As an international student, I didn’t know a single person when I came to Western. I tried a lot of things to meet people, including joining clubs and groups. As an introvert, I have a hard time making small talk- “what major are you in, where are you from”- I find it boring and awkward.
At Western, it doesn’t seem like Greek Life is a huge deal, definitely not as much as it is back in the states. At home, all of my close friends are a part of Greek Life or in co-ed service organizations- something that isn’t even offered here.
Now, in the second semester of my third year, I feel like I missed what could have been an incredible opportunity. When I was applying to schools, Greek Life was not something that I cared about at all- I never pictured myself as a sorority girl, or even someone who was a proud part of any big, organized group. But when I was applying to schools, I had no clue what I wanted to do; most 18 year olds have no clue what they want to do with the rest of their life, and yet they are forced to make tons of important, life-altering decisions.
At the time, I wanted to go to a small, liberal arts school, and major in English, and those are predominantly the schools that I applied to. Once I started touring schools, I realized that there was no way I wanted to be at a small school- it felt way too much like high school, and I wanted to move forward, not stay in the same place. Now, I’m at a school with 20k+ students, majoring in Sociology, which is something that had never even crossed my mind as an option.
I wish that when I first entered University, that I could have seen sororities for what they are- a great way to meet like-minded, strong women, and create bonds for life. I think that my network of people could have been much larger, and that I could have created a close-knit group of friends for myself.
Knowing what I know now, I might have gone to a larger school in my home country, with a greater focus on Greek Life and service organizations. And I definitely would have made more of an effort to step outside of my comfort zone in order to meet new people.