First off, if you’re reading this, I am going to assume you fall into one of two categories. If you fall into the first, congrats! Recruitment went how you always thought it would, you are in a sorority, and reading this article is just a brief wander into the sorority-less world. But if you fall into the second category, like yours truly, recruitment did not exactly pan out the way you envisioned.
It did not go the way you wanted, you are not in a sorority, and honestly, if you hear the phrase “trust the process” one more time, you are going to lose your mind. Here are some tips for surviving the recruitment aftermath.
- Take a moment to yourself to process.
- Don’t take your emotions out on your friends, especially the ones who got into a sorority.
- Stay busy.
- Accept that everything happens for a reason, no matter how much you don’t want to hear it.
With all of the excitement and high emotions that occur during rush, everyone is on edge. Most likely, you and your friends got ready together, found each other during breaks, and met up to eat after that day’s rounds. And when you’re not with your friends? You’re in a packed room with approximately 100 other girls.
After recruitment is over, you will need more alone time than ever, in order to organize your thoughts and get your emotions in check, which leads to my next piece of advice.
To clarify, it is perfectly normal and even healthy to vent to friends, especially when you are upset and just need someone to talk to. It’s not okay, however, to project your anger about recruitment towards your friends, and be bitter and hostile towards them. I mention this because it’s so easy to get caught up in the moment and snap at your friends who got into a sorority, so when you feel that anger, go back to step one and realize this is when you take time away from others to reflect by yourself! It’s not your friends’ faults recruitment didn’t work out, and if you were in a sorority yourself, you would want to be able to talk to them about it, just like any other aspect in your life.
New members in a sorority are extremely busy, and it’s really easy to feel left out when all of your friends are headed to mixers or chapter. But who’s to say you can’t be busy yourself?
So, join that club you always wondered about, start taking classes at the gym, actually go to yoga for once, and focus on schoolwork to achieve that GPA you’re aiming for this semester. By the time you finally fall into bed, exhausted from your busy day, Greek life will be the last thing on your mind.
Even though I expressed my dislike for the often-repeated phrase of “trust the process,” I can appreciate the logic behind it. I think that trusting the process means not only trusting it when you get into a sorority but also when you do not get what you wanted. You trust that it was, for whatever reason, not what was supposed to happen in your life at this moment. In short, trust yourself, trust the process, and make the most out of your spring semester!
