TCNJ Rush as a Sophomore

My freshman year at TCNJ, I was a bit lost finding my people. I decided to sign up for Panhellenic formal recruitment the day registration opened in hopes I would finally have the college experience I was hoping for. As recruitment drew nearer, I became increasingly nervous and unsure of myself, but decided to go through with it anyway. Unfortunately, a family member’s unexpected health complications came up halfway through rounds and I chose to remove myself from the recruitment process. It was a tough decision, but I knew I would not be able to fully commit to an organization if I was offered a bid. 

Although I had to end recruitment early, the rounds I had gone through were eye-opening for me. I was able to meet and talk to so many different people from TCNJ, all whom I probably would have never met otherwise. A few of my friends stuck with the process and ended up joining organizations, and although I wouldn’t have been able to do the same, I found myself thinking about the possibility of joining one my sophomore year. 

Before I knew it, sophomore year had come, and it was already fall semester. I spoke to one of my friends who was in an organization, and she recommended I look into Continuous Open Bidding if I was still interested in joining a chapter. I felt at that time I wasn’t super interested in joining anything, and that if I was going to join an organization, I would wait until formal recruitment in the spring once again. 

I was incredibly torn between registering or not; I ended up waiting until the weekend before registration closed to sign up, and I didn’t tell my family or friends until just a few days before. I had put so much pressure on myself during freshman year to go through recruitment and found it just made me anxious before every round. I decided that if I were to go through it again, I would try to be as chill about it as possible. As a sophomore, I already had a place on campus; I was in multiple clubs and had made friends, a few of whom ended up also going through recruitment sophomore year. 

Walking into the first round of recruitment, I already felt more comfortable than I had my freshman year. I knew what to expect from the first few rounds and knew this year I would be able to fully go through the process. I loved being able to talk to so many different people, and I found it so much easier since I was able to make connections through mutual classes, clubs, and friends. Not only did I enjoy getting to talk to people during rounds, but my Rho Gammas (recruitment counselors) were so welcoming, they were my lifesavers when trying to make a decision during ranking. 

I was in a group of about twelve Potential New Members (PNMs), and it was so nice to not only have the Rho Gammas, but also the other PNMs as friendly faces between rounds. I struggled to pick my favorite of two chapters for most of the rounds, and ended up talking pros and cons with my Rho Gammas for quite some time each night, but after preference round I was sure of where I was meant to be. 

On bid day, I ran home to Sigma Kappa (with three other girls from my Rho Gamma group––and one of my Rho Gammas!). I immediately knew it was the place for me and felt so welcomed by the active members. The new member process was busy, but the meetings brought my member class together and allowed me to meet so many wonderful people, including many new members that were also sophomores! It was during this period that I met my now big and my twin, along with so many sisters. Never once did I feel like I made the wrong decision; I have grown so much since bid day and made so many new connections on campus. I love having classes with sisters, and I feel like anywhere I go on campus I’ll see a friendly face. 

Sigma Kappa has brought me to my best friends, and for that I’ll be forever grateful. I’m not sure where I would be today if I hadn’t decided to go through formal recruitment my sophomore year, but I am eternally grateful I registered on a whim. I can say with confidence that the best decision I have made in college has been going through recruitment sophomore year and finding my home, and I could not imagine my life without the people I have met through Sigma Kappa. 

If you’re a sophomore and not sure if you want to rush, take this as your sign to register for formal recruitment and find your home!

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