As an introvert, I tend to keep to myself and like to spend my free time relaxing on my couch, reliving the days of vine. But I knew, coming into college, I would get really lonely if I didn’t find some solid group of friends like I did at home. Not entirely sure what I should do to make some friends, I decided to go through formal recruitment.
Talking to dozens and dozens of women seemed really daunting at first, but it was not as bad as I imagined. I met some really great girls from other chapters but I ended up really feeling at home in my own. I clicked with the girls in my sorority on levels that I didn’t think I could. I was able to be a dork and talk about my immense (and still very relevant) crush on Harry Styles and talked about a sense of belonging, which I so desperately wanted in college.
However, on Bid Day, on what should have been one of the greatest days of the year, I freaked out. There were 200 girls running around, yelling, and having a good time with one another. I left early, in tears, because I was so overwhelmed by everything going on. Being my introverted self, I didn’t know how to talk to my new “sisters” and felt separated from the other girls. I attended a handful of chapter meetings and still felt as though maybe this fast-paced environment wasn’t meant for me and that I didn’t belong.
I was about to drop, but I decided to branch out and reach out to a few girls who I kind of knew from my new member meetings. I texted a few girls and sat with them at chapter. It turned out being the best decision I’ve ever made. I found some of my best friends and was able to find my people that I could hang out with and do nothing with, comfortably. They were also able to broaden my horizons and get me to go out and do things I would typically wouldn’t do.
Sometimes, there are times that I like to be on my own and take time for myself, but I was still able to find girls who I can see being in my life for years and years to come. It can be hard to step outside your comfort zone and reach out to strangers to become friends. But do it. Channel that little bit of extrovert you have in you and find those people that you can spend time being an introvert with. It’s okay to be an introvert in a sorority, though it may be hard. Trust yourself and don’t be afraid to find people that make you feel like your true self while also helping you becoming a better version of yourself.