Entering my freshmen year of college, one of the big questions I often was asked was, "Are you going to rush?" Coming from a small, preppy beach town, my answer was always an automatic, "Yes, I can't wait!" My father was part of a fraternity, and he actually met my mom because she was a little sister for the chapter he belonged to. Most of my older friends were in Greek life, so to me it just seemed like the normal thing to do.
My roommate, who was also from my hometown, and I arrived on campus, moved into our dorm and, that night, had our rush orientation. The next day began a week of stress, girl flirting and insane amounts of sweating. In the end, it all worked out. I ran home to a sorority I am now beyond proud to be apart of, and I have made friends that I cannot imagine college without. However, sometimes I wish I would've considered waiting to rush.
First of all, schools like mine that only participate in formal rush in the fall make no sense to me. For students who didn't attend summer session, they have no idea where anything is. College is a big change in itself, and it's crazy to think that the stress to join a sorority begins before we've even had the chance to find where our classes are.
Rather, we should have the first semester to become comfortable with our new lives without feeling like we're missing out. Schools that have formal recruitment in the spring allow students to take a deep breath, get to actually know the girls and determine whether or not they can even balance the time commitment of a sorority with their schoolwork.
This is not to say at all that I am against Greek life. In fact, I think Greek life is amazing. It has provided me endless connections, mentors, lifelong friends and memories. I love going to my house, eating with my people and laughing about stupid things. I got lucky enough to find my home, but not everyone did.
Just like all of us weighed our pros and cons and thought hard before deciding what college to go to, we should do the same when it comes to decisions once we are on campus. I know it's easy to follow the pack to do what's considered the "norm," but really think about yourself first! Sororities are great, but being happy is even better.
