It’s often said that when you join a sorority, you immediately gain a hundred new friends and sisters. However, it can also end up feeling like a hundred new strangers, with only one broad interest and commonality. It can make you feel lonely, unsure of your decision, and ultimately, more likely to drop. But that doesn’t mean you should.
I spent half of my freshman year debating whether or not I should drop. I felt so out of place and invisible, like no one knew who I was. But I gave myself an ultimatum: stick it out for one year, and if I’m still unhappy, I’ll drop. I didn’t think I would actually end up staying, but so far, this year has been better than I could have ever expected.
One of the particular reasons for my distance was a crazy schedule. The first semester I was barely able to attend mandatory meetings, let alone sisterhoods and exchanges. The phrase, “You get out of it what you put into it,” is undeniably true. How could I have expected myself to bond with girls and become friends, if I rarely ever saw their faces beyond the walls of our house? Once I realized that, and committed myself to being involved, it was like my entire experience did a 180, for the better.
Joining a sorority can be a big commitment with so much going on right away. The first semester is the most jam-packed and hectic of them all. Not to mention that your time spent as a new member is unlike the rest of your sorority experience. It is a lot to handle right away, but it is important to realize that things will soon slow down. Immediately after bid day, everything is a big blur of composites, big/little, initiation, and so many other events. As an active member, you’ll likely still have to participate in the same events, however, you’ll have a little more experience under your belt and will be better equipped to handle the schedule.
Also, after a semester, you’ll be much more familiar with the strange world that is Greek life. No one in my immediate family had been involved in Greek life during college, so joining a house opened my eyes to a culture I could barely comprehend. It takes some getting used to that’s for sure. Remind me again why Songfest is a thing? But give it time, and before you know it, you’ll be talking with your sisters about things that sound like a foreign language to non-greeks.
Not only can sorority life be very time consuming, it can also be a bit expensive. While, thankfully, you only have to pay the (scary) new member dues only once and active dues are beautifully less, it still can be difficult to cover the cost. It is absolutely worthwhile to look into the scholarship opportunities or payment plans available. I’m unsure if this happens in each sorority, but in my house, we are also given the opportunity to defer initiating until the next semester so we may have a longer period of time to pay our full dues. It’s not ideal to wait to initiate, but it is definitely a great option.
There are so many reasons I could give and personal experiences I could write about as to why you should wait before you commit to dropping. So many women go through a similar thought process and feel doubt in their choices, so no matter the issue, there should always be someone to turn to for advice. Mine is that you will never know how wonderful an opportunity some thing may be if you do not even give it a chance. In this case, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right? You never know what happiness it could bring to your life.
So before you decide to drop, please wait. Wait for the excitement to settle, and wait for the true meaning of sisterhood to find its way into your life. Do it for all the opportunities, the friendships, and the memories that will come from being in a sorority. I promise you, it will all be worth it.