Let’s have a real talk.

Whether you want to admit it or not, you have assumptions about sororities. And I’m not specifically referring to stereotypes.

I’m referring to the potential subculture growing from the Pinterest-Hell of sorority boards. I’m referring to the recruitment videos. I’m referring to the obnoxious “Throw What You Know” pictures that sisters take at every freaking landmark they come across. I’m referring to the assumption that every sorority is a close-knit sisterhood that doesn’t have any problems beside petty girl drama.

Well news flash, none of that is correct. That happy and excited “Throw What You Know” is the product of about 15-minutes of pure and unadulterated BS that can be broken down into the following: five minutes of arguing where the picture would be taken, five minutes of eye-rolling because each sister is talking louder than the next to establish some dominance over another’s opinion, and the last five minutes are taken up with fake laughter and self-destructively holding in frustration and annoyance because they don’t want to spend another 15 minutes arguing over something as futile as a picture.

That recruitment video is the product of two days consisting of the following: tears, at least seven arguments over the song being used in the video, six sisters arguing for more screen time as if they were negotiating a motion picture contract, and sisters complaining about everything that they specifically voted and agreed on doing. Sisterhoods don’t gossip about each other over trivial things, some literally hatch a plot to literally ruin their semester because they betrayed them in the worst kind of way. Other times there isn’t a rhyme or reason, they are just bitter people who hate you because they can.

If you assume that the only drama we have only concerns boys and rumors, you’re wrong. We have real problems and we have real arguments. We all talk behind each other’s back and if you deny it then you are lying. It happens and it’s inevitable because there will always be other sisters who you confide in to talk about your problems with another sister. We don’t all like each other and sometimes we can’t stand each other. So if a sister comes up to you and tells you that it's all friendship and love just walk away, because it's not.

We’re not in high school, and we know that. But it doesn’t stop the formation of cliques. May it be family lines, friendships that started outside of the sorority, or friendships in the sorority, Executive Board members, individuals not on good standing banding together, there will be a formation of cliques. Sometimes the cliques co-exist peacefully and efficiently but other times they clash. When they clash, they clash and it causes all hell to break lose.

But I love my sisterhood; I love what my sorority is and what it represents. I love that I don’t have to like everyone and still have a connection to thousands of distinguished women all across the country. I love that I have made the strongest bonds I will ever make because of my sorority. I’ve been given countless opportunities that I would have never received without my sisterhood. But I have also met some of the worst people because of my sorority.

I’ve experienced drama that is outlandish even for high school students. Because of my sorority I’ve been exposed to things that have changed me for the better and a little for the worse. I’ve been given opportunities that have shown me what I want to do and what I never want to do ever in my lifetime.

But no matter what the circumstances are, I’ll never regret my decision and I’m thankful for all my experiences with my sorority because the real sisters are those who rise above the petty crap and take their experiences to grow as a person.