Before coming to college there was set list of questions that I was asked by friends and family alike up until the very day that I moved into my dorm. Some included, “what’s your major,” “do you like your roommate,” and finally “are you going to join a sorority?”
During my freshman year of college, if someone had told me me I was going to go through recruitment, I would have laughed in they’re face. I will admit — I was close-minded when it came to Greek Life, and I fell trap to all the stereotypes that surrounded both recruitment and sororities.
As the year progressed and I heard about all the incredible experiences that my friends were having because of Greek Life, I realized that I had been wrong. Joining a sorority wasn’t the horrible experience I assumed it would be. In actuality, it was an experience that made it possible for girls to obtain lifelong friends, make memories, and give back to our community. However, by the time that I had realized this and actually wanted to go through recruitment, I was going to be a sophomore. I started wondering: was it too late?
Now, as a senior and a happy member of the Pi-Kappa chapter of Chi Omega here at Appalachian State, here are the pros and cons that I encountered as I went through requirement as a sophomore.
One of the pros that I realized when going through recruitment as a sophomore was the fact that I was more adjusted to the college experience as a whole. It wasn’t the fact that I was a different person than who I was in high school, but I was a new version of that person. Because I had that year to adjust, I was able to figure out exactly what I loved about App and what I wanted more of, allowing me to find a sorority that not only valued the things that I loved about App, but also a sorority that could fill the void of the things that I thought I was missing.
Another pro about going through recruitment as a sophomore was the fact that I already had an established group of friends. I had people who weren’t biased about which sorority I should join because they weren’t in Greek organizations. I had people to talk to about my recruitment experiences and give me open-minded advice.
Although I wouldn’t go back and change the fact that I went through recruitment as a sophomore, there were some downsides. One of them was that, even though I was only about a year older than everyone else, I felt much older than all the other girls going through recruitment. I felt like I couldn’t relate to them; here they were just starting to figure out what college was about, while I already had a whole year of college under my belt.
Another con was the fact that there were some rumors going around that some sororities wouldn’t ask you back if you were a sophomore. This was especially stressful because I didn’t want to walk into a room and be completely written off just because of my age. Even though these rumors turned out to be 100% false, it was still stressful to be thinking about them while I was going through the recruitment process.
But through all the good and the bad, I ended up in the place that I was supposed to be. I love my sorority, and I love my friends. No matter what year you decide to rush, you’ll end up having the time of your life. Greek life can be a good life; you just have to try.