Written by Audrey Hazel
All year I my friends and I planned to go through sorority recruitment come Spring semester. At the beginning of the fall it seemed like nothing would stop me from doing so – after all, who gets below a 2.5 GPA? Certainly not me; or so I thought.
As the first semester was drawing to a close, I was faced with the possibility that I may not make the 2.5 GPA cutoff after all. Once this possibility became a fact, I was faced with many emotions. My pride, of course, was wounded because I had not achieved a higher GPA, and I also felt some resentment towards the school for allowing me covered grades in all aspects except for sorority recruitment. I had passed all my classes, so to me that seemed like enough to allow me to join a sorority.
I must admit, the week of recruitment was a bitter one for me as I watched all of my best friends follow through on the plan we had shared while I simply watched as a bystander. I thought that if I heard another word about greek life I might scream. Slowly, though, I have realized that this may have been a blessing in disguise.
The fall was a time of adjustment for me, and while I have begun taking entirely different classes this semester, I am realizing that my adjustment period is not coming to a close just yet. I am still struggling with juggling a sport, my academics, and my social life with the additional weight of being 3,000 miles away from my family and hometown. For me, having another time commitment, something else I feel responsible for may have pushed me over the edge of not being able to handle things well. I have made a commitment to myself this semester to be more focused on my studies and my mental health, and I think not being able to go through recruitment is going to help me in achieve those goals rather than hinder them. While I still think recruitment is a wonderful thing, and I fully intend to go through the process next year, I do believe that the GPA cutoff is a good thing. I see now that it is not intended as a punishment, but rather a method to help people like me who simply need a bit more time to adjust to life as a college student.