What do you get when you add 45 girls, a lot of frozen chicken and an endless supply of clothes and shoes? Living in a sorority house. This is my second semester living in my sorority house, and I never would have expected it to be half as fun (or half as annoying) as it is.
While I have had countless experiences – some good and some bad, here are my five major takeaways that everyone should know about living in a sorority house.
1. You’re never alone
The number one thing to know about living in a sorority is that you will never be alone, literally ever. I couldn’t count the number of times that I have walked into my room to find ten girls laying on my floor – some of which I didn’t even know had my door code. I am actually surprised if I walk into my room and there is silence – spooked even.
While some who need their alone time might find this to be a negative, it is definitely my favorite part of living in my sorority house. There is something comforting about coming home after a bad day and hearing non-stop chatter coming from your room all the way down the hall. I know that I’ll always have someone to talk to, someone to vent to or just someone to laugh with.
2. There are 24/7 snacks
Living in-house means getting a stocked refrigerator for the weekend, and when you have a kitchen that doesn’t have a stove or oven, that equals a whole lot of frozen chicken. Chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, chicken fries, grilled chicken breasts, spicy chicken, fake chicken for vegans – any kind of frozen chicken you can think of, we’ve got it. Throw in some pizza rolls and buffalo chicken dip, and you are inside a sorority house’s fridge.
While this might sound like heaven when you get home from going out at 2 a.m., it makes eating healthy on the weekends quite impossible. But living in my sorority house would not be the same without the endless supply of buffalo chicken dip from Publix, so I’m not complaining.
3. You get 45 closets
Don’t have anything to wear? Check out one of the other 45 closets in the house. Never repeating outfits by constantly being able to borrow new outfits from your friends is like living inside a shopping mall.
The girls that live in their sorority house together have a special bond that entails always looking out for each other’s needs. Whether you need a belt, a costume for a social or something as small as makeup remover, someone is sure to help you. Help is only one Facebook post in the in-house group away.
4. There seems to be a kleptomaniac problem with food
While we have food that all of the in-house girls share (see confession #2), girls will often have leftovers from going out to dinner or food that they simply bought for themselves that they put in the same refrigerator. You’d think that being college-aged women, no one would think it is okay to eat food that isn’t theirs to eat, but this doesn’t always seem to be the case.
One time, my roommate wanted nothing more than to come home from midtown and eat her leftover pizza that she had been thinking about all night. She reached in the fridge and grabbed the pizza box, only to find it empty. Not only did someone eat her pizza, but they also put the empty box back in the fridge – pure torture, I know.
While it might be slightly dramatic to say that there is a klepto problem when you live in a sorority house, the truth is just that having one fridge for 45 girls to share can cause some issues. When you come home in the middle of the night to see pizza in your fridge, the thought, “This isn’t for me,” likely doesn’t go through your mind. So, writing names on your food if you live in a sorority house is essential if you want to avoid that heart-wrenching disappointment my roommate felt.
5. Slumber parties— every night.
Remember the days when you had to ask your mom if you could have a sleepover with your friend? Well, when you live in a sorority house, it’s mandatory sleepovers every night. The first night I moved in, my two roommates and I had conversations in the dark in our respective bunks for a solid two hours. Sometimes, I’ll sleep in my friend’s room (right down the hall) just because I can.
During the hurricane in fall semester, all of my friends who didn’t live in-house came to take shelter. They slept in our extra bed and on our floor. We set up a projector in the dining room and watched movies until the power went out. Basically, life is always one big sleepover with your best friends, and it’s amazing.
While there are some pros and some cons to living in your sorority house, it is a decision I am glad I made. Even though I think I will be ready to move out at the end of spring semester and have my own apartment, I will forever be thankful for the memories and friendships it brought me.