Coming to college this past fall, I thought every girl just HAD to join a sorority to make friends, have fun and be accepted into college culture. Seeing as I didn’t rush, and I’m having a pretty awesome first year, I found out that thankfully wasn’t the case. While sororities are an excellent way of doing all those things I mentioned before, I think it’s important to talk about how they aren’t the ONLY way. Most of the articles regarding sororities are why you should rush, or how to make recruitment a breeze, so instead, here is a list of all the reasons why it’s okay to not rush into the whole sorority thing (pun intended).
1. It’s expensive
Plain and simple. If sororities weren’t upwards of a couple of thousand dollars a semester, I probably would have seriously considered rushing. However, the cost is real and can’t be ignored. Now I’m definitely not one to judge how other people spend their money, but I made the personal decision to save my coin and use it elsewhere. No matter what you decide, make sure you take into account just how expensive being in a sorority can get.
2. Rush week is HARD
Though I haven’t personally gone through it, enough of my friends have described the early mornings, long days, brutal walks through the summer sun and repetitive conversations to make me give mad props to all the girls that survive the whole week. Seriously, imagine having to look cute at 7 a.m. every day for a week! And the number of outfits…I couldn’t handle it.
3. Time
Personally, I have a tough time managing all the different aspects of my life as it is. I felt like throwing a sorority on top of it would only end in spreading myself super thin. One thing college teaches you about adulting is that you can’t always do everything, no matter how much you want to. Being in a sorority is a big-time commitment and not something to take lightly.
4. Other opportunities
That being said, I wanted the freedom to explore my new college campus and all it had to offer before settling down in one organization such as a sorority right from the beginning. FSU has so many other opportunities that most of the time go unnoticed unless you take the time to seek them out. I couldn’t imagine not being apart of Her Campus FSU and if I had rushed, I may not have ever applied!
5. My friends rushed for me
Lastly, I was blessed in the sense that most of my girlfriends from high school also go to Florida State, and most of them rushed. Thus, I decided to live vicariously through them, which is honestly enough for me.
So, if you’re new to college, and feeling the same pressure I did to join a sorority, take a step back and really think about if it is the right choice for you. I 100 percent guarantee that you will still be able to make friends, get invited to all the cool parties and have an awesome college experience no matter what direction you choose!