So many things come to mind for most people when they think about being a member of a sorority. A lot of the time, sorority girls connote a harsh image of being shallow, judgmental, stupid, the list goes on for pages. Often, college women tell stories of how they hate the idea of Greek life, or how they tried recruitment and the experience just wasn't for them. While everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinions, and no one experience is the same, I want to share a different story: what it can be like when being in a sorority is every positive thing that you thought it would be, and more.
I, unlike many others at my school and schools across the country, was not a girl who came into college having no idea if recruitment was the right decision for me. Being the daughter of a former sorority president and the sister of an active sorority member, I knew a lot about what being in a sorority was like and I was always encouraged to go Greek. I could hardly contain my excitement when second semester rolled around, and I dreamed of wearing my letters and taking cute pictures. I didn't really think about it much deeper than that, and unbeknownst to me, I was falling victim to a stereotypical idea.
However, like many other girls out there, I was not the picture-perfect model of what society thinks of as a sorority girl. Despite the wide range of interests and personalities held by sorority members worldwide, the common idea includes wearing Lilly Pulitzer and pearls, sorority squatting, partying a lot, being really crafty, etc. I am not any of the above mentioned things, yet I am in a sorority and love it. I wouldn't say I'm the anti-sorority girl or anything extreme, but for someone who spent her senior year of high school watching countless bid day videos, I diverge a fair amount from the stereotype that many so quickly assume.
So when recruitment rolled around, I was literally a mess. As my one high school friend put it, when I went through rush, everyone in my life also went through it with me. I was stressed because something that I had spent so much time awaiting was finally on the horizon and I just wanted it to go well. I was almost waiting for the other shoe to drop, for this thing that I was so excited about to not be what I wanted it to be.
When the week was over and I received a bid from a sorority that I loved and really felt I belonged in, I couldn't have been happier. It may be basic to say that bid day was one of the best days of my life, but I'm still going to say it. And it's not because of the cute shirt or the endless hugs (although they didn't hurt); it's because in a matter of hours I knew I was a part of something that would impact my life in a big way, and that I had over two hundred new people that I could literally call family.
When I spoke to my mom and sister about being in a sorority, I definitely thought it was cool. I made sure I picked a school that had an active Greek community, and stalked countless amounts of sorority tumblrs (don't say you haven't done it too). But I didn't know the amount of pride I would feel being a part of such a unique group of people. I wasn't sure if I would make lifelong friends but now I can say with certainty that I have. I didn't realize the many facets of being in a sorority and how they all truly do come together to change your college experience. Being a "sorority girl" doesn't define who I am, but it is a part of me as a person and I can't wait to see the impact it continues to have on my life, even when I'm long done with college.
While Greek life isn't for everyone, it was definitely for me, and I wouldn't change my experience in my sorority for the world.
