This article does not represent the views of Her Campus FSU.
May 30, 2016, I remember my guidance counselor yelling at me, telling me today was the deadline to pick a college. I stayed up the night before, flipped a coin, and Florida State became my future. When I told her this, all I could think about was garnet and gold, tailgates, and epic football games (oh hi, National Champions). A big piece of the ideal college experience I pictured was being in a sorority. I could see the “throw what you know” beach pictures, the trips to Disney, the cute t-shirts and the even cuter frat boys. So, of course, I signed up for formal Panhellenic recruitment.
Formal recruitment at Florida State is a week-long process, consisting of several rounds. I moved in early, along with my roommate and suitemates, to be able to partake in the process. It was awesome. We all came home every night and shared the details about our day, saying the “I could see myself there!” and “it feels like home!” more and more as the week progressed and then my favorite chapter dropped me. I felt like I had nothing to look forward to my freshman year now. Who would I be friends with? What would I do for football games? I was worried about the most superficial, surface questions.
The night I dropped out of recruitment was the same night my wonderful RA (Shout out Lanie!) came to tell us about the floor meeting and this club called Hall Council. She told me she thought I would really like it and that I should give it a shot. I really did not think about it. I was still devastated at the impending doom I saw as my freshman year. Fortunately, my roommate talked me into trying it out. I decided to run for president (because go big or go home) and left it up to fate. It happened to work out for me and I became my hall president (I miss you Deviney Hall). I had never ever been the president of anything and had no idea what I was getting myself into, but it was one of the best opportunities I have ever had. It pushed me to become a leader and to have the confidence to pursue other clubs and activities. Being without a sorority made me grow into the person I’m supposed to be not the average girl I was in high school.
As the year progressed, it became exactly what I hoped, going to football games and out to dinner with my friends, hanging out in the dorm and everything you expect in your freshman year. I felt like I had made it but it still felt like something was missing. My roommates pushed me out of my comfort zone even more by advising me to go through formal sorority recruitment again as a sophomore. My immediate thought: why would they want me now if they didn’t before? But I tried to see past the fear and signed up. Worst case, I would drop again.
But I didn’t. Recruitment as a sophomore felt easier and almost relaxed versus me coming home and wanting to cry all the time as a freshman. I kept a clear head and trusted the process as the wise Rho Gammas advised me. I ended up in a completely different chapter than where I thought I would be freshman year. I found my real home and this time it was not about the glitter and glam that I thought being in a sorority was. I found a place where I felt comfortable being myself, the person that I grew into freshman year. If I had not dropped out freshman year, I would not be the person I am today, calling my chapter home and all the amazing women I’ve met my sisters.
Courtesy: Florida State Alpha Omicron Pi