and maybe became friends with a few of them, and realized we would really enjoy to be a part of one.

I rushed with some of my best friends my sophomore year. We were all so excited and imagined all the cute things we’d be doing once we became a part of one. We told each other our top four that we wrote down our first day, but when day two rolled around, they got all of theirs back and I only got two. I wasn’t overly disappointed because one of them was the one that I really wanted, but the other one wasn’t even in my top four, it was my last choice. Partially embarrassed, when my friends texted our group chat asking our schedule that day, I wouldn’t answer. Day 3 or “Pref Night”…that I had at 7am, I was happy to see I still had my number one choice. Knowing for sure that I did not want my second option, I only wrote down the one name in ranking. We went home around 2pm and “Bid Day” was supposed to happen around 7pm. Around 5:30 I saw my Pi Chi’s name pop up on my phone calling me. My heart dropped and my friend and I just watched it ring. I listened to the voicemail first and then I let her listen. After she was done, I told her that I was going to take a shower and left.

Like I said earlier, it sucks. A lot. Laying in bed watching everyone’s snapchats of them happy and excited at Bid Day was hard. But heres something to remember:

1: It’s Okay to Cry

I hate crying, especially in front of people. But when my best friends came into my room before she went to bid day, and laid on my bed with me and hugged me I couldn’t help but to let the waterworks fall…for the third time in an hour. Ya know, once in the shower, once after listening to the voicemail again, and now this. It happens. It’s normal to be upset when you don’t get something you really wanted. I probably cried for three days. It’s okay though, because if I didn’t, I wouldn't have been able to get over it.

2. Be Happy For Your Friends That Got A Bid

Whether it’s friends you made in your recruitment group, your roommates, or friends you made elsewhere, if they got a bid, be happy for them. It’s something that they really wanted too. I know they’ll be doing things that you’ll want to be doing, but when they go to their socials, help them dress up and tell them they look pretty. When they do homecoming, go and support. When they get their Big, freak out with them. It’s exciting for them, and a good friend gets excited for their friends.

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Rush Again

If you never signed the contract before Bid Day, you should be able to do spring recruitment. This way, you only have to wait a few months to try again. If you did sign it, like me, you do have to wait a full calendar year. But the time will roll around before you know it, and when it does, don’t be afraid to try. The reason you were dropped could be so many different things, and by the time of a new recruitment, that thing could’ve changed.

4. Don’t Just Sit Around

If you wanted to join to meet people, remember this isn’t the only way. Clubs are a great way to meet people with similar interests as you on campus. My freshman year, I decided to join a club rather than to rush and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I met my best friends through it, and they mean the world to me. There’s opportunity to meet people everywhere, take advantage of it.

5. Grades

Keep or get your grades up. If you plan to rush again, they absolutely do look at that. When I was dropped, the first question my friend asked me was what my GPA was. Not saying that this was the reason, the reason is confidential and I will never really know, but I do know that this is a reason for many girls. Even if you don’t plan on rushing again, it’s good to have a good GPA. After all, you are there to get an education.

Remember that not getting a bid isn’t the end of the world. Try not to dwell on it too much. It’s college, and it’s supposed to be the time of your life. Everything happens for a reason, so don’t let it get to you too much. There are many, many ways you can enjoy college. So keep your head up sunshine.