Going into freshman year it can be daunting leaving your small(er) high school and leaving your familiar friends and family for an unknown place. You’ve heard stories about what life is like at a university but you have never experienced it first hand. At this point in life so much is changing and it can be pretty scary. Going through recruitment before the first week of school allowed me to settle in and feel so comfortable on my new campus. Being in a sorority has opened so many doors for me and gave me an immediate support system that I would not have found elsewhere. It is impossible to describe what it is like to be a part of such an amazing sisterhood and make your life long friends on bid day and beyond. Here are just a few reasons going through recruitment is more than worth it!
You make new friends in your recruitment group
From the second you begin the process you meet your recruitment counselor who will guide you through the entire process and counsel you, she is basically your mom, therapist, and best friend during recruitment. Once you meet your recruitment counselor you also meet the rest of the girls in your recruitment group. Most of you will end up in different houses, although a few of you will most likely end up in the same house, which is very exciting! Either way the women you meet in your RC group may become your life long friends regardless of the chapter they join or what they end up doing in the future. Your recruitment groups are some of the closest friends you will make the week before school even starts. You all go to lunch and dinner together, you all understand what one another is going through, and you will stay in contact with many of these women in the years to come.
You learn so much about yourself
Recruitment is a very selfish process. This meaning that recruitment is all about your wants and needs. You are looking for the place that is the best fit for you. The best fit for you may end up being very different than the best fit for your best friend or your roommate. Recruitment forces you to do a lot of self-reflection and really find yourself and your niche on campus.
You meet different people from every chapter
Even if at the end of the process you decide Greek life is not the right fit for you, the process is completely worth it because you meet so many different, interesting, and unique people that you may have not met otherwise. If you do pledge to a chapter you will make many friends and create deep bonds with your new sisters, but the bonds you create within the Greek community that are separate from your personal chapter matter just as much.
You will have a support system
Throughout recruitment, bid day, and beyond there are Greek women standing behind you to support you if you fall. The Greek system holds you accountable for your grades, pushes you to try your hardest and succeed in all of your interests, and provides a vast network of people that are always there to support you. The people in your chapter and within the greater Greek community as well are always there for you!
You may have the best experience of your life
There are many things to get involved with on every campus. From clubs and honorary systems, to Greek life and intermural sports, there are a million things to do on most college campuses. With all of these various activities you can meet many amazing people. Greek life is unlike any other organization you will find on any campus. There are traditions, alumni on every campus, rituals, and networks that may all provide you with the most amazing and unique college experience.
All in all it never hurts to try something new and going through the recruitment process was worth every second. Greek life opens you up to a whole new community and way of life on your college campus. There is always a friendly face in every class, people to support you, people to stand up for what is right, and role models that keep you motivated and driven. Being in a sorority has completely changed my life and college experience for the better. You will never know where you belong until you find the home (or chapter) that is right for you.
Go Greek
Go Panhellenic!
