I remember my bid day like it was yesterday. This was back in the fall of 2013 when I had only been in college for about a month. The feeling of holding an unopened bid gave me such anxiety and excitement; so much so that I decided to peek and was ecstatic to see that I had gotten into the chapter I had wanted the entire week. I ran home to my newly found sisters in the pouring rain. We all looked like wet rats, but we made it work and it ended up being a great start to my life-changing experience.
For those of you who haven’t already heard this, you’re going to hear it a lot but I envy you, every single senior envies you. Even though I was the youngest pledge class, overwhelmed with the amount of people I was meeting, and the activities (some more enjoyable than others) were piling up, I felt like there was so much ahead of me. I was going to find my best friends and be presented with amazing opportunities. It’s hard now being a senior because everything has a bitter-sweet tang to it. I’m starting to count my lasts instead of my firsts, getting all nostalgic and emotional (I don’t even recognize myself), and starting to realize that in the next few months, I’m stepping away from a place with people that I call home and stepping into something incredibly different.
I could sit here behind my computer and narcissistically type out everything that I’ve personally gained from Greek life and essentially reiterate everything every girl you talked to during recruitment told you about her experience (friendship, leadership, networking, etc.). I don’t want to do that though. However, I am going to give out some very honest advice in the form of a list:
1. It can be incredibly overwhelming meeting not only your new sisters, but everyone in Greek life. Try your best to meet all your sisters and just be friendly and respectful.
2. Respect every other chapter in Greek life. No chapter is better than another. Just because it wasn’t a fit for you, doesn’t mean someone else isn’t finding meaningful friendships and having a blast.
Okay, now the better stuff.
3. If you don’t find your core group of friends right away, DON’T GIVE UP. It took me until nearly the end of my second semester freshman year to find my best friends.
4. Always go for a leadership position or any position. You gain so much valuable experience, get to know the chapter better, become a more respected and reputable member, and form more friendships.
5. Don’t let the Greek life stereotypes define you as a member. Respectfully prove all those people wrong because as you’ll come to find, there’s so much more to it than just partying (or whatever else people may think).
6. Go all out for every themed social, philanthropy sporting event, whatever it may be. You will have ten times more fun.
7. Before going all out, actually go in the first place. Every social, meeting, philanthropy event, sisterhood event, community service opportunity, go, go, GO. You will never look back and feel like you didn’t get enough out of it.
8. Cherish every moment you share with your sisters. As cringe-worthy and way to gushy as it sounds, that’s one of biggest things I’ve learned. They are your support system and the group of girls making your college experience great, please look to them in good times and bad.
9. Be close with your Greek family. Look to your big as either a best friend or a role model, support your little in everything she does, and smile proudly at your little getting a little (or your grand little getting a little *shudders at the thought*). Be there for each other, always.
And I could go on for a long time, but my final piece of advice and probably the most important…
10. You will get out of it what you put into it.
It doesn’t matter the reasons you decided to join Greek life, because it will touch your life in some kind of way. For me, it made this huge university seem a lot smaller and gave me a place of belonging with people that I genuinely care about and make my heart smile. Do not take it for granted because I promise it will fly by and four years from now, you will be ugly crying at your last formal while you throw back champagne. I’m not saying this has happened to me yet, but there’s a very good chance. Anyway, welcome to the best four years of your life people, enjoy it.