The third year of college is often acclaimed to be the hardest. The future held before us is promising and harrowing all at once. The bridges we built up over the past two years will guide us towards opportunities post-graduation. This year is preparation for senior year, when we are expected to accept job offers, be admitted into graduate schools, or plan out the pursuit toward professional degrees. At the very least, we should have our living situations figured out for the next few years. It’s a lot of pressure to handle in isolation. And try as we might, college cannot be conquered alone.

As a freshman, I wanted to find my place at WPI and achieve a network through clubs and lab work. These past two years of meeting friends and colleagues have been everything I had hoped for and more. I have found amazing people to teach me how to work with cell cultures, interact with patients, create a career plan, lead tennis students, and cook dishes from across the world. While I am very satisfied with the community I have become a part of, I cannot doubt that there is a fragment missing from the picture.

I value being a part of a greater community, because it rests assure that someone will be able to help me in my times of need and that I will be able to reach out to others that may need support. This feeling of interdependence and team dynamic has made itself present in the professional societies I am a part of as well as through my jobs and volunteer work. My closest friends at school can also provide the personal support that helps me flourish as a person. However, that social connection is always dependent upon scheduling and workload, as strong as it is. I can’t say that there is always a friend to study with me when I’m having trouble focusing. Right now, I rely on self-motivation and self-instilled values to get through my work. As a naturally introverted person, I want to be able to reach out more and be able to see college from new perspectives apart from my own.

This year, my third year of college, I am opening myself up to the idea of going Greek. Yes, it is later than usual. And yes, it is a commitment. These are undeniable truths that I am learning to face as I write this piece with a week’s anticipation. And the responses that I’d like to give to those factual assertions are clear in their purpose. For me, it never feels too late to consider the option of joining a sisterhood of driven women. I feel that it makes sense to surround myself with open arms and kind hearts during the hardest two years leading up to graduation. Since my motivation has always been to earn certain privileges I didn’t have access to as a child, I want to understand the drive of women who have not grown up under the same circumstances as I. As a person that is rapidly evolving into a professional world, I would like to empathize with a diverse array of women who will strive to accomplish their professional goals and work to provide for and raise families down the line. A subset of this determination is a dedication to the commitment of a sorority. If I truly do gain fresh perspectives and abilities through Greek life, I would join wholeheartedly. I would do my best to provide support for my new sisters, because I would have faith in our friendships.

If there were one single thing keeping me from Greek life, it would be the physical cost of maintaining membership. All my life, I have let finances become an obstacle. I have been cautious to avoid the most expensive clothes and the priciest foods at the grocery store. I have avoided applying to internships and summer programs where housing is not guaranteed to be covered. However, I am aware that I will have to make adjustments to my lifestyle if I do devote myself to a chapter. I am willing to fight for my ability to carry out this responsibility.

As a junior, I’ve learned that I am a fighter. Hitting low points forces me to bounce back up on my feet. No matter what these next two years have in store, I know in my core that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. Adding a chapter to my story will add a new dimension to my college experience to treasure. Upon the publication of this article, I would have already completed the recruitment process. Wherever I may be, I hope to become a part of a thriving community of driven women. And I look forward to being able to write about how amazing they are soon.