To the new sisters running home on Bid Day,
Congratulations! You are officially beginning some of the best years of your life so far, so be excited! However, being a new member of a chapter can often feel overwhelming, so here is some advice.
If you don't really know anyone else in your chapter, don't be afraid to put yourself out there! You are now a member of your chapter because you are wanted there. Someone got to know you and fell in love with your personality, so show that personality off to everyone else and make new friends!
If you already have friends in the chapter, be willing to branch out. You now have over 100 new sisters, at least one of which is likely to become a friend that you will treasure for the rest of your life, but only if you are willing to branch out!
If you get into a chapter that was not your first choice, give them a chance! The chapter might not have blown you away during recruitment, but that could easily change during your new member period. I know plenty of young women like you who are so grateful that they ended up in the chapter they're in even though it wasn't their first choice. Give it time, the friendships you make with your new sisters could surprise you!
Visit the sorority house whenever you can, the women living there love visitors and they are super pumped to get to know you! Also, they are probably taking littles, so get to know your potential bigs by visiting the house as often as possible! On top of that, the sorority house is your new home away from home, it belongs to you just as much as it belongs to your sisters currently living in it (except for the food, do not eat their food).
Lastly, get as involved as you can. Join all the committees you'd enjoy, run for positions, go to all the events. By getting involved, you will grow so much as an individual and you'll make irreplaceable friendships along the way. You will only regret the opportunities that you don't take.
Enjoy these next few years with your sisters, they truly do fly by!
With much love,
A soon-to-be alum of Alpha Chi Omega.