As my first semester of freshman year came to a close, I wasn't really enjoying college/being away from home and I was not completely happy with where I was. With the thought of transferring schools taking over my mind, I began realizing that in order to make the best of what was left with my freshman year, I needed to become more involved.

Personally, greek life was something that did not really appeal to me (it may have even scared me a little bit) but during my search to find something to put my time into, I came across a recruitment video for the co-ed community service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. Little did I know, that joining this organization would be the reason that caused me to stay. Here's some reasons why Alpha Phi Omega was one of the best decisions I've ever made...

1. No Hazing

When someone says greek life, I automatically think of hazing, and this was one of the main reasons I was so against joining a sorority/fraternity. Luckily, Alpha Phi Omega has a strict no hazing policy. Right when I heard that, my interest in this organization grew.

2. Friends

Everyone I've met throughout my APO experience has been nothing but friendly and welcoming to myself as well as my pledge class. Going into something alone seemed scary but everyone in the brotherhood helped me significantly throughout the process of pledging and made me look forward to actually being a part of this organization.

3. Serving The Community

Being that APO is a community service fraternity, we're required to do just that - serve the community. Through this, it caused me to come out of my comfort zone by putting myself out there and proving my leadership skills. It also helped me get involved in my community (and made me feel good).

4. Putting My Time Into Something Fulfilling

Rather than spending this semester in my room watching netflix or procrastinating, APO allowed me to spending my time doing something that makes me feel good. Whether it's a fellowship/bonding activity or a service event, I feel that I'm not wasting my time, instead I'm using it for something good and beneficial.

5. Met People I Would Have Never Met

Through APO, I've been able to meet people from different years, majors, towns, etc. Without this organization I would have never had the opportunity to meet this variety of people and without them, my current semester and future semesters would not be the same. The group of people I met in Alpha Phi Omega, have helped me through my first year in college and made what seemed to be an awful semester, much more bearable.