I never thought that I’d be someone who participated in Greek life. Throughout high school, my friends expressed their excitement at the idea of one day being in sororities and fraternities where they would find life-long friends, fulfill philanthropic goals, and have rampant and exciting social lives.
I never envisioned myself within such a community. Everything I thought I knew about sororities were from stories that I had heard and outdated stereotypes, and from all the information I gathered, it never really seemed to be my thing.
Once I came to college my perspective shifted slightly. I had some older friends who were involved in Greek life and absolutely raved about it – they claimed that it had expanded their social circle and enabled them to meet incredible people they otherwise might never have crossed paths with. The idea began to seem more and more appealing as my freshman semester sped by.
The nice thing about Boston University’s Greek life is that it isn’t the first semester. I still think that is a large reason why I decided to give it a shot. Having the first semester to find my place at school first before I worried about anything to do with sororities was really important to me. I was able to make wonderful friends without any social constraints or biases. Everything was fresh and new, and possibilities seemed endless.
However, towards the end of my first semester of freshman year, I began to grow hungry for more. I loved my life at school, my friends, and my classes, but I felt as if there was so much more to explore. I passed faces on the street that I had seen around many times, yet I didn’t know them at all. As an extroverted person, I longed to meet more people, as going to a city school facilitates a lot of independence. As much as I love and thrive on the individuality that my school requires, I also was beginning to wish for a smaller community where I could really get to know more people.
At last, I decided I would give sorority recruitment a shot. Most of my friends had decided to rush, and I felt that there was no harm in trying. The worst that happened was that I could drop, I thought. Another benefit of going to BU is that you don’t need to be a part of a sorority just to have a social life—it simply felt like an added bonus to me. So, without knowing much at all, I decided to give rush a go.
Sorority recruitment was like nothing I had ever done before. Quite honestly, I think it was one of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had. You spend days talking to girls from all walks of life. Some were scientific, some were artistic. Some were quiet, and some were outgoing. I felt as if I met more people in the span of four days than I had my entire life, (exaggeration, but still I met a LOT). If recruitment taught me anything, it would be how to talk to any person about absolutely anything. Eventually, I began to enjoy the rounds of conversations I had to conduct at different houses. However, I also felt lucky in the sense that I enjoy talking (sometimes, according to my friends and family, a little too much). However, I imagine that being a shy person and going through recruitment is certainly a struggle.
There definitely is a lot of pressure as you go through recruitment. Even if you aren’t constantly being judged, it kind of feels like you are. There’s also undoubtedly a spirit of competition in the air. It’s like anything in life: a job interview, an audition, a sports tryout. Recruitment simply feels more intense because the package you’re trying to sell isn’t your grades, your talent, or even your appearance—it’s your entire package as a person.
There are definitely some negative aspects of recruitment. Everything feels very public about the entire process, which can be painful if you look around and see a bunch of girls asked back to a house that you weren’t. Although rejection is part of life, it definitely isn’t easy to check your schedule and see a house drop you, even if deep down you know it wasn’t right for you. Ridiculous questions fill your mind such as, “Why wasn’t I good enough?” However, it becomes clear that sometimes it’s not really about you at all. Sometimes a house just isn’t the right fit.
Bid day is where the celebrations set in, and with trembling fingers you unfold an envelope that reveals which sorority will become your home. In the beginning of the process, I didn’t know much about anything, so I wasn’t that emotionally invested in any particular house. However, by the end, I found myself much more nervous than I ever would’ve expected. In four short days, I had built connections and grown to have an attachment to some of the houses and people that I had met. That definitely was a surprise for me, but a happy one.
Greek life is nothing like I expected. There are so many stories and stereotypes out there, so it’s easy to get wrapped up in the rumors and focus on the things that don’t matter. It’s only been a few days, but I am already so excited regarding what is to come. I never envisioned myself as going through recruitment or joining a sorority.
However, I can safely say that I am so glad I put myself out there and did. Give things a shot, after all, you never know how much they will surprise you.
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