As of a few weeks ago, I've been an active member of my sorority for a year. I've experienced aspect of a sorority that an active member does. I've been to several socials, sisterhood events, late night dinners, and semi-formals and formals.

In just the past few weeks, I've gone through the process of formal recruitment for my sorority. In the week before recruitment, my chapter spent countless hours doing non-stop work to make sure it was seamless and perfect. The entire process was physically and mentally exhausting. My feet and voice are still recovering almost a week later.

Since my pledge class became new recruiters this year, our recruitment stories are still fresh in our mind.

As I was listening to everybody else's recruitment stories, I reflected on my own.

When I first got my bid from my sorority, I was incredibly excited. As bid day passed and my life got back to normal, the excitement slowly started to fade.

I always knew I wanted to rush the house that I was in, but I just felt like I didn't fit in for a long time. It wasn't until the middle of the first semester that I truly fell in love with my sorority and my sisters. I honestly expected that I'd love my sorority immediately, and I was shocked to find out that it took longer than a month. I joined a sorority because I saw the bond my mom and cousins had with their sorority sisters, and I am so glad that I found the type of women that I was always searching for.n

As I welcomed the new pledge class on bid day last week, I thought about what I would want to know as a new member of a sorority.

I wanted to tell them that the first semester of college is hard for everyone and its even harder as a new member of such a big organization like a sorority.

I wanted to tell the new members that you won't love your chapter 24/7. There will be times where you feel like you just can't fit in with any of the women in your pledge class. You'll look at your big and her roommates and wonder when you'll find your group of women. No chapter is perfect, and its okay to be frustrated with yours sometimes.

However, there will be memories that will become the best memories of your life. Times like driving around town with your roommates blaring music with all of the windows down Like chanting your sororities chant while walking in the homecoming parade. Memories when you look around the room and feel totally content with the people in your life. Times that you prayed for in highschool.

Times where that you looked forward to when you got your bid on bid day.