When most people think about joining a sorority, they think about formal rush freshman year. They think of visiting every Greek house and talking to a bunch of girls. So people give me a very distinct look when I tell them that I joined a sorority as a junior in college.
There are pros and cons to joining a sorority as a freshman versus as a junior. By getting involved freshman year, girls are able to meet more people at the beginning of their college experience. They get more time to spend with their sisters. Also, they get involved on campus quicker than most people that do not rush freshman year.
However, at the young age that freshman are, they aren't able to properly balance everything college throws at them. So they lose control somewhere. Sometimes their grades fall, other times they lose prior friends. That's not because of the sorority though, that is because as young adults balance isn't easy.
Each year in college is vastly different from another. Junior year is the beginning of the end. Students are really delving into specialized classes and moving away from general education requirements. They are looking at internships and beginning to think about where they will want to work after graduation. They're usually very busy students altogether.
Things went a little differently for me. In my first two years of college, I made friends with people around me and those I worked with. I met people through other friends and through church. I became highly involved in my college. But I felt like I was lacking something. What I was lacking was a sense of giving back.
For those that are not familiar with Greek life, each organization has a different philanthropy. A philanthropy is a way of giving back to a certain cause. They put on events and raise money to promote their philanthropy around their respective university.
So after looking around, I found a sorority that has a philanthropy that I am extremely passionate about. So I rushed. I joined a sorority as a junior in college and I could not be happier. I have become friends with so many girls that share similar interests as I do. I cannot wait to see what this semester and the rest of my time in college holds with my sorority.
