"I'm not that type of girl".
"But I could get involved in so much more if I didn't have that kind of time commitment".
"I don't want to pay for my friends".
When I was a fresh high school graduate, these are some of the doubts I had about going through recruitment in college. I told myself that it wasn't for me, even though a lot of girls I knew had rushed, and my best friends would all be rushing when it came time in the fall. I think my biggest fear was that if I joined a sorority, I would lose my sense of identity and individuality, and lose myself in such a big group of girls who, I feared, were all the same. Last minute, actually the day before registration closed, I said "why not" and signed up for recruitment. I told myself it was worth a shot, and if I hated it, I could always drop out.
Almost two years later, I'm in the best sorority there is, and I can't imagine where I would be if I hadn't gone through recruitment. Here's a few answers I found that banished my fears, and helped me to become the person I never thought I could be.
First of all, to address the "I'm not that type of girl" claim:
what type of girl? Before I joined a sorority, I thought that every girl who was in one was the same kind of person. Peppy, involved, maybe a little fake, and overall, put together. Coming through recruitment, you get to meet a lot of girls and see a glimpse of their personalities and characters, but you really don't get to figure them out as individuals, until you spend more time with each of them. The girls whose names I didn't know on bid day are now there every time I need someone to cry to. They're there to hold my hair when I need them to. They're there to tell me that the guy across the room really isn't as cute as I think he is. And they're there to tell me that life sucks, but I can get through it, and I know I can trust them. Being in a sorority has showed me so many different sides of my friends, and it's crazy to me now that people can look at a chapter, and think that every girl in it is the same. I feel crazy for ever thinking that. I've met so many unique women who all have their own sense of style, sense of humor, strengths, weaknesses, and other attributes. So if you ever find yourself looking at a Greek organization and stereotyping them, putting them all in a box without getting to know them--think again.
Another one of my fears, the one concerning the amount of time I'd have to devote to the chapter, was not entirely unjustified.
Yes, it's a lot of time. But it's time well-spent. You devote hours and hours to doing good for your community, raising money for a philanthropy that actually changes lives, and bonding with your sisters. The time you put into your chapter just isn't comparable to the amount of love and support you get back from it. If you want to disagree with me on that, then maybe you should try spending a little more time being involved in your chapter, and see if I'm wrong.
Oh, one last one: the classic, "I don't want to pay for my friends."
I've heard it, you've heard it, everyone and their mother has heard it. Yeah, sororities cost money. That's no secret. But you don't pay for friendship. You pay for t-shirts, you pay for a place to live, you pay for functions like date parties and mixers. You DON'T pay for the times when you come home after having an awful day, when you want to curl into a ball and cry, and a sister is there with a milkshake and comforting words. You DON'T pay for a sister to come pick you up at 2 in the morning from a party because you can't drive home. You DON'T pay for a friend who will go to concerts two and a half hours away from home, just so you can see your favorite artist, even if it isn't their favorite artist. You DON'T pay for someone who you can tell your wildest dreams to, and who will encourage you, no matter how unrealistic those dreams may be. That kind of love and support, as cheesy as it sounds, can't be bought.
I don't know if I'm preaching to the choir, or if this will sway anyone on their thoughts on Greek life, but just know that two years ago, I scoffed at the idea of being in a sorority. Now I'm on the executive board, I have lifelong friends who I never would have met if I hadn't joined Alpha Chi Omega, and I can honestly say, I'm a better person.
