Images of venti Pumpkin Spice Lattes, Tory Burch flip flops and excessively overpriced planners might begin to flood your mind when you think ‘sorority girl.’ I won’t lie to you, 90 percent of us are indeed easily identifiable for these reasons. Greek life can seem intimidating to some looking from the outside in. Now that I’ve found a home in it, I see that we’re really just a bunch of students trying to figure out how to adult together while simultaneously spending too much money on Domino’s pizza.
If you’re even considering rushing (YES, do it), learn from my experience. Hopefully these tips for surviving the best (and yet most tiring) weekend of your fall semester will make your life a little easier.
1. Do everything you can to stay healthy.
This is not an exaggeration. I mean literally everything you can do. Your next trip to the grocery store should be for lemons, honey, hot tea, Echinacea, vitamin C and a family sized bottle of hand sanitizer. While you’re at it, pick yourself up a few Snickers bars in case you get 'hangry' in between rounds.
2. Not to be a mom, but…get your homework done beforehand.
After you survive round one, all you will want to do is eat and sleep – maybe not even in that order. Hell, before round one, all you will want to do is eat and sleep. Don’t procrastinate this week. I promise you will hate yourself.
3. Wear spandex under your dress.
Maybe I’m just paranoid about flashing people, who knows. But hey better safe than sorry, am I right ladies?
4. Wear something you’re confident in.
This makes all the difference. They only way you can feel good about meeting a bunch of strangers who are all dolled up is if you feel dolled up yourself. Don’t be afraid to spend a little extra time picking out your outfit for your own piece of mind.
5. Don’t get lost in the superficiality of it all.
It’s so easy to fall in love with a house based on their decorations, outfits and videos. Although all of this is a huge part of recruitment planning itself, don’t get overindulged in it. At the end of the day, the only thing that really matters is how comfortable you are in a house and how happy you are when you’re there. Personally, I wanted a group of girls who were down to get TBell with me at any given point of the day. I found that. I hope you find what you’re looking for too.
6. Don’t get a last minute spray tan.
Okay, yeah. This one is random, maybe even a little weird – but it is IMPORTANT! Let me tell you, ladies, the last thing you want is for this spray tan to rub off onto your clothing or white gel nails. Give these things a little time to fade out!
7. Don’t wear shoes you can’t walk in or shoes that kill your feet.
Nope. Not worth it. Definitely wear shoes that you love, but if you can’t walk in high heels – don’t stress. I can’t either actually. Some might mistake me for a baby giraffe learning how to keep its balance for the first time. It’s nothing to be ashamed up, but please wear different shoes.
8. Don’t choose houses based on what houses your friends want.
YES we all want the opportunity to be with our friends, but the whole reason people rush in the first place is to make new friends. If you land in the same house as your BFF, that’s exciting and wonderful. But trust me, there’s also something weirdly satisfying about having your own house and being given endless opportunities to meet new people.
9. Bring an excessive amount of mints/gum.
I’m talking Costco size. I’m talking enough to supply a small village with minty fresh breath. I’m talking more mints than the ones you see in large glass containers next to the hostess stands at restaurants. You will thank me.
10. Don’t get obsessive over figuring out what house your Rho Gamma belongs to.
The reason these women are Rho Gams to begin with is so that they can be the best mentor possible. They want to help you get through the craziness of all things recruitment in the most unbiased way possible – let them.
11. Don’t drop out of recruitment if the house you thought you wanted doesn’t invite you back.
This happens way too often. Always finish the entire process and if you ended up in a house that wasn’t really on your radar, at least wait it out until after you experience Bid Day with them. Too often girls go into recruitment with a specific house in mind and that’s not really how the recruitment system works. Be open minded and stay positive!
Finding your way in college can feel almost impossible when you’re miles and miles away from your high school familiarity. After going through recruitment, which was in fact the longest weekend of my life, I was instantly welcomed and taken in. Sounds clique, I know, but these are the girls who have managed to change my life. If I ‘paid for my friends’ then it was worth every cent. I hope that after you manage to survive this wild process, you’ll feel the same way.
