Although recruitment has come to an end, I have now learned some things about it that I had not known before actually experiencing it. Even though recruitment is an exhausting and stressful time, it is not only this way for freshmen. We’re all going out every night to various date functions and then spending all weekend trapped in a convention center, mindlessly walking from ballroom to ballroom, attempting to gain the energy back that we had at the beginning of the day and trying to sneak in food breaks while waiting in the painfully long bathroom lines. Here are some ways (for next year) to manage recruitment without going out of your mind:
1. Don’t take it too seriously
Too many times have I walked by girls in Marketplace freaking out about their outfit for the next day or becoming too stressed about which chapters they may or may not be invited back to. Talking about it too much or letting it stress you out at all is just a waste of your energy. After you write down your list of chapters, there is nothing you can do, so don’t spend too much time being nervous or stressed or even talking about the chapters that you will be invited to next round. Everything will work itself out.
2. Bring food to eat during the breaks and right before you get there!
If you’re like me and you can’t eat when you’re nervous, do it anyway because you will be starving by the end of the day. It is crucial to bring energy bars or packaged food and water.
3. Switch up the conversation
I had so many conversations about my major and my classes that I forgot whom I had already told what to. If you change the conversation to something that both of you actually want to talk about, you will be engaged and more memorable to that sorority and they will be more memorable to you.
4. Sleep!
This is the most important one! There is so much to do during recruitment weeks that if you don’t get a good night sleep, there is no way that you can get through a full day of talking to so many people. Don’t feel badly saying no to a date function every once and a while to stay in and rest, it is necessary during recruitment time.
5. Enjoy it
Although it may be stressful now, recruitment is a great opportunity to meet a lot of cool girls that you may never have gotten the opportunity to come across. Take advantage of this time.
I hope everyone is happy with where they ended up, and good luck with second semester!
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