Senior year of high school I swore to all my friends I would never join a sorority. While my other girl friends were romanticizing rushing fall of our freshman years, going to socials, getting a big, I was sitting there quoting every stereotype in the book. I had no interest in becoming part of a group of girls that forced the new ones to chug insane amounts of alcohol. Nor did I have any desire to party every night. I thought that joining a sorority meant I would be paying for my friends and only interacting with my sisters or frat boys. I swore against Greek letters and sorority organizations. Then I went to college and my entire perception changed.
Three years later, I wear my letters proudly and I can't imagine my life without my sorority sisters. I have learned more about life through Delta Zeta than I have in the 164 credits I have completed in college.
1. You are never alone.
Having 100 sisters has its perks. There is always someone around to spend hours at the library with in an attempt to do homework (read:goof around and gossip with while avoiding homework). And there are always people you can reach out to when you want to grab food, go on an adventure, or even just to talk to.
2. Time management is essential.
Between socials, meetings, intramural sports, community service, and events there isn't much time for anything else. Being in a sorority has taught me how important time management is. I've mastered the art of scheduling my life down to the minute and sending mass sorority emails while in line for coffee because those three minutes should never go wasted.
3. Purging your clothes and other crap is an underrated skill.
You collect a lot of apparel and other things being in a sorority-fraternity sunglasses, numerous greek week and Panhellenic event t-shirts, necklaces from St. Patrick's day festivities, inflatables from random socials. You collect it all in your room until it takes over and you have to purge it. This has become a weekly occurrence in my life, to the point where I look forward to it. I've learned how to make quick judgements over whether an object is worth keeping.
4. So is small talk.
Small talk takes on a whole new meaning during sorority recruitment. 5 days, 3 hours each of forced small talk with complete strangers in an attempt to show how amazing your house is. I took this skill for granted until going through recruitment. After going through many recruitments, I have mastered how to small talk my way through any situation.
5. Learning to dress yourself well is a must.
You are always representing your sorority, even if you aren't wearing letters. This means that you always have to look at least somewhat put together. I have learned more about how to dress myself in the time I've spent in a sorority than I have in the 20 years of my life. One can't go wrong with a good pair of dark wash jeans, a white t-shirt, booties, a comfy cardigan, some tinted moisturizer, and mascara.
6. But so is hanging in sweats and eating nachos.
Delta Zetas love food and love sweats. Dressing well is a big part of being in a sorority, but so is learning to vegetate in sweat pants and eating great food. I have my family to thank for learning the best places in Philadelphia to grab nachos and my sisters for always being down to bake cookies and drink wine on a Friday night.
7. You can be charitable in ways you never imagined.
One of the reasons I fell in love with Delta Zeta was its philanthropies and community service opportunities. In high school, if you had told me joining a sorority would allow me to fly to Los Angeles to volunteer for an organization that gives kids with chronic illnesses a typical camp experience, I would have laughed in your face. But Delta Zeta gave me just that.
8. Socials teach you how to let loose and not take things very seriously.
To a "Drop it like it's Yacht" social I went dressed as a tourist, complete with a neon orange fanny pack and a Hawaiian button-down shirt. I made fun of myself the entire night, was the blunt of many jokes, but got everyone to laugh. Socials have ridiculous themes and allow us to dress up as silly as we want without judgement. They are an excellent way to let off steam after a busy, stressful week.
9. You will be surrounded by girls who inspire you every day.
I remember my preference day like it was last week. I stood surrounded by poised girls reciting who they were as Delta Zetas and the wishes they had for each one of us. I looked around the room at each girl who was already a part of Delta Zeta and without knowing them all, I knew these were the girls I wanted to surround myself with every day. All different majors, different interests, and different personalities, but all who possessed the same values. I wasn't even a part of their sisterhood yet, but each person was already inspiring me to be a better version of myself.
10. The most important life lesson my sorority has taught me is to never give up on myself or my dreams.
I have over 100 people rooting for me unconditionally. They push me to leave my comfort zone and take an internship on the other side of the country. They're there to give me advice about jobs and my future as well as to congratulate me when I accomplish something I'm proud of.
