I am the first person in my family to step out and go to college at the age of 18. Nobody in my family knew anything about college or its culture besides what we learned when I started to apply to colleges and when my dad earned his online degree when I was in middle school. It would be a shock for me to find out about the sororities here at my university, and I would not learn more about Greek life until primary recruitment ended my freshman year.
The majority of people I met during rush week were freshman and that did intimidate me a little bit. Not knowing a lot about Greek life and rushing as a sophomore made me feel very alienated amongst my peers. However, going through the process changed my perspective and made me realize that it is, in fact, better late than never to go through recruitment.
Already accustomed to university
The main reason I enjoyed rushing as a sophomore was that I already was accustomed to my university! I did not have to worry about not knowing where a building was, how to juggle all my classes, or even about getting used to a new environment. Going through rush was such a breeze when I did not have to go through all the stressful things I did when I first got to college. I do agree that rush is such an amazing experience, but for me, it just felt like another fun packed week! If you have already put some things on your plate and you are looking to add another thing, going through rush. Finding your home on campus might be the perfect side dish!
So many great people to meet
While rushing, you get to meet so many different and amazing people. Though everyone you meet will not end up in the same sorority that you do, you get to interact with so many people — from potential new members, pi chis (or however your school refers to unbiased, unaffiliated recruitment counselors), recruiters from each chapter and others attending the events. It may be scary going through this process, but there are so many others who are going through the same thing and feeling the same feeling you are. You will probably meet others who are also rushing as sophomores (or whatever year applies to you), but even if you do not, all the different people you will meet will make up for it.
Low commitment
Personally, I dropped at the end of recruitment, which is another great reason to go through rush (hear me out). Primary recruitment is definitely a lot, and it can be a great experience for some people, and not for others. Having the opportunity to be able to drop throughout the process makes the commitment feel less stressful. If it is something you just want to try out, but eventually find out it is not for you, you do not have to go through with it! It is always good to try something new, even if it does not end in success.
Should you rush?
Definitely! If you are unsure and just contemplating it, just commit to it and try it out for a bit. If it is not for you, then it is totally okay to drop. As someone who did drop, I would still recommend the process to anyone who may be thinking about it, especially fellow upperclassmen who are on the edge.