For most of my life, I didn’t have the best view of Greek life. But after joining a sorority, that perspective completely changed.Â
When I started my college journey, I knew I wanted to become involved in a variety of organizations and communities. Still, I was fairly certain I wanted to avoid Greek life. I just felt that it wouldn’t be a space I would feel included in or find community, and in a way, I had created a subconscious bias against it. It just did not seem like the type of environment I would want to surround myself with. However, as I write this after joining a sorority, I’ve come to realize just how much I’ve come to appreciate the community I’ve joined.
When it came to my hopes of what I would get out of my college experience, initially, my goal was to find community in the things that I knew and felt comfortable with. This led me to gravitate more towards organizations that aligned with my major, interests, and cultural identity, as it just seemed like the way to go. I avoided considering Greek life because I didn’t think I fit into the stereotypical standard of what a typical potential new member would be, and as such, I avoided it altogether.Â
Nevertheless, as I’ve come to grow throughout my time at college, I’ve learned that not everything has to conform to a single box of what they are perceived to be, and not every opportunity shows up the way one expects. More so, there is no fixed way of finding community, and sometimes you find it in the most unexpected places.
This way of thinking (and an invite from a friend) led me to attend an info session, more so motivated by curiosity. And by the end of it, I found myself actually interested in joining such a community. It went beyond the idea of sisterhood or service; it was about finding a group of fun, open, and caring people to surround myself with, who came from different backgrounds and majors to collaborate and get to know each other.
It caught me by surprise as I found myself not just enjoying the process, but truly stepping outside of my comfort zone and discovering a more social and outgoing part of myself that I thought I had lost. More importantly, it allowed me to find joy in getting to know new people and an understanding of different ways that community can manifest itself in a collegiate setting.Â
Greek life isn’t for everyone, and if you think it isn’t your cup of tea, that’s alright! But if you’re someone who isn’t entirely sure what to make of it or just curious about it, I’m here to say it’s okay to try it out. And if you enjoy it, that’s great, and if you don’t, that’s also great! College is about finding those spaces and communities where you can come into your own and surround yourself with people who add to your life and your experiences, and each person’s space is unique to them.Â
Have fun finding your own community!
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