Something about joining a sorority made me feel uneasy. But after transferring colleges for the second time, I desperately wanted to make friends. My junior year of college, I finally settled down to the university I'm at today and decided to give it a try. But my experience wasn't really positive.
I did meet some really lovely girls. I met quite a few not so lovely girls too. I felt like there were "cliques within the clique." I felt unwelcome at some of the gatherings. It just wasn't happening for me.
I really do think Greek life is only for a certain type of person. Despite what they try to push, everyone does pretty much look the same. Everyone is girly, everyone is following the same trends and wearing the same things. I love black and studs and my doc martens, and I'd be lying If I said I didn't feel out of place because of it. I felt like I had to change my appearance. I felt uncomfortable wearing clothes that I actually really liked. I stood out, and it was apparent in the way some of the girls treated me.
The singing and chanting all seemed so silly to me. Even the super structured chapter meetings felt so forced. Everyone seemed to be taking it so seriously, but I just couldn't. It all felt so pretend. We'd wear our t-shirts and throw up our signs and hold up our props. I remember seeing photos like these and thinking how fun it looked. But actually being there, I found it wasn't as fun as it always looked. It was fun, sure, but it wasn't anything extraordinary. And definitely not worth the money.
It's very expensive, and quite honestly I still don't understand why. There are so many other things that are worth spending you're money on. And on top of your crazy monthly dues, you are pressured to buy tees and other things that some people really can't afford. Events are mandatory for the most part, but for people like me who pay for the sorority dues all by themselves, making events was near impossible because I couldn't give up work.
The system isn't all that fair. This might be me, but I really think GPA shouldn't effect your status in the sorority. It is not a number that shows how hard a student is working. I was working so hard my junior year in a major that just wasn't made for me. I went to tutoring and spent countless hours at the library. You can be an art major with a 4.0 or a biochem major with a 2.5. It's all relative. I ended up leaving my sorority when I was put on probation for my grades. It just didn't seems worth it to me anymore.
I felt like I was trying to make myself fit into this system where I just didn't belong. It didn't feel like me and that's okay. Looking back on my time in a sorority, I was just stressed out and unhappy. I was too focused on what people thought of me. Plus, now I have money to travel and do so many other things. Now I have time to make friendships that are deep and meaningful. I wear what I want because there is no one to make me feel weird about it. I don't have to sing silly songs and I can take my own cute pictures.
