With the Spring semester about to begin, the Panhellenic sororities at LMU are preparing for primary recruitment. Never having gone through anything like this process before, it is normal to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and even scared. Here are some tips to help you navigate the process in order to have a healthy and positive experience.
Be yourself.
This first one may seem like a given, but it is so easy to lose yourself during the process. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and confident with the conversations that you are having. Don’t try and be what you think they want, be authentic and yourself. Otherwise, you may be placed in a sorority that doesn’t feel like home.
Go into the process with an open mind.
Even though it is natural to have an opinion of the sororities prior to going through the process, try to go through it with an open mind. To have the most authentic recruitment experience, try to avoid the opinions of others when it comes to typical reputations, as they are typically inaccurate. At the end of the day, whatever you put into the experience is what you will get out of it. Even if you think you don’t care much about the sorority, take part in conversations and engage yourself as you may never know that it could be your potential home.
Listen to your heart.
My final piece of advice is even though this may seem cheesy, you have to do what is best for you. It is common and fairly easy to base your decisions based on what your friends say and do. But just because your roommate may be in love with one sorority, you may like another one better so follow your heart. You have to do what is in your best interest as it will be an organization that you spend a lot of time in and one you are affiliated with.
At the end of the day, recruitment can be stressful but it allows you to step out of your comfort zone and find women that share your same values. Allow yourself to be vulnerable, authentic, and unapologetically yourself. All that matters is if you feel that you have chosen a place where you can be your true self and further evolve and develop with the encouragement of the people you surround yourself with.