As decision date is quickly approaching, high school seniors across the country are making decisions about the next four years of their lives. They start to question: Who do I room with? Where is the best dorm to live? Do I join Greek life?
Especially in the case of large state universities, there's a chance that joining Greek life is an important decision that will not only influence your time at college, but the rest of your life as well. Greek life is more popular at some universities than others, but it usually has some presence at large universities. As a freshman in Greek life with only one month left at school, it's easy for me to say that Greek life was the best decision I made all year.
The first time I realized how lucky I was to be in Greek life was on bid day. Not really knowing anyone in my new sorority, I knew that I might not be gaining immediate best friends but, instead, people to look out for. Without a large presence of my high school at my college, it was comforting to see girls in my pledge class or older sisters walking around campus, in my classes, or out and about. It made me feel less like a microscopic goldfish in the ocean and more like a medium-sized fish in a lake.
Another benefit of Greek life is that you quickly find some type of identity instead of just being another student out of 40,000. This fact makes it easier to recognize people in other sororities and fraternities. In my opinion, it's the best of both worlds to go out and see familiar faces but still meet new people every night as well. Greek life has also introduced me to some of my best friends, who I might not have met otherwise. Some of my current best friends live in different dorms with completely different majors, and we might not have ever crossed paths if we hadn't joined Greek life. Now, not only do I have my best friends, I also have fifty future roommates to live with next year and to grow with in friendship.
Greek life has also given me many role models. At the beginning of college, it's safe to say that 99% of freshmen have no idea what's going on in basically every aspect of their lives. They don't know where the parties are, they don't know the good places to eat, or which boys to stay clear of. In a sorority, you immediately have so many older girls who are there to help you through the confusing time that is first semester of freshman year. For me personally, I depend on my big a great deal, and I trust her to never steer me in the wrong direction.
So here's my advice on Greek life: give it a chance. Recently, the media has not portrayed Greek life in a positive light. However, it's important to not give in to negative perceptions and to give recruitment a chance. It will make you more well adjusted, and you'll feel comfortable navigating through the world of freshman year with your sisters by your side.
