As a girl that grew up in Houston,Texas, I heard the stories and watched the movies. Learning about all the wild times and the lack of diversity, I decided early on that I was never going to be one of those girls that joined a sorority. I was going to do something with my life and not spend college partying with frat boys. Yet as fate would have it, I was convinced to go through recruitment by a high school teacher. Having a bad run with girl friends in high school I decided I needed more than just guys in my life. I told myself I was stupid for even considering it, that they would never accept me, but I went though anyway, deciding that if I hated it I could just leave. So here I am, a member of the Beta Chi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta in Edmonton, Alberta and it is so different from everything I once thought. Sororities get a bad reputation, a lot of it coming from the media and movies that portray it as some kind of cult. Here are 8 common misconceptions that I learned were false after joining a sorority:
Sorority girls are dumb
The fact that we all made it into university should say something about how smart we are. Even so, in order to be in a sorority you have to maintain a certain GPA and attend study halls. We strive for academic excellence and don’t settle for less than our best.
In order to join, you will be hazed
Totally false. This was something I was worried about when I went through recruitment. I was put at ease however, when I learned that the sororities on my campus follow a very strong no hazing policy. Many other sororities (and all sororities that exist under the National Panhellenic Conference) follow this policy too, so if this is the only thing holding you back, don’t worry about it too much!
Sororities are basically one big party
Most of the sorority houses on our campus are actually dry (meaning we are not allowed to have liquor on the premises) and we do not associate our organizations with partying at all. Sure, as individuals we love to have fun, but we don’t just have fun, we work hard at everything thing we do, like school, volunteering, and everything we set our minds to. Is it a bad thing to want to make your college experience as fun as possible?
Sorority girls pay for their friends
So being on a sports team or participating in a club where you pay a fee is paying for your friends? Ok then. We don’t pay for our sisters, like anything else, in order to do things we have to pay money. We also have beautiful houses to maintain, a place we get to call our own, so I think everything we pay is totally worth it and is not about paying for our sisters at all
Sorority girls only like guys in fraternities
We like what we like, if they happen to be in a fraternity so what? Yes we probably spend more time with them (being in the Greek system will do that to you), but it doesn’t mean that they are the only people we’re interested in. So many of my sisters are with guys they met in class, at a bar, or grew up with, and some of my sisters are with guys who happen to be in a fraternity. I say if they’re nice and treat you right there should be no problem.
Sorority girls are rude, stuck up, and only care about their sisters
I can’t speak for everyone, but every sorority girl I’ve met has been so nice and willing to get to know me. From my experience, sorority girls make friends with everyone, people in their classes and other organizations they are a part of. Sometimes I think sorority girls go out of their way to make friends with people outside their sorority.
Being in a sorority takes over your life
Unless you want to become the president of your sorority you’re probably not living and breathing your sorority. Many girls have passions and hobbies that consume their time, as well as school (can’t forget about what we’re all in college for) and their sorority is something that gives them a sense of belonging on a big campus. Not to mention all the amazing events you get to participate in that keeps your social calendar booked.
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