If you're anything like me, talking to people that you don't know is not the easiest thing... at first. I always end up coming out of my shell when the right people come along, but I'm pretty awkward in the beginning.That being said, formal recruitment was rather anxiety-inducing. However, regardless of my introverted nature, joining a sorority is a goal that I've had for a long time now. Without any further ado, here's what formal recruitment looks like in the eyes of an introvert, and some advice to keep in mind if you are planning to go through it in the future!
Walking into the first room like...
The first sorority's room that you enter is going to be awkward and stressful, no doubt. You're going to walk in, likely link arms with someone you don't know, and be led into the room for conversation(s). The most important piece of advice that I can give here is to be yourself! Remember, you're not going to click with every girl you talk to in every room. Do not let this discourage you.
Now, based on the type of experience that you had in the first room, the next room could go one of two ways for you...
You felt a strong bond with one or more girls in the first recruitment room, so you enter the next one confidently- maybe even too confidently...
We all know the feeling: one positive experience serves as a catalyst for pretty intense feelings of happiness. You may have had an absolutely wonderful experience in the first room, which left you completely elated. Not to be a negative Nancy here, but be weary of this. Do not get too excited because as easily as you were excited, you can be let down just as quickly. Not saying that this is destined to occur, but there is a definite possibility, which is dependent upon how many rooms you enter during the process. I've said it before and I'll say it again: you're not going to bond with every girl in every room and that is perfectly okay.
You're left with a bit of a sinking feeling
Oh, wow, here I am repeating myself again: do not get discouraged. At this point, you may feel completely shut down and this may cause you to become a bit reserved; do not let this happen. If something happened, for example, you did not feel a connection or you felt as if someone wasn't really listening to what you had to say, then maybe that isn't your home. A big part of recruitment is learning to trust the system; you're going to end up in the right place, one that fits you perfectly, even if it isn't the sorority you wanted to join when you began the recruitment process.
You're going to have a variety of different experiences in each room, as each sorority is different. Bear in mind that every single group of women is beautiful and special in their own way, and you are going to find your home in one of these groups, as long as you trust the system. To sum everything up, the most important things, as cliché as this is, are as follows:
1. Be yourself. This entire process is about finding which home is right for you. There is no reason to pretend to be someone or something you're not.
2. Do not get discouraged... by anything. It's easy to be let down during this process; believe me, it's emotional. However, you need to keep in mind, as I've said a million times, you're going to end up in the right place for you, so if you've been dropped from a room, there is a reason. Do not let this get to you. Keep an open mind!
3. TRUST THE SYSTEM. You will end up in the right place for you, I promise.
At the end of the process, you're going to receive a bid, and you're going to want to run and hug all of your new pledge sisters so badly that you may accidentally run some people over.
