With my last recruitment quickly approaching, I thought it only appropriate to give my tid bit of advice to the girls on the other side. Recruitment can be an exciting but also really nerve wracking time. I remember stressing myself out almost to the point of tears because I didn’t think recruitment was going as planned. Well, the truth is, recruitment didn’t go as planned, but that is the beauty of the process. It never goes the way you think. If it had, I probably would not be in the sorority I belong. For you girls out there getting ready for recruitment, here are 5 pieces of advice I want to leave you with.

1. Don’t stress about being in the “right” sorority.

As you go through the first few weeks of school leading up to recruitment, you become familiar with which sorority is which. Many of you decide what you’ll be before officially even going through recruitment. While it is great to have houses in mind, don’t close yourself off to the other houses. Be open to what each sorority has to offer you instead.

2. Research each sorority you will visit.

Much like an interview with a job candidate, sororities are looking to see if you are the right fit for them, and you should do the same. Find the websites for each sorority and look through their social media. Look at how they spend their time, what they excel in, what philanthropic work they do, etc. This research will help you get a better idea of what type of women are in each chapter and how similar you are to them.

3. Realize that the sorority women you will meet are just as nervous, if not more than you are.

Being on the other side of recruitment can be such a challenge, especially your first time. You want to make a good impression, and you definitely don’t want to be labeled as “that weird, awkward girl.” We want you to like us just as much as you want us to like you, so take the pressure off yourself!

4. Enjoy your time going through!

You will meet a TON of people when you first get to college, especially during recruitment week. Depending on what school you are at, there can be hundreds to thousands of girls going through. Use downtime between visiting houses to socialize with other girls and make friends. I got to know so many different women from different houses through doing that and are still friends with some of them today.

5. Know that if you don’t get your number one choice, it’s not the end of the world.

After you have gone to all the houses, you begin to narrow down which house you want, and on pref night, you choose between your final two houses. Unless you suicide, it is possible to end up in your second choice. While this could be disappointing, PLEASE give the other house a chance! I truly believe that you end up in the house you were meant to. I’ve known many girls to not get their first choice but find they were glad they didn’t.

The pains of recruitment are well worth it in the end. I look back to my time going through, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Alpha Gam had been one of two places I could see myself in at the time. Well, the other house dropped me on the third night, and honestly I’m thankful they did. After accepting my bid to Alpha Gam and seeing what other sororities were like, I realized that if I had ended up anywhere else I would never have been happy. I tell you all this because recruitment is a wonderful experience to enjoy and not stress about. Be open to what each house has to offer you.

May the odds be ever in your favor!