Why My Sorority Isn’t What I Thought It Would Be
The day I moved into college, in August 2012, I saw myself in a sea of opportunity. There were opportunities to meet new people, make new friends, join new clubs, pick up new hobbies, try new things, and to even learn a little bit (or a lot, either way). I looked at these opportunities as a way to figure out who I really was, and I figured that the more I did, the more I would get out of my college experience. I was open to trying anything.
"NO. I will absolutely not go through sorority recruitment with you", I told my new roommate. So maybe I exaggerated a little when I said I was open to anything, anything but that. "I'm not becoming one of those self-obsessed girls who wakes up an extra two hours earlier every day just to curl their hair and perfectly iron their Lilly Pulitzer dress. And while I'm at it, I should also point out that I have no interest in catty, spoiled girls who come from a world where everything is handed to them."
"NO. Final answer, not happening", I told my roommate.
Three days later, as I sat in a room full of hundreds of other girls getting ready to head into sorority formal recruitment, my only thought was "I am such a sucker." I already knew what Greek life was, and I already knew that it wasn't for me. Right? Didn't I?
I'm sure you can guess where this is going….the last thing I ever thought I would do in college, somehow turned into the very first thing that I did, joining a sorority. I almost wanted to hate myself for being nervous the night before bid day, wondering if the sorority that I somehow already kind of loved would love me back. When I got my bid, I realized that I had absolutely no idea what I had gotten myself into.
I met the girls that I now call my sisters on the day I got my bid. I wanted to be guarded. I didn't see how I could possibly have anything in common with that many people. As it turns out, being a guarded person when you're in a sorority isn't a thing. And somehow, I'm kind of in love with that. Before the first semester was even over I had learned so much about my pledge sisters and even the sisters that were older than me. I made friends with a hippie-type girl that loves yoga and tea, and a girl that studies harder and cares more about school than anyone I had ever met. Somehow, I became friends with all different types of people, and they were all in the same sorority as me. I thought girls in sororities were supposed to be exactly the same? Turns out that isn't a thing either.
My second semester rolled around, and I returned from my winter break realizing that I now had more friends than I could ever have imagined I would by then. And the shocking part, you ask? I did NOT pay for them. I paid my dues for the expenses of our chapter room, my pin, etc., but these women who were now my sisters, I never had to buy them, they didn't want to be bought, they just wanted to get to know me. I wish I could say that I was right in thinking that my sorority would be everything that I thought it was going to be, but as it turns out, I was so wrong.
These girls, my sisters, wear sweatpants to class when they're exhausted from studying all night, but they sure know how to look great when they're feeling up to it. Isn't that kind of like every other girl in the world? These girls don't fill their heads with nonsense, or waste all day worrying about their appearance and what people think of them. They work hard in class, and they are dedicated friends. I never imagined that sorority girls were so, normal. Turns out, my sorority is just a bunch of girls with really big hearts, strong academic backgrounds, and even stronger moral values.
Remember me saying that I wanted to meet new people, make new friends, join new clubs, pick up new hobbies, try new things, and to even learn a little bit? Well I never would have imagined that joining my sorority would lead me to doing every single one of those things.
I am constantly meeting new people, and making new friends. Out of all of my sisters combined, I think we are friends with every single person at our University, and damn am I proud of that. My sisters are all in different clubs outside of our sorority, and are always teaching me about new clubs and helping me get involved on campus.
And heck, I am ALWAYS learning new things thanks to my sorority. What are a few of those things that I have learned so far? I've learned how to work hard for what I want. I've learned that having something that you cherish and are proud of doesn't make you self-obsessed. I've learned that sorority girls wear their letters so often because they are a reminder of the values that they hold, and the friendships that support them day in and day out. I've learned that Lilly Pulitzer is actually pretty cute, and so are baseball hats when you didn't have time to wash your hair because you woke up early to finish that damn ten page paper on who even knows what. I've learned that I can vent to these girls, I can be raw in front of these girls. I've learned that people call these girls their "sisters" because they are there for them through the fun weekends and the crappy days when you feel fat and that guy you like just screwed you over. I've learned that my sisters aren't perfect, they're normal, and they're just trying to make the most of their college experience.
I know before I said that I wish I had been right about what my sorority would be like. But honestly, I'm really, really happy that I was wrong. I don't know what I would do without these girls. I've bettered myself in a million different ways because of these girls. I've learned how to be a leader thanks to these girls. If you're not in a sorority, or a part of Greek life, then I can tell you one thing for sure, joining Greek life will not be what you expect it to be, it will ten thousand percent better, and you will be just as thankful as I am to have done it.
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